NHTSA Complaint #10383131 — 2003 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE

AS HAPPENED TO MANY OTHER OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE, THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ON MY 2003 VOLKSWAGEN NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE BEGAN TO BANG VERY HARD WHEN SHIFTING AND LOCKED UP PERIODICALLY IN THIRD GEAR. WHEN THE TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP IN THIRD GEAR WHILE STOPPED AT A LIGHT, THE CAR WAS VERY SLOW TO MOVE. THIS LEFT ME NEARLY STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF MAJOR BUSY INTERSECTIONS SEVERAL TIMES. I HAD TO GET OUT OF THE CAR TO PUSH IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH CARS WHIZZING PAST. THIS DEFECT IS VERY DANGEROUS AND IS A KNOWN FREQUENT PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS THROUGH SEVERAL YEAR MODELS. IT COST ME OVER $3000 TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION FIXED. VW IS WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS WITH THE CONTROL VALVE IN THIS DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION AND HAS EXTENDED THE WARRANTY, BUT HAS LEFT OUT CARS SOLD AT THE TIME MINE WAS. *TR