2007 VOLKSWAGEN GTI Recalls, Complaints & Safety

I hydroplaned and was t-boned on the passenger side. The only air bags that went off were the side curtains on the passenger side

Crash 1 injured

The front passenger airbag has been verified by a service centre to have some kind of issue, is a safety hazard and they confirmed other of the same type airbags have had faults as well (in their experience).

THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTER AUTOMATICALLY PUTS THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND WONT LET THE CAR MOVE FOWARD, ITS AN ELECTRONIC COMPONENT THAT TELLS THE TRANSMISSION WHAT GEAR THE CAR IS ON.

AIR BAG FAILURE FOR CAR, TOOK TO DEALERSHIP AND THERE IS A TSB 69-11-01 FOR UPDATING THE SEAT OCCUPANT MODULE J706 BUT FAULTS WOULD NOT CLEAR SO RECOMMEND REPLACE J706 WITH SEAT OCVUONAT SENSOR BUT VOLKSWAGEN SAYS THE PART IS OBSOLETE AND THEY DON'T MAKE IT ANYMORE AND THERE ARE NO AFTER MARKET MODULE AVAILABLE! THE AIRBAG SYSTEM IS FAULTY AND WON'T WORK WITH OUT THIS MODULE AND NOW NO ONE CAN RIDE IN THE FAR!!

TL* THE CONTACT'S SON OWNED A 2007 VOLKSWAGEN GTI. WHILE THE CONTACT'S SON WAS DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE LEFT THE ROAD AND CRASHED INTO A TREE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE DRIVER WAS FATALLY INJURED. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A STORAGE LOT WHERE AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND NO FAILURE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS NOT REQUIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,000.

Crash 1 deaths

THE GEARS ON THE SCREEN IN MY CAR START TO FLASH, THEN I CAN'T GO OVER 30 MPH NOR CAN I GO INTO REVERSE. I WAS DRIVING ON THE ROAD WHEN IT FIRST HAPPENS.

I'VE ALREADY SPOKEN WITH VW OF AMERICA, AND THE DEALERSHIP MY HUSBAND AND I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE FROM. BUT YESTERDAY 03/17/2016 AT APPROX 420AM MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING THE GTI TO WORK. IT WAS POURING DOWN RAIN AND MADE IT VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE. A TXDOT LIGHT POLE FELL ON THE HIGHWAY AND MY HUSBAND HAD NO TIME TO STOP UNTIL HE WAS JUST ABOUT TO HIT IT. AFTER HITTING THE LIGHT POLE HE WENT AIR BORN, LANDED ON ALL 4 TIRES AND FISH TAILED. AFTER HE TRIED TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, IT FLIPPED TO THE PASSENGER SIDE AND ROLLED TO THE ROOF, WHEN THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP IT WAS ON THE DRIVER SIDE. HE WAS GOING ABOUT 30-40 MPH IF THAT. WHAT BLOWS MY MIND IS THE MINUTE THE VEHICLE FLIPPED AND LANDED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WHICH CRUSHED THE DOORS AND FRAME NEAR WINDSHIELD. THE AIR BAGS NEVER DEPLOYED. NOT SIDE, NOT FRONT. NOTHING. HE WALKED AWAY AFTER CRAWLING OUT THE SUNROOF. BUT HIS HANDS ARE CUT UP AND HE IS EXTREMELY SORE ON THE RIGHT SIDE. BUT THE AIR BAGS NEVER DEPLOYED. AND MIND YOU THE RADIATOR AND INTERCOOLER FELL OUT AFTER HE HIT THE POLE AND LANDED!!!!!!

Crash 1 injured

PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT (PLEASE SEE ATTACHED PHOTO "HEADLIGHT.JPG"): THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENED FOR THE FIRST TIME THE DAY WE BOUGHT THE CAR, RIGHT AFTER WE PULLED OUT OF YOUR LOT. WE PULLED RIGHT BACK IN AFTER CIRCLING THE BLOCK, BUT AFTER LEORE TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AND ON AGAIN EVERYTHING WAS FINE THEN. I HAVE NOT FOUND A WAY TO DUPLICATE THIS. IT SEEMS TO HAPPEN RANDOMLY, BUT USUALLY WITHIN THE FIRST MINUTE OR SO OF DRIVING. THERE ALWAYS SEEMS TO BUT BE A BRIGHT FLASH FROM WHICH ONE OF THE LIGHTS DOES NOT RECOVER. DASHBOARD MESSAGE: THIS ONE LOOKS LIKE IT MAY BE RELATED TO THE FIRST ISSUE (AGAIN, PLEASE SEE ATTACHED PHOTO NAMED "MESSAGE.JPG"): THE MESSAGE READING "FRONT RIGHT DIPPED BEAM NOT WORKING!" USUALLY DISPLAYS WITHIN THE FIRST FEW SECONDS AFTER STARTING THE ENGINE. I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND A WAY TO DUPLICATE THIS AT WILL. IT ALSO SEEMS TO RANDOMLY HAPPEN, BUT A LOT MORE OFTEN THAN THE FAILING HEADLIGHT UNDER ISSUE #1 DOES. THE PASSENGER DOOR POWER LOCK SEEMS TO WORK ONLY ON AND OFF. ALL OTHER LOCKS (I'M NOT POSITIVE ABOUT THE TRUNK ACTUALLY) SEEM TO WORK FINE. ALIGNMENT: THE VEHICLE PULLS TO THE LEFT ON THE FREEWAY. I BOUGHT A USED VEHICLE FROM STEVENS CREEK VOLKLSWAGEN THAT WAS UNSAFE WHICH WAS MY UNDERSTANDING IT WAS SAFE. I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO GET IT RESOLVED THROUGH THE DEALERSHIP AND MANUFACTURER BUT MAJORITY OF THE ABOVE LISTED ITEMS IN FIRST PARAGRAPH (I.E., TIRE PRESSURE SENSOR, SPEED, HEADLIGHT) ARE STILL UNRESOLVED.

