Volkswagen Golf Gearbox & Transmission Problems

Having fielded many reports of the DSG gearbox playing up we have reservations about it. Owners have reported clunky shifting, selection of the wrong gears, even selecting neutral when you least need it. We also have a copy of a service alert to dealers about oil   penetrating the gearbox wiring loom and affecting the operation of the gearbox. The alert notes the following possible problems:
. Gearbox does not change correctly and intermittently jumps between gears.
. Gearbox changes are hard and jerky.
. Gearbox jerks in overrun during a gear change.
We have also had more than one report of the gearbox going into neutral, in one case when the driver was making a right turn, leaving him exposed to oncoming traffic. It's not possible to say if a car will develop these issues or not, but you should carefully assess the   operation of the gearbox when you test drive a car, and quiz the seller on any issues they have had with it.

YOU should definitely go back to your dealer and demand that it be fixed. It's still under warranty so it's important that it's fixed before the warranty expires. I would leave it with the dealer to fix and don't take it back until they can demonstrate to your satisfaction that it's fixed. It wouldn't hurt to contact VW directly to express your frustration.

Take it to an auto transmission specialist for an opinion and quote to rebuild it. You really shouldn’t have any trouble with a rebuilt gearbox if an experienced auto trans mechanic has done it.

We have had a few similar reports of problems with the VW engines, and the DSG gearbox in particular, and have taken the issue up with VW in an attempt to clarify the situation. At this point we don't have an explanation, other than some anecdotal information that suggests that if the DSG gearbox fails, it does so at quite low kays, and that if that doesn't occur it seems to run troublefree. I know of a number of people with Golfs and the DSG gearbox who haven't had any issues.