The contact owns a 2008 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle started shuddering and swaying in the rear of the vehicle. The contact slowed down and proceeded to drive. There were several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 106,349.
2008 Volkswagen Jetta transmission problems
53 complaints (28% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 25,300. 1 crash reported.
- owner complaints
- 53
- of this car's complaints
- 28%
- typical mileage
- 25,300
- crashes
- 1
- recalls
- 1
Which part fails
- Automatic transmission26
- Driveline3
- Manual transmission2
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
Volkswagen Jetta transmission problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2008 Volkswagen Jetta transmission
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
Power train: driveline: driveshaft
- What is wrong
- Volkswagen is recalling 25,594 my 2006-2009 jetta 5th generation equipped with 2.01 engine. The fastening screw contact surfaces on the driveshaft cover plate may not have been manufactured to factory specifications. Some screws may not have been torqued properly during assembly and could loosen over time, causing a knocking sound when the vehicle is in motion. The driveshaft screws could loosen to the point where the driveshaft detaches from the gearbox.
- Risk
- If the vehicle is moving when this happens, the detached driveshaft could cause damage the gearbox housing. A damage gearbox housing could leak gearbox oil onto the street and create a risk of a vehicle crash for both the driver and other motorists.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the driveshaft screws and replace the screws free of charge. The recall began on june 24, 2009. Owners may contact volkswagen at 1‑800‑822‑8987.
Recall number 09V164000 · Recall details
Related investigations
Vehicle stall/loss motive power
The subject vehicles are equipped with direct shift gearbox (dsg) transmissions, which feature a 6-speed automatic gearbox with two wet running clutches (dual clutch) in which the clutch mechanism and gear changes are electrohydraulically operated by a mechatronic control unit.the dsg mechatronic controller includes extensive self diagnostic functions and strategies to ensure safe operation and prevent system/component damage in the event of component failures or harsh operating conditions.the basic hierarchy of fault modes includes some that only result in the storage of a diagnostic trouble code (dtc) and cause no loss of function, some that store a dtc and reduce vehicle operation to a limp home mode, and some that store a dtc and cause an interruption of motive power (I.e., open clutch).the driver is alerted to the latter two modes by the dash gear position indicator (prnds) flashing. One of the conditions that results in interruption of motive power is excess gearbox temperature.the system initially responds to increased gearbox temperature by ramping down engine torque.if the temperature keeps rising the mechatronic unit responds by opening the clutch.in a defect information report submitted to the federal safety agency on august 20, 2009, volkswagen described a potential defect in the wiring harnesses of the dsg gearbox temperature sensors used in approximately 16,000 model year (my) 2009 and 2010 volkswagen (eos, jetta and gti) and audi (a3 and tt/tt roadster) vehicles equipped with dsg transmissions and built from september 2008 through august 2009 (the federal safety agency recall no. 09v‑333, volkswagen recall no. 37e3/s7 and audi recall no 37e4/j7). Volkswagen provided this description of the defect, the wiring harness of a temperature sensor in the dsg may have connector wires that were insufficiently crimped by the connector supplier during a limited production period.with insufficiently crimped connector wires, a temperature sensor has the potential to falsely detect a high gearbox oil temperature, causing the transmission to abruptly shift to neutral.if this happens, the selector lever position indicator within the instrument panel will flash.in addition, the depress brake pedal indicator light will be illuminated, alerting the driver to apply the brakes.in heavy traffic, the abrupt shift to neutral could lead to a crash without warning.volkswagen estimated that less than one percent of the recalled vehicles may contain the defect condition. Odi identified 40 complaints that appear to be related to the temperature sensor defect condition described by volkswagen.volkswagen received 139 complaints related to the condition, with 7 involving vehicles reported to odi, resulting a 172 total complaints to odi and volkswagen.all of these complaints involve the my 2009 an 2010 vehicles subject to recall 09v‑333. Odi also identified complaints of harsh/jerky shifting in some volkswagen vehicles with dsg.volkswagen attributed this condition, which typically occurs at very low speeds, to excessive wear in the bushings of the two solenoid valves in the mechatronic unit that control clutch operation.volkswagen does not believe that the this condition is a safety defect because the changes in shift quality develop gradually over time, do not cause a loss of motive power and have not resulted in any fatalities, injuries or serious crashes (there were three reported property damage incidents resulting in minor body damage in very low speed, parking maneuvers).volkswagen addressed this problem in the field with a customer service program that includes the replacement of potentially affected mechatronic units as well
PE09035
What 2008 Volkswagen Jetta owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Just after I purchased the used vehicle from a private party, I was driving on the interstate at approximately 70 miles per hour, when the vehicle without warning slammed into second gear, sending my face into the steering wheel, while the cars travelling behind me had to brake to avoid collision. I pulled over, and turned the car off to assess the reason, to no avail. When I re-started the car and put it in gear, it drove fine until the next time I drove it. Then it did a repeat of the previous action, sending the transmission into safe made without any notice or provocation, and again, when I restarted the vehicle it drove perfectly normal while I drove it directly home. When I performed an obdii scan, it generated p0746 as the problem, with no other problems being reported. I am reporting this problem because the first time it happened, it could have have ended very badly had someone else been behind the wheel, such as a mother who may be distracted by her children at the time, and I feel this matter should be addressed before someone is killed on the highway. Prior experience has taught me that highway accidents seldom only happen to one vehicle at a time, and almost anyone that experiences this problem on a highway could cause serious injury to multiple cars and needs to be addressed.