WHILE DRIVING MY WAY TO WORK I PARKED THE CAR AND CAME OUT TO GO GRAB SOMETHING TO EAT. THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE TILL I NOTICED MY GEARS WERE FLASHING ON AND OFF (P,R,N,D,S). I COULDNT GET INTO ANY GEARS AT ALL AND SO I CALLED A TOW TRUCK. THEY CAME OUT AND I GAVE THEM THE KEY TO TRY AND MOVE THE CAR. THEY WERE ABLE TO GET INTO GEARS BUT I TOLD THEM I DIDNT FEEL SAFE DRIVING IT SO I HAD THEM TOW IT HOME. THE NEXT DAY THE SAME THING HAPPENED INDEFINITELY. I DID NOT WANT TO PAY THE DEALER 5600 BUCKS TO FIX IT AS OTHER PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. IM WAITING ON VW TO EITHER DO A RECALL OR SOME KIND OF RESEARCH TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. I ALSO CALLED VW AND THEY SAID THEY REPLACED THE MECHATRONIC UNIT FOR MY CAR ALREADY. BUT HOW WOULD IT FAIL AGAIN ALREADY? THERE WAS NO EXPLINATION THEREFORE I AM WAITING FOR A RESPONSE FROM VW OR GET A LETTER IN THE MAIL FOR A TOTAL RECALL.

2007 VW GTI. DIRECT SHIFT GEAR (DSG) FAILURE AT 43,000 MILES. TRANSMISSION FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE SHIFTING INTO REVERSE. TRANSMISSION LOCKS IN EITHER "DRIVE" OR "NEUTRAL". "PARK" AND "REVERSE" ARE LOCKED OUT OF USE. CAR MUST BE LEFT IN "NEUTRAL" TO PARK AND DRIVER MUST UTILIZE EMERGENCY BRAKE SINCE "PARK" IS INOPERATIVE CREATING DANGEROUS CONDITION TO PARK VEHICLE. KEY CAN ONLY BE REMOVED BY DISCONNECTING THE BATTERY DUE TO TRANSMISSION INTERLOCK. VW EXCLUDED MY VIN RANGE FOR REPAIR / EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE UNDER OTHER RECALLS OR NHTSA ACTIONS REGARDING THE DSG TRANSMISSION. VW DEALER ESTIMATES REPAIR TO COST $5,600. VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA CUSTOMER SERVICE DOES NOT BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND WILL NOT EXTEND WARRANTY TO COVER REPAIR COST.

I LIVE IN CT AND WAS VISITING COUSINS IN NJ ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 25, 2014. I TAKE THE EXIT OF THE NEW JERSEY TURNPIKE AND STOP AT THE FIRST LIGHT. I START TO GO AND THEN SEE THAT THE CAR WAS REVVING BUT NOT CHANGING GEARS. I SEE THE PRNDS LIGHTS ON THE DASH FLASH SIMULTANEOUSLY NON STOP. I JUST BARELY PULL OFF TO THE NEAREST PARKING LOT SINCE THERE WAS NO SHOULDER ON THE 50 MPH ROAD. I STOP THE CAR AND PUT IT IN PARK AND THE CAR DID NOT SHIFT OUT OF PARK AFTER THAT. THE NEAREST DEALER HAD JUST CLOSED AND THEY SAID TO WAIT UNTIL MONDAY! I CALLED MY COUSINS WHO STILL LIVED AN HOUR AWAY TO SEE IF THEY HAD AAA AND LUCKILY THEY DID. I THEN TOWED THE CAR HOME OVER 300 MILES! APPARENTLY THE MECHATRONICS UNIT DIED (THE BRAINS OF THE TRANSMISSION) WITHOUT ANY ERROR CODES OR WARNING. THERE SEEM TO BE QUITE A FEW COMPLAINTS ONLINE ABOUT THESE UNITS WITH SOME FAILING WHILE PEOPLE ARE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY!! I GUESS I SHOULD CONSIDER MYSELF 'LUCKY' THAT IT DIED WHEN IT DID?! VW DEALER CHARGED ME OVER $2400 TO REPLACE IT. WHAT'S EVEN WORSE IS THAT THEY ONLY WARRANT THE NEW PART FOR 12 MONTHS/12,000 MILES SO I GUESS I BETTER NOT TAKE ANY LONG TRIPS WITH THIS CAR. *TR

