The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that after driving and shifting into reverse(R), the vehicle failed to reverse as intended. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the valve body, the wiring harness, and all fluids needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, after driving 5 miles, the vehicle started jerking and the message "Transmission Error - Please Pull Over Safely" was displayed. The vehicle was towed back to the same dealer, where the contact was informed that the seal was installed incorrectly, and the seal and the valve needed to be repaired. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred the same day. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer, where it was determined that the ignition switch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, the engine revved, but the vehicle failed to accelerate. There was an abnormal clunking sound coming from the engine compartment, and the vehicle lost motive power. The message "Error Start/Stop" was displayed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 45,000.
Volkswagen Jetta harsh shifting problems
81 of the 9,926 owner complaints about the Volkswagen Jetta describe harsh or hard shifting, most of them for the 2006 model year.
- owner complaints
- 81
- worst model year
- 2006
- typical repair cost reported
- $2,300
- typical mileage
- 58,000
By model year
Often reported together
Jerking 12Stalling 9Transmission failure 7Hesitation 7Loss of power 6Won't shift 5Check engine light 5Won't start 3
Trouble codes mentioned
P0733 1P0562 1P0016 1
What owners say
Started car in the morning to go to work and 20 minutes later heard loud clunking coming from engine bay. Pulled over and got towed. Upper timing cover was removed and found that screws from camshaft phasers had backed out causing issue. Issue was confirmed at German car shop. No prior problems. Mentioned at last service visit that a rattling was coming from the engine bay. Was told that it was normal. Googled issue and found multiple people complaining of same issue. Car has not ever had work done in that area. Seems like a failure of quality control in the factory.
The car has 39k miles on it and needs a new transmission. When at stop lights it cycles back and forth from the engine to electric. Sometimes the vehicle jolts forward for some reason unbeknownst to me. Close call running into the vehicle ahead of me. Then other times it is so sluggish and hardly wants to take off from a stop. It makes a clunking noise at slower speeds. It was diagnosed and has a hairline crack within the transmission electronic gearbox which is causing an internal transmission oil leak and a decrease in oil pressure. I did some research and my car is diagnosed with the same “exact” issue in a recall yet my VIN says it’s not affected. It’s very well affected. This issue needs addressed before a tragic accident occurs. No well cared for vehicle after 39k miles should need a new transmission. I don’t have the documentation at the moment. My vehicle is still sitting at the shop. I will upload documents upon receiving them.
When the 8-speed automatic transmission attempts to shift from 3rd to 4th gear it will slip into neutral causing the engine to redline at maximum RPM. The accelerator pedal does not function and poses a serious safety issue. The vehicle will unexpectedly stall when the auto start stop is used and intermittently requires you to shift into park and restart the engine. The transmission also has difficulty shifting into reverse and puts the vehicle in neutral until it slams into gear.
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while driving at slower speeds or slowing for traffic signals at approximately 15 MPH, the vehicle would jolt as the transmission automatically downshifted. The contact stated that the vehicle would also jolt into gear and hesitate while depressing the accelerator pedal to accelerate. The contact stated that the transmission in emergency mode warning light recently illuminated during a transmission hard shift failure. The contact stated that almost one year ago the check engine warning light illuminated while the transmission was shifting roughly. The contact stated that the failure had become a recurring failure and the jolting of the transmission while shifting, with the vehicle shaking abnormally. The contact had taken the vehicle to an auto parts vendor who ran a diagnostic test and retrieved the following codes: P0562 (Power Train - System Voltage Low); P0733 (Gear 3 Incorrect Ration); P072B00 (Stuck In Reverse). The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while driving at 15 mph, the vehicle made a clunking sound then loss motive power without warning. The crankshaft position sensor was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and diagnosed with code P0016 - crankshaft position sensor fault. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN and referred the contact to the federal safety agency for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Tl* the contact owned a 2007 volkswagen jetta. The contact stated her son was driving 25 MPH, the front driver side wheel exploded which caused the steering wheel to lock in place. As a result, the vehicle to crashed into the side of truck. The driver side air bag did deploy in the vehicle. No warning light illuminated from vehicle. A police report was filed. The contact son sustained no injuries. The contacts son received no medical attention at the scene. The vehicle was towed to western towing (3401 s 43rd ave, phoenix, az 85009). In which the contact took the vehicle out of towed lot and sold the vehicle to clunk for junk yard. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer were made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 175,000.
