1996 Volkswagen Passat Transmission Problems

1996 CLUTCH PEDAL ASSEMBLY FAILED ON THE 1996 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT.*MR THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE PART WAS POORLY DESIGNED.*JB

TRANSMISSION BROKEN AT 60,000 MILES, ASE CERTIFIED MECHANIS UNABLE TO FIX PROPERLY, THEY HAD TO REPLACE IT UNDER THERI WARANTEE WITHIN 12,000 MILES. TRANSMISSION LASTED 8 MONTH WITH SHAKEY SHIFTING THEN WENT AGAIN. NOW 4TH TRANMISSION DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY . *AK

SPEEDOMETER/TACHOMETER AND FUEL GAUGES WENT CRAZY. WITH ENGINE OFF SPEEDOMETER READS 80 MPH AND TACHOMETER READS 4000 RPM. THIS OCCURRED AFTER A COLD START-UP AND IS KNOWN TO BE AN INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILURE. IT APPEARS TO BE SPECIFIC TO 1996 MODEL VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT GLX MODELS AND IS REPORTED TO BE A $600. OR MORE DEALER REPAIR WITH A NEED TO SPECIAL ORDER THE REPLACEMENT GAUGE/CLUSTER ASSEMBLY FROM GERMANY REQUIRING 4-6 WEEKS FOR PARTS DELIVERY. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE ! PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARDS AND INSTRUMENT CLUSTERS ARE NOT WEAR ITEMS AND SHOULD NOT FAIL UNDER NORMAL OPERATION. I AM NOT ABOUT TO PAY VW $600. OR MORE TO FIX A KNOWN DEFECT. IT IS CERTAINLY POSSIBLE TO USE THE VIN NUMBERS TO DETERMINE IF THIS DEFECT IS LIMITED TO A CERTAIN PRODUCTION TIME PERIOD. PERHAPS THE VENDOR SUPPLIER TO VW HAD SOME PRODUCTION PROBLEMS THAT WERE DISCOVERED AND CORRECTED. OWNER'S OF THESE VEHICLES SHOULD NOT PAY FOR A KNOWN DEFECT THAT RESULTS FROM NORMAL VEHICLE OPERATION. *AK

THE INSTRUMENT SPEEDOMETER WILL NOT SET AT 0, AND THE REV COUNTER ALSO WILL NOT SET AT 0. *AK

WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 20-40 MPH THE TRANSMISSION WILL BE ROUGH ON SPEED SHIFTING. CONSUMER SAID IT FELT LIKE TRANSMISSION KICKED IN. *AK

WHENEVER FOOT WAS REMOVED FROM ACCELERATOR PEDALTRANSMISSION WOULD ROLL BACKWARDS. WOULD NEED TO DRIVE WITH FOOT ON BRAKES & ACCELERATOR PEDAL. IT WAS HARD TO SHIFT INTO GEAR. TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REPLACED. BUT, PROBLEM SEEMS TO REAPPEAR EACH TIME. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY RATE OF SPEED VEHICLE LOSES POWER AND SHIFTS GEARS WITHOUT WARNING. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

DIFFERENTIAL ASSEMBLY FAILED, CAUSING PIECES OF INTERNAL COMPONENTS TO CUT THROUGH DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING ON TRANSMISSION CASE. THIS IS THE SECOND OCCURRENCE IN THIS VEHICLE. FIRST CAUSED VEHICLE TO BE IMMOBILIZED IMMEDIATELY IN TRAFFIC. SECOND AND MOST RECENT, RENDERED VEHICLE UNABLE TO MOVE UNDER IT'S OWN POWER, IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. ALSO, SINCE TRANSMISSION CASE WAS PENETRATED IN NO LESS THAN SIX LOCATIONS, GEAR OIL WAS RELEASED ONTO ROADWAY, CAUSING AN IMMEDIATE HAZARD FOR OTHER DRIVERS. THIS PROBLEM IS WELL KNOWN AMONG OTHER OWNERS OF THIS AND SIMILAR MODELS. THERE IS SPECULATION AMONG ENTHUSIASTS THAT IT IS DUE TO THE USE OF RIVETS INSTEAD OF BOLTS TO SECURE THE RING GEAR (CROWN WHEEL) IN THE DIFFERENTIAL ASSEMBLY. THIS IS APPARANTLY A COST-CUTTING MEASURE. VOLKSWAGEN MAKES AVAILABLE A KIT THAT INCLUDES BOLTS TO REPLACE THOSE RIVETS. STANDARD VW WARRANTY REPAIR PROCEDURE FOR SUCH A FAILURE CALLS FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION WITH A REBUILT UNIT, BUT THE REBUILT UNITS ALSO USE RIVETS INSTEAD OF BOLTS. FOR THIS FAILURE, VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA'S DISTRICT SERVICE MANAGER IS DENYING WARRANTY REPLACEMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION BECAUSE OF AFTERMARKET (NON-VW) PARTS INSTALLED ON THE VEHICLE WHICH ARE NOT RELATED TO THE TRANSMISSION. *AK

ODOMETER REPLACED: NEW MILAGE IS ZERO(0): USED-CAR BUYERS BEWARE OF THIS PROBLEM... INACCURATE MILAGE READINGS

OVER TIME GAS MILEAGE TRANSMISSION PERFORMANCE DIMINISHED. THE TRANSMISSION HESITATED AND SHIFTED IMPROPERLY.

WAS DRIVING AND TRANSMISSION JUMPED INTO THIRD GEAR AND WOULDN'T MOVE, PUT INTO NEUTRAL SO CONSUMER COULD DRIVE . *AK

MANUAL TRANSMISSION SLIPS OUT OF 3RD GEAR AND INTO NEUTRAL, RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL UNTIL MANUALLY PUT BACK INTO GEAR. *AK

WHILE DRIVING EXPERIENCED MALFUNCTION IN TRANSMISSION WHEN AT 60 MPH VEHICLE SHIFTS ON IT'S OWN FROM THIRD GEAR TO NEUTRAL, RESULTING IN THE INABILITY TO ACCELERATE.*AK