I WAS DRIVING AS I DO 5 NIGHTS A WEEK TO WORK. TRAVELING ABOUT 55MPH WHEN SUDDENLY, MY GTI EQUIPPED WITH A DSG TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFTED TO WHAT I BELIEVE WAS 1ST GEAR. THE REVS SUDDENLY WERE VERY HIGH. THE VEHICLES SPEED SEEMED TO DRASTICALLY LOWER TO 20MPH. I WAS ALMOST HIT BY MULTIPLE CARS BEHIND ME. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO LEAVE THE MIDDLE LANE AND GET ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY SAFELY. ONCE I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY, MY PRNDS ON THE DASH WERE FLASHING. I TURNED THE CAR OVER AND STILL FLASHING. I CHECKED EVERY GEAR AND ON DRIVE I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT HOME SLOWLY. IT SEEMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION ONLY RAN ON 1ST GEAR. REVERSE GEAR IS COMPLETELY GONE. I CAN'T EVEN PROPERLY PARALLEL PARK MY CAR ANY MORE. VW SEEMS TO BE COVERING SOME MODEL YEAR DSG CARS. I HAVE READ SOME PLACES THAT 2008-2010 YEARS ARE COVERED, AND SOME PLACES WHERE FEBRUARY 2007 - 2010 PRODUCTION YEARS ARE COVERED. MINE IS A PRODUCTION YEAR OF JANUARY 2007. THIS DSG ISSUE IS WELL KNOWN FOR ALL YEARS. IT IS KNOWS AS THE "FLASH OF DEATH" OR FLASHING PRNDS. GOOGLE DSG FLASH OF DEATH AND THERE WILL BE MANY LINKS LINKED TO THIS ISSUE. I AM A HUGE VW FAN. I OWN A 2006 GLI 6 SPEED MANUAL AND THIS 2007 GTI WITH DSG TRANSMISSION. MY FATHER OWNS A 99 JETTA AND MY BROTHER AND SISTER BOTH OWN 2007 PASSATS. VWOA SHOULD KNOW THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE, THEY SHOULD KNOW THAT THIS IS A KNOWN DSG DEFECT FOR ALL YEARS AND COVER ANY ISSUES RELATING TO IT. I HAVE DONE THE DSG SERVICE TWICE. I CALLED VWOA AND THEY SAID MY CAR HAS NO RECALLS RELATING TO THE DSG. I HAVE SCANNED THE CAR AND HAVE COME UP WITH THESE CODES, P0751= SHIFT SOLENOID 1 (N88). P1746= TRANS. SOLENOID POWER RELAY AND P2723 = PRESSURE CONTROL SOLENOID 5. VW HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN A FAILURE TO YOUR TRANSMISSION WITH NO WARNINGS? WHAT IF I GOT INTO AN ACCIDENT AND SOMEONE OR MY SELF WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED BECAUSE OF A MANUFACTURER DEFECT? *JS

I WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE RAN A STOP SIGN. I T-BONED THE OTHER VEHICLE. THE FRONT OF MY CAR IMPACTED THE FRONT PASSENGER FENDER AND DOOR OF THE OTHER VEHICLE. I DID NOT HAVE TIME TO APPLY THE BRAKE, ONLY ENOUGH TO LET OFF OF THE GAS PEDAL BEFORE THE COLLISION OCCURRED. I WAS WEARING MY SEAT BELT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. MY VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE AND SUSTAINED FRONT END DAMAGE AND ENGINE COMPARTMENT DAMAGE. MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY EVEN THOUGH I WAS TRAVELING AT 40 MPH. *TR

Crash

I WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE RAN A STOP SIGN. I T-BONED THE OTHER VEHICLE. THE FRONT OF MY CAR IMPACTED THE FRONT PASSENGER FENDER AND DOOR OF THE OTHER VEHICLE. I DID NOT HAVE TIME TO APPLY THE BRAKE, ONLY ENOUGH TO LET OFF OF THE GAS PEDAL BEFORE THE COLLISION OCCURRED. I WAS WEARING MY SEAT BELT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. MY VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE AND SUSTAINED FRONT END DAMAGE AND ENGINE COMPARTMENT DAMAGE. MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY EVEN THOUGH I WAS TRAVELING AT 40 MPH. *TR

