V.w. Beetle automatic transmission failure - hard shift or will not shift.
1999 Volkswagen Beetle: stuck in gear or won't shift
6 of the 174 complaints about the 1999 Volkswagen Beetle describe stuck in gear or won't shift.
- owner complaints
- 6
- of this car's complaints
- 3%
- recalls
- 0
Is there a fix? 3 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below
Stuck in gear or won't shift by model year
What owners say
After stopping at a gas station, the vehicle would not go into gear. The consumer had taken the vehicle to the dealer in which they replaced the shift carrier. The consumer felt that this part should be made of metal instead of plastic. *ak
1999 volkswagen beetle under warranty of 10 years or 100,000 miles-power train-transmission. Because parts were left out of the transmission during repair in 2001 and because the transmission would not shift properly from the purchase date of 4-28-1999, many close calls/near accidents were experienced on the freeway. The beetle jumped out of 1 gear or another and in freeway traffic that is life threatening. The manufacturer and dealer classic vw of escondido, ca. Did not correct the problem. From 1999 to 2-03, 7 attempts at repair with the one 2-13-03 by paradise vw of indio, ca, 110 miles from home. One dealer would not even attempt because they wouldn't get paid. Per phone 2 other dealers told us to go back to classic where we purchased the beetle and have them fix their own bad work. The transmission jumped out of gear at freeway speeds, 70 MPH, and when you loose gear in that kind of traffic in the 2nd or 3rd lane you are in real danger. About 10 of this kind of near accident occurred. Luckily accidents were avoided. Freeway travel cannot always be avoided. Could not get the car repaired so we drove it. Classic always maintained the car was repaired or didn't need repair, and we drove it. We always felt in danger. This type of defect needs more attention because it is life threatening, a death waiting to happen.
Vehicle will not go into reverse.also, there is noise like a banging tapping. Dealership is aware of problem.
Forward gear is 3rd only. When in drive, does not shift from 1 to 2 to 3 to 4th gears. This has happened 4 times since 2/99.
On 2 occasions when my car has been facing down on a slope it will not start and I have to put it in neutral and roll to level ground to get it to start. On one other occation my car did have a problem when I pulled into my parents driveway and I put my car in reverse , it did not go into gear and I rolled over my mom's flowers. The deal has checked in their database and with volkswagen of america and noone has reported a problem similar to mine. They tried to recreate what I described, but to no avail. To date I have not had any incident repeat and I have gone to my parents house to try to recreate it myself, but again to no avail. The dealer has been very helpful with any problem I have encounted with my new car.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 1999 Volkswagen Beetle won't shift
Is stuck in gear or won't shift a common problem on the 1999 Volkswagen Beetle?
6 of 174 owner complaints about the 1999 Volkswagen Beetle (3%) mention stuck in gear or won't shift. The model year with the most reports is 2004.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1999 Volkswagen Beetle?
There are 0 recalls and 3 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 1999 Volkswagen Beetle
Fire or smoke 13Check engine light 11Headlights 10Airbag light 9Stalling 7Won't start 6ABS 5
VIN decoder
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