Clutch needs to be replaced in my 2002 vw new beetle. I commute 200 miles a day.. All freeway.. And after purchasing the car used and using it for 5 months, the clutch needs replacing already. I have almost always owned manual transmission automobiles and have never had a clutch problem. I do not drive a lot using the clutch seeing as most of my driving is on the highway. I am glad I noticed this problem early and was only driving to the store instead of on the freeway.
2002 Volkswagen Beetle transmission complaints
Page 2 of 2: complaints 11 to 23 of 23, newest first, as owners wrote them.
When you put the car in drive with your foot on the brake, when you let off the brake the car will roll backwards then jerk forward.
Transmission replaced three times, still not working properly, lunges into forward and reverse, and will drop into and out of high and low gear when driving. Sunroof leaked because the drainage tubing was not connected at factory causing water damage to leather seats and now mold is growing inside of vehicle, making it difficult to be inside and have had one sinus infection already.
Clutch failure (began to slip) on 2002 nb tdi @ 77k mi.
Vw new beetle - in shop for 3 months out of 24 months owned. Engine trouble, window trouble, starter trouble and now clutch problems.
Just after reaching 35,800 miles, my 2002 vw nb suddenly and without warning on the freeway lost power and speed. The engine began to rev erratically from a low of 1000 rpms to 6000/7000 rpms while the speed continued to drop below 50 MPH. I took the car to a va dealership for the 35,000 mile service and bought the erratic engine behavior to the attention the of service manager. He advised me that he had "no idea what-so-ever" (indicating so on the service papers for the car) about what was causing the cars erratic behavior but would test drive it to troubleshoot the problem. I received a call later that day that they had found the problem with the car. The "fly wheel" was "falling out" of the car and would have to be replaced asap. Furthermore, while troubleshooting the car the mechanics had actually broken the fly wheel (clutch) rendering the car undrivable. The service manager advised me that in the 3 years the service department had serviced my car they had never checked my clutch as it was suppose to be self-regulating and that he found it unusual that the clutch would fall out with so few miles on the car. However, the service manager informed me that the clutch is not under warranty and would cost me approximately $2,000 or more to repair. I contacted va of america to inquiry as to why the clutch is not serviced regularly with the rest of the car and why owners are not advised of the so-called self-regulating clutch which is not mentioned anywhere in the owners manual. The consumer representative stated that even if the part was defective now at 35,000 miles that I should have taken action to have the part replaced when it was under warranty even though she could not specifically state when the fly wheel was under warranty or whether it is still under warranty. As yet the car has not been repaired.
I purchased this "like new"vw super beetle on dec 31 04. It had only 17000 miles on it. Since that time I have had the transmission modulator on it changed, and in the shop 6 time for a transmission problem. When the car has been sitting for an hour or so it will hesitate then slam into 2nd gear. It causes me and passengers to lunge foward then back. I am told this is a charaturistic of vw and should just ignore it or get use to it.
Problem: very hard to shift gears while driving and almost impossible to shift into reverse. Car only had 35,000 miles. Took car to vw dealership for repair. Repair person knew instantly what problem was. After taking clutch apart, vw dealer said total clutch failure and showed me the clutch parts. Vw dealer replaced clutch and I was billed $1600. Vw said not covered by warranty because wear and tear item. (I even purchased an extended warranty from the same dealer when I purchased the car). This is b.s. A clutch does not fail only after two years of normal driving. This type of clutch is a major defect and vw knows about it. I called vw of america to report problem which was totally useless. I am so disgusted with vw now, I will never buy a vw again and I will always advise my friends and family never to own a vw.
While at a stop/driving vehicle jerked forward. Dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem.
Consumer stated when shifting the vehicle into reverse it moved forward. *ak this happened three different times to three different drivers. Once while sitting at a light, when consumer took foot off the brake, it went reverse.
While traveling on the highway the vehicle will jerk back and forth. The transmission has froze and will not shift gear. Please fill in additional information dealer is aware of the problem. Ts
While consumer has his fot on the brake, and the transmission in forward gear, it will not engage. When removing his foot, the vehicle will hesitate and then lurch forward into gear. If on a hill the vehicle will roll backwards before engaging. The transmission control module has been changed several times and the problem still exists.
Consumer states that when vehicle is shifted into drive with foot still on the brakes it will not engage. When foot is removed from the brake vehicle will hesitateand then lurch forward. Dealer contacted, cannot fix problem.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2002 Volkswagen Beetle?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history