2001 Volkswagen Jetta: transmission slipping

Filed Jan 21, 2014 · Engine, Transmission · 86,642 miles · NC

Beware of this used car - it needs serious mechanical work. I test drove it and realized that the transmission slips, the timing chain rattles, and the A/C did not work.

Filed Jun 11, 2010 · Engine, Lights · 100,000 miles · MI

The vw jetta vr6 2001 that I purchased last year for $7,000 (financing through my credit union) is a lemon. I have had it less than a year and already spent $2000 on minor repairs and I estimate that right now it needs about $4000 more in the next few months. I believe that sundance improperly sold this car, knowing that a massive amount of things are wrong with it. I had a garage with which they are affiliated look at it and completely misrepresented the shape of the car. Since acquiring it I have been plagued with difficulties with it, from head lights mysteriously going out, to the water pump failing, to the serpentine coil failing, now to the air compressor failing, as well as the computer to the A/C, and today it is the epc code (which I believe has something to do with either the catalytic converter, or computer - but the thing is losing power and the brake lights don't work which is a major safety hazard), not to mention the transmission slips and will need to be replaced. Having been plagued with these issues, I have come to find out that there are many other vw jetta vr6 2001 owners who are adamant that this car is a manufactured lemon. Vw needs to be in some way held accountable - all of us have had nightmarish lives and are paying for the defects every day.

Filed Nov 13, 2008 · Transmission · 110,000 miles · KS

2001 vw jetta vr6 for years my automatic transmission has occasionally slipped while shifting between 2nd and 3rd gears. Also, my gear selector slips between "d" and "3" without an resistance. A couple of days ago, with my car being regularly maintained, this problem became persistent. Now, every time the car shifts from 2nd to 3rd the car shifts/bucks very hard. Also, the gear selector easily moves from "d" to "3" and while in "3" the dash still shows the car to be in "d". I'm afraid this is going to drop my transmission while driving. I've asked two different dealers and one said nothing can be done, while the other said that is very common with this car because vw put poor automatic transmissions in these cars. I also have the crayon smell in my car that does make me and my passengers somewhat ill feeling. However, I'm more concerned with my transmission.

Filed Aug 10, 2004 · Transmission · 34,600 miles · VA

2001 jetta 1.8t clutch began slipping at 34,600 miles. The dealer said that the friction material was almost completely worn off of the clutch disc, most likely due to the way that it has been driven. We have driven over 80k miles in another manual vehicle with no problems, so I do not believe this rationale. The car went in for service at 16,000 miles for a sticking clutch. The dealer did not replace any parts at that time. The clutch may not have fully engaged even when the pedal finally released due to faulty hydraulics, so the clutch plate was likely worn prematurely because it wasn't properly engaging with the flywheel. The dealer's repair estimate was $2100, including $1200 for a replacement clutch kit plus 10 hours of labor. I then called a second local dealer and was quoted a price of $753.94 for the same clutch kit. When I declined the dealer's repair, I was charged an $83 diagnostic fee just to get my car back. I then spoke with the dealer service manager and a vw of america rep about the cylinder problem and the apparently high rate of 1.8t clutch failures. Both claimed that too many miles had passed since that first repair and reiterated that 1) the clutch is a wear item only covered to 12,000 miles by the warranty and 2) I am responsible for the repair costs. An independent mechanic fixed the vehicle for $1038 with a non-oem clutch kit. This price also included new master and slave cylinders, which he felt were likely the cause the original clutch failure. Incidentally, he said that vw's own service documentation provided to mechanics indicated that a clutch overhaul should take 4-5 hours (as opposed to the 10 hours quoted by my dealer).

Filed May 19, 2004 · Driver assistance, Transmission · 29,000 miles · OH

While accelerating from either a stop or moving, the transmission occasionally will slip while shifting from 1st-2nd gear, regardless of either light or heavy throttle. This problem has proven elusive to duplicate on demand and has occured under various conditions, to include: light & heavy acceleration; moving & from dead stop; dry & wet roads; inclined (uphill) & declined (downhill) and various combinations of listed conditions. This started occuring around 29,000 miles and has continued on/off up to its' current 40,073 miles. Without being able to duplicate it for the dealer it will be a moot point to bring it in for diagnosis/repair, as they will "guess" the cause and charge me accordingly.

Filed Apr 1, 2004 · Transmission · 28,000 miles · OH

The manual transmission slips out of gear for no reason, with no warning at certain speeds and in certain gears. When you try and accelerate the engine revs but you don't go anywhere, possibly a very dangerous situation. I have had the car in twice for repairs and the problem still occurs, all that has changed is which gear. The dealer claimed these repairs were not under warranty even though the transmission is covered by a 10-year warranty.