NHTSA Complaint #10320345 — 2004 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE

AT ABOUT 35,000 MILES MY CAR STARTED SLIPPING WITH THE TRANSMISSION. IT WOULD JERK FORWARD AND SOMETIMES GET STUCK IN BETWEEN 1, 3, AND 4TH GEARS. THIS WAS NOT A HUGE PROBLEM AT THIS POINT AND DURING MY REGULAR CHECK UPS, VW DEALERSHIP ALWAYS SAID THERE WAS NO PROBLEM DETECTED. 2. THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IS NOW FAILING AT 60,000 MILES. IT HAS ALMOST CAUSED ME SEVERAL ACCIDENTS, ESPECIALLY AT INTERSECTIONS. PEOPLE ALMOST REAREND ME DAILY. NOT ONLY IS THE CAR JERKING FORWARD AND BACKWARD UPON GEAR SHIFTING, BUT NOW IT GETS STUCK PERIOD AND WILL NOT MOVE..THE RPM'S GOING ALL THE WAY TO 6-7. THE TIRES SPIN, THE CAR GROANS HORRIBLY, THE GEARS SHOW UP ON MY DASH IN BRACKETS. WHEN I HAD A DIAGNOSTIC TEST DONE AT THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT FOUR MONTHS AGO, AND I EXPLAINED IN DETAIL THE TRANNY PROBLEM, THEY SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH IT. NOW, I CAN TELL IT IS ALMOST UNDRIVABLE AT THIS PT. ON MY FIFTEEN MILE COMMUTE HOME TODAY, I HAD TO PULL OVER SEVEN TIMES BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. I COULD NOT GET OUT OF FIRST GEAR THEN IT JUMPED TO SIX. I WAS STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION AT A RED LIGHT, ALMOST GETTING BACKENDED. THIS IS TERRIFYING. I HAD A PANIC ATTACK. I HAVE AN APPT. TOMORROW AT THE DEALERSHIP TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM IS AND HOW MUCH MONEY THIS WILL COST ME. MY CAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN CHECKED UP REGULARLY. *TR