Vehicle rolls freely when put in park. Vehicle not stationary when gear shifter put in park. VW say it is not wear and tear but a faulty mechanism. Crtical safety defect.

- Johns Creek, GA, USA

The automatic transmission shifts gears erratically. The transmission shifts cause erratic engine speed during shifts resulting in tires breaking traction and unpredictable acceleration. Driving in traffic is hazardous due to sudden or delayed gear shifts in the automatic transmission. Volkswagen America has extended the warranted period for the transmission valve body due to known defects in the transmission system. Failure in the transmission valve body produces erratic driving characteristics and poses a risk to persons and property.

- Blue Springs, MO, USA

The contact owns a 2006 Volkswagen Beetle. The contact was not the driver. The contact stated that the driver was driving 45 mph and attempted to accelerate to avoid a deer on the road. The vehicle did not respond and would not accelerate. There was a repid increase in the engine rpms, but the vehicle did not accelerate. As a result, the driver crashed into the deer. The driver did not sustain any injuries. The police were notified and a report was available. The vehicle was driven to the dealer, where they stated that they were unable to duplicate failure. The dealer stated that the failure related to the megatronic unit in the transmission. The failure recurred whenever the vehicle was driven approximately thirty miles. The failure had since become more severe. The failure mileage was 60,000 and the current mileage was 90,000.

- Tucson, AZ, USA

The contact owns a 2006 Volkswagen Beetle. The contact stated that the transmission down-shifted independently, causing the vehicle to rapidly decelerate without warning. The contact stated that the failure had been experienced numerous times. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The failure mileage was unknown, but the current mileage was 96,000.

- Evans Citty, PA, USA

2006 new Beetle convertible, 5 speed transmission, purchased new by myself as sole owner. Driving down road on 12/4/11 late at night suddenly could not shift gears; car would not go into any gear, causing me to have to coast in neutral through dangerous intersection in a major urban city. Car was disabled and had to be towed to shop. "transmission failure" diagnosed at only 31,800 miles? (damaged transmission parts discovered - but VW denies any responsibility). This problem appears to be widespread in Beetles, has been reported by many owners on public internet message boards, and sooner or later someone is going to be killed in an accident as a result. Personally I was lucky no one was behind me or approaching at a normal speed head on; had that been the case I would clearly have been in a major accident.

- Bayharbor Islands, FL, USA

Car has difficulty shifting between 2nd and 3rd gears and surges when it finally shifts. Multiple dealer visits in June 2011 and October 2011 indicate it was not the transmission. Local mechanic thought maybe computer issue. Reset of computer did not fix. Review of internet complaints indicates similar issues for hundreds of other 2006 new Beetle owners with a variety of fixes suggested, tried and failed. No recalls listed despite large number of complaints.

- Springfield, VA, USA

Car transmission dis-engages and then hard shifts between 2nd and 3rd gears as well as between 4th and 5th gears. The most dangerous incident involved my daughter starting through a signalized intersection, and when the transmission dis-engaged, she was almost rearended. I've taken the car to the dealership twice and were advised both times that the transmission needed replacement at a cost of ~$5,500. At the most recent trip to the mechanic, the car had approximately 80,000 miles. I received a service bulletin from VW dated Nov 2010 (a year ago) indicating that the valve body may be the problem. The mechanic advised me that my problem was not related to the valve body, but that the transmission needed replacement. They did not open the transmission to check the parts to make this determination, but merely ran a computer diagnostic check. The internet is full of similar complaints. I'm at a loss as to what to do, and fear other near miss accidents. According to the dealer's mechanics, the only remedy is to have the transmission replaced at considerable cost. I expect that the transmission would not irreparably malfunction with so few miles. Short of a class-action lawsuit, I see no relief or remedy.

- Ocoee, FL, USA

There appears to be an issue with the transmission on the Beetles. I took it to a local transmission repair shop and was told by the mechanic that there has been several of the transmission failures in his shop recently.

- Baton Rouge, LA, USA

Dsg 6 speed automatic transmission slips into neutral while driving. Dash panel drive display illuminates as a single bar. Esp indicator flashes and stays on. Must pull off road and turn engine off, wait and start engine again. May or may not allow car to shift properly afterwards. Used roadi rdt45 scan tool to check for fault code. Transmission fault code 18262/P1854 "data bus power train hardware defective" came up repeatedly. VW dealership acknowledged same fault code, cleared fault and told car owner if transmission slips into neutral again the mechatronics assembly would have to be replaced at a cost of approximately $2,000. The VW dealership told car owner that there is no extended warranty nor recall on this model year and transmission. The car owner must pay the repair cost.

- Lafargeville, NY, USA

The contact owns a 2006 Volkswagen Beetle. The contact was driving approximately 55 to 60 mph when the fly wheel disintegrated and caused the engine to lock without warning. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the contact was advised that he needed to replace the fly wheel. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. The failure and current mileage was approximately 62,000.

- South Shore, KY, USA