2000 Volkswagen Jetta Powertrain & Transmission Problems

I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE RECENTLY AND HAVE NOTICED A DISTINCT DIESEL SMELL WHEN IDLING OR DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS. SMELLS STRONG LIKE LEAKING DIESEL FUEL. THE CAR IDLES VERY ROUGH AND SOMETIMES STALLS WHEN COMING TO A STOP. THERE IS A VERY BAD ODOR WHENEVER I ENTER THE VEHICLE. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE CAR WILL STALL AND I MIGHT BE IN AN UNSAFE POSITION DURING TRAFFIC. I THINK THE CLUTCH MIGHT BE DEFECTIVE. IT SOUNDS VERY LOUD. THE VEHICLE HAS 260,000 MILES. DIESLS ARE SUPPOSED TO RUN FOREVER BUT I FEEL LIKE I BOUGHT A LEMON.

ONE YEAR AFTER PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE FROM A PRIVATE OWNER, TODAY WAS THE SECOND INCIDENT I'VE HAD REGARDING THE CLUTCH AND THE FUMES IT EMITS. SIX MONTHS AGO I NOTICED THE CLUTCH SLIPPING AND IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT INTO A REPAIR SHOP. ON TOP OF THE SLIPPING CLUTCH, THE COOLANT AND EMISSIONS WORKSHOP AND ELECTRICAL BECAME A PROBLEM. "STOP COOLANT LOW" WOULD ALWAYS APPEAR ON MY DASH, HOWEVER THE COOLANT WOULD BE FILLED. THE ENGINE LIGHT ALSO STAYED ON. THE MECHANIC DID ALL HE COULD TO FIX IT. SIX MONTHS LATER, TODAY, I'M HAVING THE SAME ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE. ONLY DIFFERENCE IS, I IMMEDIATELY BECAME ILL WHILE DRIVING AND BREATHING IN THE FUMES THE VEHICLE EMIT. I BECAME NAUSEA, DIZZY AND VOMITED. THIS ISSUE REGARDING THE CLUTCH IS AN ONGOING DIGRESSION TO THE VEHICLE AND THE SAFETY AND HEALTH OF MYSELF AND OTHER DRIVERS. I HOPE VW WILL TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY AND INVESTIGATE THIS CASE, I HAVE FRIENDS WHO'VE ALSO EXPERIENCE SIMILAR INSTANCES WITH THEIR VW VEHICLES. I HOPE TO GET MINE AND ALL VEHICLES WHO HAVE DISPLAYED SIMILAR ISSUES REPAIRED PROPERLY BY THE CORRECT MECHANICS BEFORE ANYONE ELSE BECOMES SUDDENLY ILL LIKE I HAVE TODAY. *TR

CLUTCH PROBLEMS ON JETTA 2000. CLUTCH FAILED ON ME WHY DRIVING ON THE FL TURNPIKE ON SATURDAY 14, 2006. I WAS AT THE TOLL PLAZA AND WHEN I LEFT MY CAR WENT INTO GEAR AS NORMAL, WHEN I PUT IT IN 4TH GEAR I HEARD THE ENGINE REV HIGH BUT MY CAR BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN. I COASTED OFF THE FIRST EXIT I SAW AND LUCKILY, KEPT COASTING RIGHT INTO AN APARTMENT COMPLEX. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP I BOUGHT THE CAR FROM AND THEY SENT OUT A TOW COMPANY TO PICK MY CAR UP. ON MONDAY, MAY 15, 2006 I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM ESSERMAN INTERNATIONAL AND I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE DEPT THAT I HAD SOMEHOW ACTIVATED THE ANTI-THEFT ON MY CAR AND THEY HAD DISABLED IT AND IT WAS FIXED. WHEN I WENT TO PICK UP MY CAR, I WAS TOLD THAT MY CAR WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE BECAUSE WHEN THEY TOOK MY CAR TO GET WASHED THE CLUTCH FAILED AGAIN. I WAS TOLD IT WAS EITHER THE TRANSMISSION OR THE CLUTCH. TURNS OUT THEY ARE CHARGING ME 1800 DOLLARS BECAUSE THE CLUTCH NEEDS TO REPLACED, WHICH IS NOT COVERED UNDER THEIR WARRANTY. *JB