Crash

I WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE RAN A STOP SIGN. I T-BONED THE OTHER VEHICLE. THE FRONT OF MY CAR IMPACTED THE FRONT PASSENGER FENDER AND DOOR OF THE OTHER VEHICLE. I DID NOT HAVE TIME TO APPLY THE BRAKE, ONLY ENOUGH TO LET OFF OF THE GAS PEDAL BEFORE THE COLLISION OCCURRED. I WAS WEARING MY SEAT BELT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. MY VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE AND SUSTAINED FRONT END DAMAGE AND ENGINE COMPARTMENT DAMAGE. MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY EVEN THOUGH I WAS TRAVELING AT 40 MPH. *TR

Crash

WHILE TAKING AN ON-RAMP ONTO THE HIGHWAY MY CAR GOT STUCK IN 2ND GEAR AND WOULD NOT UPSHIFT. I TRIED SWITCHING TO MANUAL MODE BUT THAT DID NOT WORK EITHER. THE PRNDS WAS FLASHING AND I HAD TO PULL OVER AND SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF. IT WORKED NORMAL AFTER THAT FOR A FEW MILES. I FILLED UP AT A GAS STATION AND WHEN LEAVING THE CAR WENT INTO NEUTRAL AND THE PRNDS WAS FLASHING AGAIN. *TR

WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE (AUTO TRANSMISSION) APPEARED TO HAVE GONE INTO NEUTRAL AND THE GEARS ON DISPLAY BEGAN FLASHING. ONLY STOPPING, SHIFTING TO PARK, AND THEN BACK INTO GEAR WOULD ALLOW THE CAR TO ENGAGE GEARS AGAIN. 2007 VW GTI W/ DSG TRANSMISSION. *TR

AFTER STARTING FROM A STOP LIGHT, CAR WAS FINE, THEN WENT IN TO SECOND GEAR, AND CAR JERKED AS IF IT WAS SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL. CONTINUED DRIVING AND THIS HAPPENED AGAIN, BUT EACH TIME, IN A DIFFERENT GEAR. THE SECOND HAPPENING WAS JUST AS DESCRIBED ABOVE, EACH AFTER DRIVING AROUND FOR ABOUT MORE THAN A HOUR. *TR

I OWN A 2007 VW GTI WITH MECHATRONIC DSG. I WAS IN AN INTERSECTION WHEN THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED ACTING LIKE IT WAS IN NEUTRAL BUT THE PNRDS WAS FLASHING. THE CAR HAD NO ACCELERATION OR RPM'S. TRAFFIC WAS DOGGING ME AND 15 CARS ALMOST HIT ME DUE TO THIS FAULTY TRANSMISSION INCIDENT. I CALLED VW OF AMERICA AND THEY INFORMED ME MY CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY. ALSO THEY INFORMED ME THAT MY YEAR MAKE AND MODEL HAS NO RECALL OR PROBLEMS WITH THE DSG TRANSMISSION. VW OF AMERICA SAID SINCE MY CAR IS NOT A CERTIFIED VW FROM THEIR DEALERS IT ISN'T COVERED FOR A RECALL OR FACTORY WARRANTY. I FEEL COMPLETELY UNSAFE AND UN SATISFIED HOW THE REGIONAL MANGER OF SAFETY FROM VW OF AMERICA HANDLED THIS SITUATION. SHE WAS NOT FRIENDLY OR UNDERSTANDING AT ALL. *TR

EXPERIENCED MY GTI SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, NO WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASH. PRESSING THE PEDDLE REVVED THE ENGINE UP. PULLED OVER AND LET THE CAR SIT FOR A HALF HOUR AND THEN PROCEEDED AS NORMAL. HAS HAPPENED ON EVERY LONG TRIP OVER 2 HOURS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 VOLKSWAGEN GTI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE AIR BAG WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO OFFERED TO COVER HALF OF THE REPAIR COST. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 86,000.

WHILE APPROACHING A STOP LIGHT THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF WITH NO ADVANCE NOTICE OF ANY PROBLEMS. THE BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON AS THE VEHICLE WAS SHUTTING OFF. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT IMMEDIATELY RESTART. AFTER SIX TRIES, IN MORNING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, THE VEHICLE FINALLY RESTARTED. SEVERAL VEHICLES HAD TO SWERVE AROUND ME TO KEEP FROM RUNNING IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. AT LEAST ONE OTHE INCIDENT HAS HAPPENED SINCE THEN WITH THE ENGINE LIGHT COMING ON. *TT

THE 3RD BRAKE LIGHT HAS FAILED TO WORK AND WHILE THERE IS POWER TO THE POWER MODULE THERE IS NO WAY TO ACCESS THE LED BRAKE LIGHT PANEL WITHOUT REMOVING THE REAR SPOILER AND REPLACING IT WITH A NEW ONE WITH A COST OF $500 TO CHANGE THE LIGHT FOR INSPECTION. *TR

