NHTSA Complaint #10351669 — 2004 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE

MY 2004 VW NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE WITH TRIPTONIC TRANSMISSION, ONLY 53,800 MILES, LURCHES IN THE LOWER GEARS AFTER THE CAR WARMS UP IN ABOUT 10 MINUTES. THE CAR WILL NOT SHIFT SMOOTHLY BETWEEN THE LOWER GEARS AND OFTEN REVS UP TO 5000 RPM BEFORE IT "CLUNKS" INTO HIGHER GEAR. THE CAR WILL NOT ACCELERATE PROPERLY, LEFT TURNS INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC ARE DANGEROUS. THE CAR MAY DECIDE TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL RATHER THAN LURCH INTO GEAR. AFTER STOPPING AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS, I AM OFTEN TAILGATED BECAUSE THE CAR WILL NOT GET UP TO SPEED QUICKLY. LUCKILY I HAVE NOT BEEN REAR-ENDED AS SOME OTHERS HAVE. THE VW DEALER MECHANIC WOULD LIKE TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AT A COST TO ME OF $6800. A TRANSMISSION SHOULD NOT FAIL AT ONLY 53,800 MILES UNLESS THERE IS A MAJOR DESIGN DEFECT. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS IN VARIOUS CAR FORUMS, IN PARTICULAR HTTP://TOWNHALL-TALK.EDMUNDS.COM WHERE THERE ARE MORE POSTS ABOUT TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS FOR THE NEW BEETLE THAN ANYTHING EXCEPT MAINTENANCE. MY RESEARCH HAS LEARNED THAT THE FIRST GENERATION OF VW'S DOUBLE CLUTCH TRANSMISSIONS HAD A CHRONIC WEAK POINT. THEY COMBINE A WET CLUTCH (AS IN TRADITIONAL AUTOMATIC) AND A GEAR PART (AS IN TRADITIONAL MANUAL TRANSMISSION), HOWEVER BOTH ARE LUBRICATED OUT OF SAME OIL SUMP. THE GEAR PART CAUSES THE OIL TO BE MORE CONTAMINATED WITH WEAR PARTICLES (VS. TRADITIONAL AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION). THE CONTAMINATED OIL IS USED ALSO IN THE VALVE BODY AND THE WET CLUTCH, AND THESE WEAR PARTICLES CAN DETERIORATE THE PERFORMANCE OF THE WET CLUTCH (CLUTCH MATERIAL, RESULTING IN SLIPPAGE, OR CLUTCH AND GEAR CHANGE HYDRAULIC CONTROLS, RESULTING IN DEFECTIVE SHIFT STRATEGIES). ONCE THAT HAPPENS, DAMAGE IS USUALLY IRREVERSIBLE. VW CHANGED THE OIL SERVICE RECOMMENDATION FROM "FILL FOR LIFE" OR 100,000 MILES TO 40,000 MILES. EVEN AT THIS REDUCED AMOUNT, THEY CLEARLY STILL HAD A PROBLEM. THEY PROBABLY MODIFIED THE DESIGN SINCE BUT HAVE NOT ADMITTED IT. VW HAS NOT BEEN ETHICAL IN THEIR HANDLING OF THIS DESIGN DEFECT. *TR