2002 Volkswagen Jetta: hesitation when accelerating

Filed Dec 4, 2011 · Transmission · 139,110 miles · GA

My 2002 vw jetta glx (automatic) has severe transmission problems. When accelerating, it hesitates and then pops into gear jerking the car. This is very alarming and dangerous, especially when I am on the road with other vehicles around me. I almost had several accidents due to trying to pull out in traffic but the transmission is so unreliable and slips thereby causing me to stall in oncoming traffic. Then, today the car would not go into reverse or neutral at all. I've seen so many transmission complaints about this year's model and it is so unfair for the consumer to be responsible for this expensive repair.

Filed Nov 7, 2011 · Transmission · 119,000 miles · FL

Automatic transmission when cold will hesitate or not catch at all when putting into drive. Putting the car into 1st, then moving it to drive will usually work. Shudders when coming to stop after heating up at times. Mechanic says it needs a transmission rebuild at $3000. Failure of transmission control module and cascading to the master control module caused the transmission not to leave the park position, that tow and repair was $300 about 30 days ago. There are hundreds of complaints on the internet about this transmission failing repeatedly, a faulty design. We need a recall from volkswagen to fix this design failure.

Filed Sep 19, 2009 · Transmission · 126,750 miles · HI

I bought my 2002 vw jettatdi in 2004, during routine maintenance I described a hesitation in the transmission. They checked the transmission fluid and said it was "burned" and replaced it. I asked how it got that way and was told something got hot in there. That was it. Several years later and one more changing of the transmission fluid because it was burned, the car wouldn't automatically shift into 4th gear and would hesitate and surge forward. The mechanic replaced a sensor that tells the car to shift into 4th. It was fine for two weeks then, while driving 55 MPH on the highway, the car jolted like I had hit something (which I did not because I looked)and decelerated quickly. I immediately pulled over and from that point on the car would go up to 20 - 30 MPH then buck and decelerate to 5 MPH. It kept repeating this as I tried to accelerate. 1st gear and reverse didn't work at all. When the car was being loaded to be towed the front wheels would not roll backwards with the car in neutral and the e brake off. The transmission company said the transmission had melted down inside. And it will cost $4000.00 to rebuild the transmission. The way this happened was very dangerous; fortunately I was not passing another car or that there were no cars directly behind me or pulling out to cross traffic.

Filed Jan 15, 2004 · Engine · IN

I have a 2002 vw jetta, automatic, 2.0 engine. I have put 4200 miles on the car and have had it to two different vw dealerships trying to get a problem fixed with no luck. The car will hesitate upon acceleration from time to time. I acts like it is not getting the signal to speed up. The engine does not stall or sputter, it simply remains at an idle for 1 or 2 seconds and the slowly picks ups speed. No engine lights come on when this happens. This has happened at least 30 or more times since I bought it new. It has nearly cause me to have an accident a couple of different times as I am pulling out into traffic. The dealers claim to have never heard of this before, but after some searching I have found very similar complaints from people with the vw passat. I am frustrated that no one can seem to fix it and I am concerned that I may have a lemon car.

Filed Sep 12, 2002 · Body · MD

I bought my 2001 jetta in november of 2001 in good faith with the excitement of buying my first vw and the armrest broke the first week I bought the vehicle. In march, the back ashtray was replaced (which has never been used) but had springs pop out of it and the armrest was replaced again. On august 26th my vehicles radio stopped working and would not work. I contacted my dealership, russel vw, and made an appointment. I was told by mr. Scott mills that the radio was probably defective and I would have to get a new one. Major inconvenience but I set up an appointment for august 30th. On august 29th while driving my children to school the vehicles emergency lights came on and the car started shaking and smoking. Russel vw had my vehicle towed to their shop, told me I had defective coils and replaced them and the radio/stereo and I received my vehicle back on friday, august 30, 2002. The vehicle ran good for 30 minutes although one speaker was now blown and the car started to drive with lots of hesitation and on tuesday, the temperature gauge had stopped working and the temperature light came on. I returned the car to the dealership on tuesday, september 3, 2002. I was contacted by the dealership, which replaced the temperature gauge and another coil (I think), and told me their mechanic wanted to drive the vehicle home because he couldnt locate the problem but could feel the engine hesitation. On friday, september 6th, mr. Mills contacted me told me that russel vw felt I had a faulty transmission and it would need to be replaced. Now this is a major problem  I was hoping vw would work with me by either extending the warranty or letting me trade this jetta for another one.

Filed Jul 26, 2002 · Acceleration · IN

Vehicle hesitates before acceleration; could cause stall in intersection.