I DRIVE A 2007 VW GTI WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AND THE "MECHATRONIC" UNIT LOCATED WITHIN THE TRANSMISSION IS BAD AND WILL COST UPWARDS OF $2000.00 TO HAVE IT REPLACED. THE CAR HAS 122,000 MILES ON IT. NOTHING LAST FOREVER AND I EXPECT CERTAIN FAILURES OVER TIME. HOWEVER, THE NATURE OF THE FAILURE IS A CONCERN WITH THIS UNIT AS, AT LEAST IN MY CASE, THE TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFTED TO FIRST GEAR ON ITS OWN WITHOUT WARNING. FORTUNATELY I WAS IN TOWN IN SLOW TRAFFIC AND WAS ABLE TO HANDLE THE SUDDEN DECELERATION. IT COULD HAVE BEEN VERY DIFFERENT AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THERE IS NO WARNING OR INDICATION OF AN IMPENDING UNIT FAILURE. THE ONLY INDICATION I HAD SPANNED SEVERAL MONTHS IN A VERY INTERMITTENT MANNER: 1)A SLIGHT "SHUDDERING" WHEN ACCELERATING WHICH I THOUGHT WAS FUEL RELATED. 2) THE "PRNDS" DISPLAY WOULD FLASH REPEATEDLY EVEN THOUGH THE TRANSMISSION WOULD OPERATE JUST FINE. I COULD RESET THE DISPLAY BY TURNING OFF THE CAR AND RESTARTING IT. THIS PHENOMENON WAS VERY INTERMITTENT. I COULD FIND NO INFO ABOUT ANY OF THIS IN THE OWNERS MANUALS (I'VE HAD THE CAR SINCE NEW) OR ON LINE. *TR

WHEN THE CAR WAS COLD, UPON PLACING IT INTO DRIVE TO DEPART FOR THE DAY, THE TRANSMISSION WAS VERY INDECISIVE ABOUT RELEASING THE CLUTCH AND CAUSED A SEVERE BUCKING SENSATION AND MADE IT DANGEROUS TO ENTER TRAFFIC. FORTUNATELY THERE IS VERY LITTLE TRAFFIC ON MY STREET. A SOFTWARE UPDATE MADE IT BETTER, BUT IT STILL WAS DANGEROUS FROM TIME TO TIME. SOFTWARE UPDATE ALSO REDUCED AVERAGE FUEL ECONOMY 2.5 MPG TO WHICH VW WILL NOT ADMIT FAULT. GOT A MECHATRONICS REPLACEMENT UNDER CAMPAIGN AND NEW MECHATRONICS IS LESS LIKELY TO BE BAD WHEN COLD BUT NEW MECHATRONICS BUCKS MUCH WORSE AND IS MUCH WORSE THAN ORIGINAL MECHATRONICS WHEN IT IS BEING BAD. NEW SOFTWARE HAS IMPROVED FUEL ECONOMY 2 MPG FROM THE LOW. NEW MECHATRONICS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WHEN BACKING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY IN REVERSE ONTO A MODERATELY BUSY STREET AND THEN TRYING TO PULL AWAY UP A HILL ON THE BUSY STREET. IT IS VERY LIKELY TO BUCK AND BEHAVE UNPREDICTABLY AFTER THE EXTREMELY LONG DELAY FOR THE MECHATRONICS TO DECIDE TO GO AT ALL (HIT THE GAS, PRAY AND MAYBE WAIT, MAYBE GET WHIPLASH). IT WAS SCARY AND CAUSED A VEHICLE TO SLAM ON BRAKES TO AVOID HITTING ME BECAUSE MY CAR WOULD NOT GO. IT APPEARS THAT THE NEW MECHATRONIC UNIT HAS BROKEN THE CLUTCH AND VW NEEDS TO REPLACE MY ENTIRE DSG WITH A COMPLETELY BRAND NEW ONE WITH A NON-DEFECTIVE MECHATRONIC UNIT. THE ORIGINAL MECHATRONICS APPEARED TO ONLY HAVE ONE FLAW, THE COMPONENT THAT CONTROLLED THE RELEASE OF THE 1, 3, AND 5 CLUTCH, WHICH CAUSED THAT CLUTCH TO WEAR OUT. THE NEW MECHATRONIC UNIT HAS OTHER FLAWS IN ADDITION TO THIS ONE AND SOUNDS AS IF IT IS BREAKING THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION (NOT SAFETY RELATED HOWEVER). *TR

I WAS MERGING ON TO THE HIGHWAY, THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME STOPPED TO LET CARS GO BY UNTIL IT WAS THERE TURN TO MERGE. THE CAR MERGED IT WAS MY TURN AND I HIT THE GAS AND MY CAR LURCHED FORWARD AND I HAD NO POWER, AND MY CAR HAD DRIFTED ENOUGH TO BE HIT BY ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I LOOKED DOWN AND SAW THAT MY PRNDL LIGHTS ON THE DASH WERE FLASHING. I THOUGHT THE CAR STALLED SO I SHUT THE CAR OFF AND TURNED IT BACK ON AGAIN AND HIT THE GAS, I HAD DRIVE POWER AGAIN. I CAME TO A STOP LIGHT AND THE PRNDL LIGHTS STARTED FLASHING AGAIN AND I HAD NO POWER, I SHUT THE ENGINE OFF, RESTARTED AND HAD POWER. THIS CONTINUED FOR THE REMAINDER OF MY TRIP. *TR

