2001 Volkswagen Beetle Transmission and drivetrain Problems

“2001 vw Beetle. From the very beginning, it has been nothing but problems. For the first few years it was covered under the warranty, free of charge repairs. I have low mileage so I thought that by the time these items were repaired it would be fine when the warranty expired. There is always something wrong with the car and in particular the electrical system. The check engine light is always going off. The safety issue comes in with its current problem. …”

“First of all< your form won t let me select transmission< that is why I selected engine> the problem is the transmission>>>>> I was driving at 45 MPH, suddenly transmission slips into neutral. Pressing accelerator did not help. Coasted to side of road. Moved transmission selector thru gears including reverse. Car did not move, then suddenly the transmission jumped into gear and lurched forward. Very scary! I was pointing towards the road when the car lurched forward from a stop, my quick response avoided me lurching into passing traffic. …”

“I purchased a 2001 new Beetle gls turbo with 42k miles on it in 2008 for my teenage daughter. I have had this car garaged, oil changed, and have only put 8k miles on it in the three years I've owned it. At my most recent oil change, I explained to the vw dealership of the transmission issue which they brushed off as being the way vw transmission's do in and that they are not smooth running transmissions. During this 8k miles, I have went through two new batteries until the dealership made me aware of the need for a new alternator. …”

“I have a 2001 vw new Beetle. I have replaced brake light, which was drains the battery, serpentine belt, remoteless key which is still broken- basically 6 days after buying this car- I spent $1200 on repairs- now the check engine light is on, the transmission is acting funny, and basically- my vw dealership has a field day with me. To top it off- my battery died a month ago- and caught on fire when I tried to jump it. I am afraid that this car will blow up on me at any time. Please help me!”

“Approximately one week ago I noted that when I put my 2001 Beetle into drive, the transmission did not catch. As I pushed the gas peddle down, it was necessary to rev the engine and then it would finally catch. The problem has gotten worse over the course of the week and will go into the shop this week. The safety issue is that it is necessary to rev the engine to get it into gear. I have almost hit the car in front of me on 2 occasions, but was able to hit the brake in time. I now push the brake and accelerator at the same time to avoid this possibility. …”