Vehicle suddenly comes out of gear. Will not let you select forward or reverse ,leaving you stuck in a possible dangerous situation. Throws code p0717 , transmission speed sensor. After some research I've discovered this is a common issue and recalls have been issued in other countries.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 volkswagen jetta. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, there was an abnormal clunking sound coming from the transmission. The instrument panel display showed that the transmission independently switched from drive to neutral as the vehicle lost motive power. Upon inspection, it was discovered that the driveshaft bolts loosened and a hole was present which caused transmission fluid to leak from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 140,000.
Car while driving immediately slows like it was shifted into neutral. When you press the gas car races but does not move. The prnds flashes and the car had to be shut down and restarted. I heard there was a recall but it never showed for my car nor will they help, because my VIN was not listed. This is a serious safety hazard. Especially at 55 MPH in heavy traffic.
Vehicle will not shift properly and goes into lompode. Cannot accelerate. It has happened while driving on highways, in stop and go traffic, and while backing out of parking spots. The cause of the problem is the mechatronics unit .
The car initially had troubles when it would be hot outside it would and the temperature gauge would go high in temperature also if it was cold outside and you were driving slow temperature gauge down below safe temperature. After applying 2-5 bottles in a month the car started shuting down on its on . After an oil change in april, I experienced the most scary incident... While driving on freewaay I felt kerking a seen smoke from under the hood. I oulled in s gas station and let the car cool topk over 4hrs to do so. I had to drive back home on the streets and the car wpuld not stay at a stable heat. I had to stop my car in multiple unsafe area after'11 in the night. Now the car will not start unless give a jump for over an hour. Obly satys in for about a min the loses power all over again
The gear selector indicator display on the dash is flashing and the car is doing its own thing changing gears. It will not properly accelerate causing a major safety issue anywhere but especially on the highway. The car was properly accelerating on the highway before the display starting flashing and the car downshifted (into either 3rd or 4th) and refuses to upshift again. I think this is related to a mechatronic unit failure in the 2009-2010 recalls.
While my 17 year old daughter was driving down a city road, going about 30mph, the car stopped accelerating. She then noticed prnds was flashing on the dash. Luckily, she was not far from home, she was able to continue driving it home. We parked the car until we were able to have it towed to the nearest dealership, which is 88miles away. The car is undriveable at this point. . The dealership informed me that the mechatronic unit has failed and needs replaced, quoting me $2800.00. I've tried contacting volkswagen about this issue and all they tell me is her VIN number is not included in the recall even though her car is having the exact same issues as the other recalled 2008 vw jettas.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 volkswagen jetta. While the vehicle was parked with the key out of the ignition, the contact entered the vehicle on the passenger side. Half of her body was inside the vehicle and one leg was hanging outside the vehicle. The contact heard a clicking noise and the vehicle started to roll back across the parking lot. The vehicle crossed four lanes of traffic until it was stopped by steel cables that were securing a light pole. A police report was filed and there were no injuries. Afterwards, the contact experienced body soreness. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed by a dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.
Questions about the 2008 Volkswagen Jetta transmission
Does the 2008 Volkswagen Jetta have transmission problems?
Owners have filed 53 complaints about the transmission of the 2008 Volkswagen Jetta, 28% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 2008 Volkswagen Jetta transmission problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 25,300 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2008 Volkswagen Jetta transmission?
Yes, 1 recall: 09V164000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Volkswagen Jetta have bad transmission?
The Volkswagen Jetta model years with the most transmission complaints are 2006 (245 complaints), 2019 (163 complaints) and 2009 (141 complaints).
Other 2008 Volkswagen Jetta problems
Electrical 42Engine 26Brakes 23Airbags 20Fuel system 10Locks 10Visibility 8Acceleration 6Seats 6Driver assistance 5Lights 5Body 4Steering 3Tires 3Wheels 3Seat belts 2Suspension 2
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