NHTSA Complaint #10408828 — 2003 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE

WHILE DRIVING AT A SPEED OF AROUND 45+ MPH MY WIFE'S VW BEETLE RANDOMLY DOWNSHIFTED TO THE POINT THAT IT SQUEALED THE TIRES AND THREW HER FORWARD. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THEIR ESTIMATE IS $4900 FOR A USED TRANSMISSION OR $6000+ FOR A NEW ONE FROM VW. THEY ALSO SAID THAT THIS IS A "KNOWN" PROBLEM WITH THIS SPECIFIC TRANSMISSION. THE DEALERSHIP SAID WE SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED A LETTER FROM VW EXTENDING THE WARRANTY ON THE TRANSMISSION TO 100,000 MILES FOR THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE THE LETTER BUT MY WIFE'S CAR HAS 128,000 MILES SO VW HAS REFUSED TO HELP AT ALL WITH THE PROBLEM. I ALSO CHECKED WITH TWO OTHER VW DEALERSHIPS IN THE KC METRO AND THEY IMMEDIATELY STARTED NODDING THEIR HEAD IN AGREEMENT ABOUT THIS BEING A "KNOWN" PROBLEM WITH THIS TRANSMISSION. AS I WAS TRYING TO LOCATE A USED TRANSMISSION ONLINE AT A CHEAPER PRICE I WAS ABSOLUTELY IN SHOCK AT THE VOLUME OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH THIS TRANSMISSION. THAT RANDOM DOWNSHIFT IS GOING TO CAUSE A WRECK IF IT HASN'T ALREADY. IF SOMEONE IS FOLLOWING TOO CLOSE, THE PAVEMENT IS WET, SNOW ON THE GROUND, GRAVEL ROADS, WHATEVER SCENARIO YOU CAN IMAGINE - A DOWNSHIFT OF THAT NATURE COULD EASILY RESULT IN A WRECK. I ALSO CHECKED WITH A NATIONAL TRANSMISSION COMPANY (CERTIFIED TRANSMISSION) AND THEY SAID THAT DUE TO A "DESIGN FLAW" WITH THAT TRANSMISSION THEY WILL ONLY WARRANTY THEIR WORK TO 12MOS/12,000 MILES INSTEAD OF THEIR NORMAL 3YR/50,000. VW'S OWN LETTER ACKNOWLEDGING A PROBLEM DUE TO "CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS", 3 DEALERSHIPS STATING THIS IS A "KNOWN" PROBLEM, A NATIONAL TRANSMISSION COMPANY REDUCING THEIR WARRANTY DUE TO A "DESIGN FLAW" AND THE LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF DISCUSSIONS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM - IT IS OBVIOUS THERE IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH VW'S "GGZ" TRANSMISSION. *TR