MY CAR, AN AUTOMATIC DSG TRANSMISSION FROM VW, GOT STUCK IN 6TH GEAR ON NORTHBOUND 1-15, ALMOST CAUSING SEVERAL ACCIDENTS. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED AND A CODE WAS "THROWN," BUT THE EVENT WAS DISMISSED AS A POTENTIAL ISSUE WITH THE MASS AIRFLOW SENSOR. SINCE THEN, I HAVE EXPERIENCED EXTREMELY HARD SHIFTS AND UNRELIABLE ACCELERATION WITH MY VEHICLE. ESPECIALLY ON HILLS. THE MECHATRONICS UNIT HAS BEEN REPLACED AND THE CAR WAS RETURNED TO ME AS "GOOD TO GO." I DROVE THE CAR ONE MILE, THE ISSUE PERSISTED, AND I RETURNED IT TO THE DEALER. THERE IS CLEARLY A PROBLEM WITH THE MECHATRONICS UNIT AND THE CLUTCHES, BUT THE DEALER WILL NOT REPLACE THEM CORRECTLY (UNDER WARRANTY). EACH TIME I AM TOLD MY CAR IS "FIXED," I PICK IT UP, DRIVE IT AND IT STILL HAS THE SHIFTING ISSUES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 VOLKSWAGEN GTI . WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 45 TO 85 MPH, THE VEHICLE RESPONDED AS IF IT WAS IN NEUTRAL GEAR AND FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT WHEN THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ACTIVATED THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. THE DEALER PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WHICH DETERMINED THAT IT WAS THE CAM FOLLOWER THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CAM FOLLOWER WAS REPLACED AT THE OWNERS EXPENSE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 77900 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 78770.

WHEN COMING TO A STOP, THE FINAL DOWNSHIFT FROM 2ND GEAR TO 1ST GEAR IS EXTREMELY VIOLENT. THE CAR RANDOMLY LUNGES FORWARD WHEN APPROACHING A FULL STOP. THIS HAS RESULTED IN A FEW NEAR-COLLISIONS. THE DEALERSHIP IS CURRENTLY TRYING TO DIAGNOSE ISSUE. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON OCCURRENCE IN THIS PARTICULAR TRANSMISSION TYPE (DSG). *TR

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) I WAS DRIVING EAST ON INTERSTATE 95 WHEN THE ENGINE IN MY CAR (2007 VW GTI VIN: [XXX]) SUDDENLY LOST ALL POWER. I WAS IN THE THIRD LANE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, TURNED THE AIR CONDITIONING ON AND A FEW SECONDS LATER, TURNED IT OFF. AT THAT INSTANT, THE CAR CEASED TO ACCELERATE. I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL, TURNED ON MY HAZARD LIGHTS AND MANAGED TO SAFELY GLIDE OVER TO THE WARNING LANE, JUST BEYOND EXIT 22 OR JUST BEYOND THE OFF RAMP TO EXIT 21. I TRIED TO RESTART THE ENGINE TO NO AVAIL. THIS WAS A HIGHLY ALARMING INCIDENT SINCE THE CAR WAS JUST OVER THREE YEARS OLD AND HAD ONLY 64000 MILES ON IT AND WAS PROPERLY MAINTAINED SINCE I PURCHASED IT NEW IN 2007. I HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS LAST YEAR BUT THE ACCELERATION OF THE CAR WOULD QUICKLY KICK BACK IN. THIS TIME HOWEVER, IT WENT COMPLETELY KAPUT. I REPORTED THE PREVIOUS INCIDENTS TO A VW DEALER AND THEY HAD A TERRIBLE TIME ASCERTAINING WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. ULTIMATELY, THEY DETERMINED IT WAS A FUEL SENSOR ISSUE AND REPLACED THE FUEL SENSOR. AFTER THE APRIL 3RD INCIDENT, MY CAR WAS TOWED TO A VW DEALER WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT MY TIMING BELT HAD BROKEN AND THAT AS A RESULT, THERE WAS DAMAGE DONE TO THE ENGINE TO THE TUNE OF APPROXIMATELY 6K. I WANT TO REPORT THIS SINCE THIS COULD EASILY HAVE OCCURRED IN THE HOLLAND TUNNEL FOR EXAMPLE OR ON A DARK ONE LANE ROAD. IT WAS A VERY SCARY EXPERIENCE AND I FEEL THAT THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PREEMPT THIS FROM EVER HAPPENING. *TR

DESPITE REGULAR MAINTENANCE, THE CAM FOLLOWER AND CAM OF MY VW 2.0T FSI ENGINE FAILED IN UNDER 40K MILES. THIS RESULTED IN FUEL CUTS AND POWER DROP OFFS. A VERY DANGEROUS COMBINATION WHEN MERGING ONTO A HIGHWAY. THESE ITEMS WERE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY, BUT WOULD HAVE COST ME NEARLY $1400 TO REPAIR IF THEY WEREN'T COVERED. *TR