I started my car with no issue but when it was put into reverse it began making a horrible clunking/grinding noise then shut off and could not start after. To be clear: the car was in motion before making the noise and shutting down, but had not gone far before dying. I did not make it out of the parking lot. It hadn't had any issues at all before this and has always had it's maintenance taken care of on time. We took it to a vw dealership to have it checked and it turned out that the entire transmission needed to be replaced. We had it replaced and it seemed to be running okay, but as soon as we took it home it wouldn't start up again. We once again took it to a dealership and found that the mechatronic unit was also bad. We had taken it in to have it checked since we heard there was a recall on the mechatronic units in some vw vehicles but we're told that it didn't apply to our VIN number. I believe that they did not include a number of different cars in the recall that should have been included. I am definitely not the first person to have this happen after being told that the recall didn't apply to their call.
I have a 2006 jetta that I just got from a friend, they stated that it needed some sensors like the maf replaced. I spent the 39.99 and bought the carfax report as well to ensure it was a good car. Everything was great until I drove it for the first time longer than 20 or 30 minutes. I started to experience the transmission slipping when it got hot and the gears not shifting. As I began to look up these symptoms to verify what the issue was I ran into some very concerning statements. Multiple sources say the cars are known for having bad transmissions/ valve body issues. Hundreds of people driving 2006 vw jetta 2.5 liter automatic cars were having the same issue with the hard shifting and slipping and some were worse than that. My car only has 103,000 miles on it and many of these other vehicles were between 75k and 140k. Having to have entire transmissions replaced. I have not had any issues when I'm on the highway and not needing to switch gears but stop and go traffic is impossible to drive in. It discourages me that so many people are having this issue and a recall has never been issued for it. There is no warranty anymore . Multiple mechanics have looked at the car and immediately stated that the 09g valve cover that vw used was notorious for these issues and they are still pretty common. Https://www.transmissionrepaircostguide.com/volkswagen-jetta-transmission-problems/ https://m.carcomplaints.com/volkswagen/jetta/2006/transmission/transmission_failure.shtml https://youtu.be/impmdingzog https://youtu.be/glitvicekfc https://youtu.be/qegq0d2nmom https://youtu.be/5kvgsjaxato https://youtu.be/scj0fmncnnm https://www.jettaforums.com/forum/volkswagen-jetta-general-discussion/571-2006-jetta-automatic-transmission-problems.html#/topics/571 https://www.carproblemzoo.com/volkswagen/jetta/transmission-gear-slipping-problems.php.
Bought 2019 jetta in sept. 2018. Jetta se, habanero orange. Currently has 39,500 miles on it. Had been complaining to the service department ever since my first oil change (roughly 5000 miles). I change the oil every 5000, and every time I asked about it, they refused to acknowledge the issue. No recall. However, at 39,000 miles my car began "hard-shifting" and would get stuck/locked in gear at slow traffic speeds (20-40mph). It would then slam into gear, and I would continue on my way. Took the car into volkswagen, requested to see the foreman to replicate my issue. Talked to vw customer care in order to open a case. Replicated the issue with the foreman, and they took my car for inspection and repair. They found as follows: - burnt transmission fluid - metal shavings in the transmission fluid - metal shavings in the oil - metal shavings in the oil cooler. Car felt very unsafe for regular use. Car would not drive correctly. Being stuck in gear requires me to pull the vehicle over during freeway driving. Would not allow me to accelerate correctly. Happened during slow speeds, roughly 25-40mph, also, while speeding up to roughly 60mph.
Related recalls
Power train: automatic transmission: cooling unit and lines
- What is wrong
- Volkswagen of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2014 Jetta, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, and Passat vehicles equipped with a 1.8T engine and torque converter automatic transmission. In the affected vehicles, the O-ring seals between the oil cooler and the transmission may leak fluid.
- Risk
- The leaking transmission fluid could contact a hot surface and result in a vehicle fire.
- Remedy
- Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the O-ring seals in the transmission oil cooler, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on April 16, 2014. Owners may contact Volkswagen at 1‑800‑822‑8987. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 38B9/9V.
Recall number 14V182000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission
- What is wrong
- Volkswagen is recalling certain model year 2009 and 2010 passenger cars manufactured between september 2008 and august 2009. The wiring harness of a temperature sensor in the direct shift gearbox (dsg) may have connector wires that were insufficiently crimped. 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.
- Risk
- The abrupt shift to neutral could lead to a crash without warning.
- Remedy
- Volkswagen will reprogram the transmission control module with updated software free of charge. The recall began on october 20, 2009. Owners may contact volkswagen at 1‑800‑822‑8987.
Recall number 09V333000 · Recall details
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
Questions about the Volkswagen Jetta harsh shifting
Which Volkswagen Jetta years have harsh or hard shifting problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2006 (15 complaints), 2009 (12 complaints) and 2005 (9 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix harsh or hard shifting on the Volkswagen Jetta?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $2,300 (median of 11 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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