NHTSA Complaint #10410954 — 2003 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE

BEGINNING AROUND SEPTEMBER 2010, MY 2003 VW NEW BEETLE BEGAN EXPERIENCING HARD SHIFTING AND ENGINE REVVING DURING NORMAL DRIVING. WHEN ACCELERATING FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR, AND FROM SECOND TO THIRD GEAR, THE CAR IDLES AT VERY HIGH RPMS WHILE FAILING TO ACTUALLY SHIFT FOR A FEW SECONDS, THEN SHIFTS VERY HARD INTO GEAR FORCING THE CAR TO SLOW DOWN, JERK AND BUCK. VW DID ISSUE A WARRANTY EXTENSION SOME TIME AGO BUT THE EXTENSION WAS ONLY TO 100,000 MILES AND AT THE TIME, MY CAR HAD APPROXIMATELY 104,000 MILES ON IT AND VW WOULDN'T DO THE WORK - WHICH INVOLVES REPLACING A FAULTY TRANSMISSION VALVE BODY. SINCE THAT TIME, THE RPMS HAVE GOTTEN STUCK IDLING ALMOST TO RED ZONE LEVELS WHILE I'M DRIVING, THOUGH THE CAR IS NOT ACTUALLY ACCELERATING. IT'S AS IF THE CAR IS IN NEUTRAL WITH THE FOOT ON THE GAS. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 10 TIMES AND IS REMEDIED IF I PULL OVER AND TURN THE CAR OFF, THEN RESTART IT. IN ADDITION, WHEN DOWNSHIFTING TO EXIT THE HIGHWAY OR UPSHIFTING TO ENTER THE HIGHWAY, OR SIMPLY WHEN PULLING AWAY FROM A STOP LIGHT OR STOP SIGN, THE CAR HAS A TENDENCY TO SKIP A GEAR OR SHIFT SO HARD IT JERKS AND BUCKS AND REVS VERY HIGH UNTIL THE GEAR ENGAGES (LIKE IT DOES WHEN A KID IS LEARNING HOW TO DRIVE A STICK SHIFT, ONLY IT'S AN AUTOMATIC). THIS HAPPENS EVERY TIME I DRIVE THE CAR AND HAS CONTINUALLY WORSENED. I HAVEN'T HAD AN ACTUAL ACCIDENT BUT BELIEVE IT IS IMMINENT IF THE CONDITION KEEPS GETTING WORSE. *TR