2000 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA VR6 WAS IN THE SHOP FOR NEW TIRES AROUND 12/7 - AN ALIGNMENT TEST WAS PERFORMED. THE CAR HAD ABOUT 65000 MILES. IT WAS PURCHASED AS A CERTIFIED USED VEHICLE AT ABOUT 20000 FROM VOLKSWAGEN AND WAS RECENTLY OUT OF WARRANTY. NOTHING UNUSUAL AROSE DURING THIS WORK. THE CAR BEHAVED NORMALLY DRIVING HOME, AS IT HAD FOR YEARS PRIOR. ONE DAY LATER, THE CLUTCH ON THE VEHICLE FAILED SUDDENLY. FORTUNATELY, THE FAILURE WAS FIRST NOTICED BACKING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY AND THERE WAS NO HAZARD. THE CAR WAS JUST BARELY DRIVABLE, AND LIMPED TO THE SHOP. I WAS TOLD BY THE MECHANIC THAT THE PART SHOULD HAVE LASTED FOR AT LEAST 100K MILES, AND THAT THE CLUTCH PARTS "FELL APART IN PIECES" ON OPENING THE CLUTCH. HE DESCRIBED IT AS A DANGEROUS, POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC, FAILURE. COST TO REPAIR WAS $900. DID NOT TAKE THE CAR TO VW BECAUSE OF THE VERY HIGH COST OF POST-WARRANTY REPAIRS. MY WIFE AND I (SOLE DRIVERS) BOTH HAVE LONG EXPERIENCE DRIVING STICK SHIFT VEHICLES AND HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED CLUTCH FAILURES ON PRIOR STICK SHIFT VEHICLES. I HAVE PREVIOUSLY HAD THE CLUTCH GO OUT ABOUT THE SAME TIME ON A '95 JETTA III GLS. I SUSPECT THE PART IS OF POOR QUALITY. *JB

THE CAR TRANSMISSION STALLED ABOUT 4 TIMES. EACH TIME (4 TIME) I TOOK THE CAR TO THE VW DEALERSHIP AND THEY COULD NOT IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM. THEN THE CAR BROKE DOWN. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE VW DEALERSHIP THEN THE DEALERSHIP IDENTIFIED IT AS A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. THE COST TO REPAIR THE CAR IS $4000. ALSO, NO OTHER DEALERSHIP OR AUTO REPAIR SHOP HAS SERVICED THIS CAR EXCEPT MILLER VW. *NM

I HAVE A 2000 VW JETTA TDI THAT I PURCHASED NEW. THE CLUTCH STARTED SLIPPING AND HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 51,203 MILES. ACCORDING TO TOM SAPELAK, THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE VW DEALER, THERE IS A RUBBER PIECE (MASS DAMPENER?) BETWEEN THE TWO PLATES OF THE FLYWHEEL. ON MY FLYWHEEL, THIS PIECE HAD 2.5" OF MOVEMENT, BUT THE SPECS INDICATED THAT IT SHOULD ONLY MOVE .1 MM. EVEN THOUGH THE OWNERS MANUAL INDICATES THAT THE 100,000 MILE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY FOR THIS VEHICLE WAS SUPPOSED TO COVER THE FLYWHEEL, I WAS TOLD THAT THIS FAILURE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I HAD TO PAY $1381.08 FOR A NEW CLUTCH KIT (CLUTCH, FLYWHEEL, CLUTCH RELEASE BEARING) AND THE LABOR TO REPLACE IT. I DO NOT BELIVE THAT THIS FAILURE COULD HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY DRIVING HABITS. I HAD A 1985 VW GOLF DIESEL THAT HAD OVER 130,000 MILES WHEN I SOLD IT, AND I NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE CLUTCH IN THAT VEHICLE. MY HUSBAND HAD A 1996 VW JETTA TURBODIESEL THAT HAD OVER 238,000 MILES ON IT WHEN WE SOLD IT, AND WE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE CLUTCH IN THAT VEHICLE EITHER. MY HUSBAND AND I ARE THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT DRIVE MY CAR AND WE ARE NOT "HARD" ON CLUTCHES.*AK

CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO VIBRATE. HE HAD TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD BY THE MECHANIC THAT THE TRANSMISSION MOUNTS BROKE AND CAUSED THE ENGINE TO DROP DOWN. CONSUMER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS FAIRLY NEW AND HAD ONLY 42,182 MILES ON IT, AND THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. *AK *SC *JB

THE ENTIRE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY IN MY 2000 JETTA 2.0L NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AFTER 2 YEARS OF OWNING THE NEW VEHICLE AT 17,000 MILES. IT WAS REPLACED BUT I HAD TO PAY THE DEALER $1,700.00 WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE DEALER SAID IT WAS ABUSE AND IT WAS AWARE ITEM. TODAY AT 24,000 MILES THE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY BLEW OUT AGAIN AND I STILL HAVE NOT HERD FROM THE DEALER.*AK

ALL MY TRANSMISSION MOUNT BOLTS HAVE FAILED. THE RIGHT MOUNT BOLTS FAILURE WAS NOTED WHEN HAVING MY TIMING BELT REPLACED AT 60K. THE FRONT MOUNT BOLTS WERE NOTED JUST PRIOR TO THAT WHEN I HEARD NOSES THAT SOUNDED LIKE MY CLUTCH WAS FAILING. IN THIS CASE THE FRONT BOLT HAD BEEN BROKEN. THE LEFT SIDE FAILURE JUST OCCURED, LEADING TO MY ENGINE TO DROP OUT AS I WAS MOVING. THE RESULT OF ONE BROKEN BOLT AND ONE DETHREADED BOLT, I'M NOT SURE WHAT ORDER THIS HAPPENED. I AM LUCKY THAT I WAS NOT KILLED AS I WAS GOING SLOW WHEN IT HAPPENED. *AK

