NHTSA Complaint #10456016 — 2007 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

WHILE DRIVING ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY, MY VW'S DSG TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING AND SHIFTING ERRATICALLY. THE ENGINE RPMS WOULD INCREASE TO 6000 THEN DROP SUDDENLY TO 500. WHILE THIS WAS HAPPENING, THE ENGINE WOULD SUDDENLY REENGAGE, CAUSING THE CAR TO SURGE AND BUCK. THE TRANSMISSION WOULD THEN SLIP AGAIN, AND THE ENGINE SURGING AND VEHICLE BUCKING CYCLE WOULD CONTINUE. SYMPTOMS OF THE DSG TRANSMISSION FAILURE OCCURRING; TRANSMISSION WOULD SLIP. RPMS WOULD INCREASE THEN DECREASE SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. ENGINE WOULD ENGAGE THEN DISENGAGE CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO VIOLENTLY BUCK, SHAKE, AND JERK. THE PRNDS NOMENCLATURE WOULD FLASH RAPIDLY, INDICATING A FAULT WITHIN THE SYSTEM. THE FINAL INDICATION OF THE SEVERITY OF THE DSG TRANSMISSION'S COMPLETE FAILURE WAS THE CARS INABILITY TO MOVE UNDER THROTTLE. THE CARS VELOCITY WAS COMPLETELY UNCONTROLLABLE. I AM VERY METICULOUS ABOUT THE MAINTENANCE OF MY VEHICLES. VW REQUIRES A FLUID AND FILTER CHANGE AT 40,000 FOR THE DSG. I HAD MINE DONE AT 39,000 THIS HAPPENED ON I70 ON THE BORDER OF PA/MD. I WAS ABLE TO MOVE THE CAR TO THE SHOULDER WITHOUT LOSS OF LIFE OR PROPERTY. HOWEVER, HAD THIS DSG/TRANSMISSION FAILURE OCCURRED ON 495 IN VA/MD, ( WHICH WAS MY LOCATION JUST 2 HOURS PRIOR) THE RESULTS COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC. VW IS WELL AWARE OF THIS ISSUE WITH ITS DSG TRANSMISSION, BOTH DOMESTICALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY. NOTE THE VIN SPECIFIC RECALL IN THE US FOR DSG/MECHATRONIC/ TEMP SENSOR. HOWEVER, THIS ISSUE IS WIDESPREAD. MY VIN IS NOT SPECIFIED IN THE RECALL, YET MY VEHICLE HAS EXPERIENCED THE SAME ISSUE AND FAILURE AS THAT SPECIFIED IN THE RECALL. THE FAILURE OF MY DSG TRANSMISSION WAS COMPLETELY UNEXPECTED AND WITHOUT WARNING. HAD I NOT HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PULL MY CAR SAFELY TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, THE RESULTS COULD HAVE BEEN SEVERE INJURY OR WORSE YET, LOSS OF LIFE FOR ME OR OTHER DRIVERS. *TR