FREQUENTLY WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP OR ACCELERATING AFTER SLOWING DOWN THE DSG TRANSMISSION SEEMS TO SELECT NEUTRAL FOR A SECOND OR TWO BEFORE SELECTING A GEAR. WHEN IT EVENTUALLY SELECTS A GEAR IT JERKS HARSHLY INDUCING WHEELSPIN. THIS HAPPENS IN ALL TYPES OF DRIVING CONDITIONS, BUT IS MORE LIKELY TO HAPPEN WHEN THE CAR IS COLD. MOSTLY, THIS IS JUST AN ANNOYANCE; HOWEVER, WHEN A TRUCK IS BEARING DOWN ON YOU WHILE YOU ARE MAKING A LEFT TURN IT CAN BE FRIGHTENING AND PERHAPS EVEN LIFE THREATENING. THE SERVICE MANAGER VW DEALER TELLS ME THIS IS NORMAL BEHAVIOR. HE IS WRONG. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 VOLKSWAGEN GTI. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 75 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL GEAR OWN ITS OWN. THE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD. THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND BEGAN TO MOVE EXTREMELY SLOW WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED A CRASH TO OCCUR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT HIS VEHICLE WAS PRODUCED 3 WEEKS BEFORE THE RECALL ON THE DSG TRANSMISSION AND THERE WAS NOTHING THAT THEY COULD DO. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 11,950 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 12,100.

I HAVE A 2007 VW GTI WITH THE DSG TRANSMISSION. IT LOOSES THE GEAR, WON'T SHIFT AND THE GAS PEDAL SEEMS AS IF THERE IS NOTHING BEHIND IT ALMOST LIKE PUSHING ON AIR. I HAVE GONE TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY REFUSE TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM. THIS IS THE SAME AS THE RECALL WHICH STOPPED IN 2008. *TR

2007 VOLKSWAGEN GTI. DSG TRANSMISSION ISSUES. MY CAR WILL LUNGE IN REVERSE. LAG IN 1ST AND 2ND. BIGGEST ISSUE IS THE LUNGING IN REVERSE(THIS COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT!!. I CONTACTED VW CARES YESTERDAY TO SEE IF MY VW IS COVERED UNDER THERE 10Y 100,000 MILE WARRANTY. THEY TOLD ME MY CAR DOES NOT FALL INTO THAT CATEGORY DUE TO MY VIN# ALTHOUGH IT FITS THE YEAR CRITERIA MY ISSUE IS THAT IF THIS IS A KNOW SAFETY PROBLEM AND MY CAR HAS THIS ISSUE. WHY WON'T IT BE INCLUDED ??!! *TR

MY 2007 VOLKSWAGEN GTI HAS A DSG TRANSMISSION. IT HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING "LURCHING" OR "JUMPING" WHILE THE CAR IS STOPPED AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS OR IDLING AND THIS KICKS UP THE RPM'S AND MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE THE CAR IS EITHER GOING TO MOVE ON IT'S OWN OR IT MAKES IT FEEL AS IF YOU'VE BEEN HIT FROM THE REAR? I WILL TAKE THIS COMPLAINT TO VOLKSWAGEN AS WELL, SO WE SHALL SEE WHAT THEY SAY AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, DO. *TR

2007 VW GTI WITH DSG TRANSMISSION IS VERY HARD TO SHIFT INTO 1ST AND 2ND PLUS OTHER GEARS. CAR WENT INTO NEUTRAL GEAR WHILE DRIVING TO WORK ON BUSY ROAD (DANGEROUS!!!) AND "P R N D S" DISPLAY STARTED FLASHING. FIRST TRANSMISSION FAILURE I HAD WAS SIMILAR EXPECT I DIDN'T GET THE FLASHING ICONS. TOOK CAR IN AND THEY REPLACED THE MECHATRON UNIT (25,000 MILES). NOW ITS IN THE SHOP AGAIN FOR THE SAME UNIT AND SYMPTOMS ABOVE. (58,000 MILES). *TR

2007 VW GTI WITH DSG TRANSMISSION OCCASIONALLY SLAMS INTO A GEAR OCCASIONAL FEELING OF SLIPPING CLUTCH NOISE FROM TRANS AFTER STARTUP, DIAGNOSED AS "NOISY", BUT NOT FAULTY SOLENOID. *TR

DSG TRANSMISSION. THE CAR LURCHES FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR AND WHEN COMING TO A SLOW STOP. THIS ISSUE WAS REPORTED TO CARDINALE VW IN CORONA BUT THEY STATED THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM YET I EXPERIENCE IT DAILY. *TR

I WAS AT AN INTERSECTION WITH A TRAFFIC LIGHT, WAITING TO TURN LEFT. AS SOON AS THERE WAS A SAFE AND REASONABLE GAP BETWEEN ONCOMING CARS, I HIT THE GAS AT APPROXIMATELY 1/4 THROTTLE TO MAKE THE TURN. HOWEVER, THE CAR MOVED FOR A BIT AND THEN IT FELT LIKE THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT ENGAGED ANYMORE. THE CAR WAS BASICALLY MOVING BY MOMENTUM AND NOT BY ENGINE POWER. I NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE SEEMS TO BE REVVING FREELY, AS THERE IS NO CORRELATION BETWEEN MY THROTTLE INPUT AND THE MOVEMENT OF THE CAR. IN FACT, WHEN I NOTICED THAT THE CAR WAS NOT MOVING BY ENGINE POWER, I INSTINCTIVELY PUT MORE THROTTLE TO MORE THAN 1/2. IT MADE NO DIFFERENCE AND THAT WAS HOW I KNEW THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT ENGAGED. IF IT WAS TRACTION CONTROL, THE ENGINE WOULD NOT REV SINCE TRACTION CONTROL WOULD CUT THE FUEL. HENCE, IT IS MOST LIKELY THE TRANSMISSION, SPECIFICALLY, THE DSG TRANSMISSION. MY CAR COASTED TO SAFETY WITHOUT ANY INCIDENT, AND A FEW SECONDS LATER, THE CAR WENT BACK TO NORMAL. I HAVE HAD THIS EXPERIENCE SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE AND IT SCARED ME EVERY TIME BECAUSE I COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN HIT BY THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC, IF THE VEHICLE DOES NOT SEE ME OR CANNOT STOP IN TIME. I MENTIONED THIS TO THE DEALER SERVICE THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED, BUT THEY SAID THEY CANNOT REPLICATE IT AND THUS, THEY CAN'T AND WON'T DO ANYTHING. BUT, FOR ME, IT IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE, WHETHER THEY CAN REPLICATE IT OR NOT. I JUST WANT THE VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR UNRELIABLE/ FAULTY TRANSMISSION. *TR

ISSUE WITH MY CAR SUDDENLY SWITCHING ITSELF INTO NEUTRAL EVEN THOUGH PHYSICALLY THE CAR WAS IN DRIVE. I WAS ON A BUSY STREET GOING 60MPH WITH THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC, WHEN MY CAR SWITCHED TO NEUTRAL. THIS CAUSED MY CAR TO GO FROM 60MPH TO 20MPH IN A MATTER OF SECONDS IN WHICH CASE THE CAR BEYOND ME GOING 60MPH+ NEARLY REAR ENDED ME. *TR

THE CAR TAKES OFF VERY ROUGH IN DRIVE AND IN REVERSE. ITS NOT SMOOTH AT ALL FROM A STOP. *TR

WELL I WAS AT A STOP LIGHT AND WHEN I WENT TO GO IT REDLINE AND DIDNT GO ANYWHERE I WAS IN 1 GEAR IN DSG MODE I HAD TO PUT IT INTO PARK AND THAN BACK TO GEAR THEN THEIR WAS A DELAY THEN IT WENT . THIER ALSO TIMES THAT MY POWER PLUS ATES, ALSO GETTING ON TO THE FREEWAY IT SLIPS OUT OF POWER U GO TO SHIFT AND THIER NO POWER AT ALL, WHEN I LET THE CAR DOWN SHIFT IT IS REALLY HARD LIKE IT SHOCKS THE HOLE CARE BACK ITS SO ROUGH IT DOES IT MORE FROM 3 TO 2 BUT NOW LATLEY ITS BEEN 4 TO 3 AND 3 TO 2. *TR

THE DSG TRANSMISSION ON MY 2007 VOLKSWAGEN GTI QUIT OPERATING ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. ONCE WHILE ATTEMPTING TO THE LEAVE A STOP LIGHT, ONCE WHILE EXITING A FREEWAY, AND ONCE WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE UP A SHORT PAVED HILL TO MY HOME. ON ALL OCCASIONS, THE CAR SUDDENLY LURCHES AND THEN LOSES ABILITY TO MOVE. THE ENGINE CONTINUES TO RUN, BUT THE CAR ACTS AS THOUGH THERE IS A DISCONNECT BETWEEN THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION. LUCKILY I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO COAST TO THE SIDE TO AVOID BEING HIT BY OTHER VEHICLES. REPEATED (AND LONG TRIPS) TO THE DEALER HAVE PRODUCED CLAIMS BY THE DEALER THAT THE FAULTS LIE IN HAVING LESS THAN 1/4 TANK OF GAS, FUEL PRESSURE SENSORS, AND MY FAVORITE, A SHORT WHICH REQUIRED TEARING MY ENTIRE DASH APART. I FINALLY TRADED THE CAR BECAUSE IT BECAME A LIABILITY. INCIDENT DATES ARE APPROX AS THE CAR HAS SPENT A LOT OF THE LAST YEAR IN THE SHOP. THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT OCCURRED IN MAY 2009. *TR