CAR WILL NOT SHIFT OUT OF PARK, WITH IGNITION ON, CAR RUNNING DESPITE BRAKE PEDAL BEING DEPRESSED. *AK

VEHICLE LOCKED UP WHEN PUT ITTO GEAR. DEALER CONTACTED.*AK

THIS MANUAL TRANSMISSION FROM DAY ONE HAS HAD CLEAR TROUBLES ENGAGING INTO REVERSE WITHOUT ENGAGING REVERSE FIRST, ALSO HAS PROBLEMS SHIFTING BETWEEN 1ST & 2ND GEARS IN HIGHER RPM RANGES 3500 RPM AND ABOVE...ALWAYS GRINDS WHILE SHIFTING. *AK

AFTER A 60 MILE HIGHWAY TRIP, THE CLUTCH WENT TO THE FLOOR AND HAD TO BE MANUALLY RETURNED TO HOME POSITION. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR OUT OF GEAR, BUT UNABLE TO PUT IT IN GEAR. I NOTICED THE CLUTCH PEDAL HEIGHT WAS LOWER THAN THE BRAKE SO I PULLED THE CLUTCH PEDAL BACK OUT WITH MY FOOT. AFTER THAT, THE CLUTCH BEHAVED RELATIVELY NORMALLY THOUGH A LITTLE SOFT. THE PROBLEM HAPPENED AGAIN ON MY RETURN TRIP 9/3/01. THE CLUTCH PERFORMS ACCEPTABLY DURING NORMAL CITY DRIVING.*AK

MY FIRST AND SECOND GEARS HAVE BEEN SPORADICALLY GRINDING EVER SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR. THREE TIMES THEY REFUSED TO FIX IT BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T HEARD IT. FOURTH TIME THEY HEARD IT, BUT WOULDN'T FIX IT BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HEAR IT WHEN I RETURNED FOR THE SERVICE. *MR

WHILE DRIVING 45 TO 50 MPH AND WITH NO PRIOR WARNING VEHICLE LOST SPEED TO AROUND 20 MPH. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK THE DEALER REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION TWICE BUT THE CONSUMER THINKS THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM WAS NOT THE TRANSMISSION. *YH

WHILE DRIVING COULD HEAR NOISE COMING FROM BOTTOM OF VEHICLE. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER WHERE THEY REPLACED TRANSMISSION. THEN AGAIN THE, REVERSE WAS NOT WORKING AT THIS TIME, AND TWO TRANSMISSIONS HAD BEEN REPLACED.*AK

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 70 MPH TRANSMISSION SHIFTED DOWN TO 20 MPH. THEN, CONSUMER HAD TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF ROAD, AND TURN OFF ENGINE. THEN, IT RESTARTED AND WORKED AGAIN . THIS CAUSED ROAD RAGE DUE TO DECELERATION OF TRANSMISSION. *AK

TRANSMISSION IS MAKING A FUNNY NOISE AND LEAKING.*AK

SECOND QUESTIONNAIRE COMPLETED, SEE ODI ID #737218... NO RESPONSE OR ACTION TO DATE 02/12/2000. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED IN SUMMARY. *AK

IN OCT 2000 MY CAR OVERHEATED, I REPORTED THIS TO VW AND THEY MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS, I ALSO REPORTED A NOISE FROM THE LEFT FRONT LIKE A WHINING NOISE, THIS WAS ATTRIBUTED TO A FAILURE IN THE TRANSMISSION, VW DID REPAIRS TO RING AND PINION GEARS AND DIFFERENTIAL BEARINGS, NOISE SUBSIDED FOR A FEW WEEKS. THE WARNING: CHECK COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN SEVERAL MONTHS LATER, REPORTED PROBLEM TO VW AND I WAS INSTRUCTED TO ADD WATER TO RAISE COOLANT LEVEL. IN SEPT. 2001, I REPORTED AIR CONDITIONING FAILURE, VW DETERMINED COOLING SYSTEM HAD PROBLEM, REPLACED COOLANT FAN AND SECONDARY WATER PUMP, I ALSO REPORTED RETURN OF WHINING NOISE. CAR HAS NOW BEEN AT VW IN GLENDALE, CA SINCE 10/2/2001, DEALER HAS REPLACED LEFT FRONT AXEL AND DRIVE SHAFT, STILL WHINING, REPLACED TRANSMISSION. I PICKED UP CAR, DROVE 5 MILES AND CAR SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR AND NOW DOES NOT RUN. RETURNED VIA TOW TRUCK TO VW DEALER IN GLENDALE, CA. VW REPLACING VALUE BOX ON 10/9/2001 TECHNICIAN SAID "IN MY OPINION THIS WILL NOT ELEVATE PROBLEM" CAR NOW HAS INTERMITANT PROBLEM WITH STAYING IN GEAR. TECHNICIAN ALSO REPORTED THAT VW JETTAS GLX WITH VR6 ENGINE HAVE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS AND DEALER HAS REPLACED UP TO 4 TRANSMISSIONS IN ONE CAR IN SEVERAL CASES. VW DEALER AND VW OF AMERICA CUSTOMER RELATIONS DEPARTMENT HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED.