My engine light came on and the AC stopped blowing cold air. I also noticed a beep sound that would come on when I turned the headlights on but the sound would turn off and on while I drove. Then the alarm stopped working and the interior lights malfunctioned, the radio also gave out and the vehicle seemed to hesitate while driving it. I checked the fuse box on the battery and discovered that the slot where the fuse slips into on top of the vehicle battery was melted and there was something on the driver side headlamp cover like some type of gas or fumes had escaped the battery and sprayed the headlampcover. I changed the fuses around and got the AC going again, then I changed them all out, and everything worked great for about 5 days, then the interior lights went out again, the alarm stopped working, radio is out, the beeping sound is back and when I checked the fuse, it was melting again. I am afraid that while in the vehicle with my children I will have a malfunction and be injured. I just paid off the vehicle... What a gift for paying off a vehicle... Seems like everything in and on that vehicle is a hazard and an accident waiting to happen.. Its sad because I use to love my new beetle.
2004 Volkswagen Beetle: hesitation when accelerating
9 of the 349 complaints about the 2004 Volkswagen Beetle describe hesitation when accelerating.
- owner complaints
- 9
- of this car's complaints
- 3%
- typical mileage
- 80,000
- recalls
- 0
Hesitation when accelerating by model year
What owners say
The transmission is slipping and n flaring. The car hesitates and then lunges forward upon acceleration. I had a mechanic look at it and he said the transmission needs to be replaced. There is a class action lawsuit in process for this vehicle.
My automatic 2004 vw beetle convertible jerks so hard from 1st to 2nd gear, it fells like I have been rear ended, or popped the clutch. I have almost been in 2 accidents due to the severity of the jerking, and have had the wheels actually squeal. The car works fine for the first 20-30 minutes, but then gets so bad I fear I may get whiplash. It is now beginning to rev to 6000 RPM when it shifts into 6th gear, or hesitates and I lose power. Have been told I will need to replace transmission, but that will cost almost as much as the car is worth.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 volkswagen beetle. The contact stated that when shifting from park to drive, the vehicle would hesitate and stall. The vehicle was taken to a local repair facility where the contact was advised that the transmission would need replacing. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 96,000.
Vw new beetle with transmission issues that are dangerous. It will jump unexpectedly and at one point I actually rear ended another vehicle from the uncontrollable transmission issues. It will also hesitate in an intersection making for a hazardous situation.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 volkswagen beetle convertible. The contact stated while traveling at 5 MPH, the vehicle began jerking forward and hesitating to shift into gear. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was informed that the valve would need to be replaced. The vehicle was then taken to a local repair facility where the valve was replaced. There were no prior warnings of the failure. The failure mileage was 48,000 and the current mileage was 63,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 volkswagen beetle convertible. While driving at 20 MPH, the contact stated that when he depressed the accelerator pedal, the vehicle would hesitate before moving forward. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who informed the contact that the transmission needed to be replaced needed by the dealership. The vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. The failure mileage was approximately 54,000. The current mileage was approximately 55,000.
The transmission intermittently has trouble upshifting and downshifting between gears. It jerks, hesitates and then lurches forward. It starts occurring after about 5-10 min drive. It is especially uncontrollable when downshifting. The car slows down, the panel shows downshifted gear, car almost stops, then makes a sharp sudden movement forward. It is especially dangerous at intersections, because of uncontrollable jerks.
Intermittently vehicle would hesitate before accelerating forward. Dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem.
Service bulletins that may apply
- Tech Tips (Torque Converter/Flywheel/Flexplate installation): Incorrect torque converter or...
- Incorrect torque converter or flywheel/flexplate installation can result in transmission damage
- P0102, P1128, P1296
- Tech Tips (Measure Value Block Request): If a request has been made for several MVBs from a DSG...
- VW Elsa Newsletter
- Tech Tips (Vehicles with 09G or 09A Transmission -- Replacing Transmission):
- 09A Transmission -- Replacing Transmission
- Volkswagen: the gear box has a momentarily delay while accelerating
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2004 Volkswagen Beetle hesitation
Is hesitation when accelerating a common problem on the 2004 Volkswagen Beetle?
9 of 349 owner complaints about the 2004 Volkswagen Beetle (3%) mention hesitation when accelerating. The model year with the most reports is 2005.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2004 Volkswagen Beetle?
There are 0 recalls and 9 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2004 Volkswagen Beetle
Jerking 60Airbag light 58Transmission failure 54Power windows 46Slipping 26Check engine light 20Headlights 16Harsh shifting 15Stalling 15Won't shift 15Seat belt 10Grinding brakes 7Fire or smoke 7Loss of power 6
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