Three problems related to transmission not go into gear have been reported for the 2004 Volkswagen Beetle. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
The gearbox slips, stutters and jerks . And will slip out of gear and not go back in gear until engine is restarted. This happens when starting to move from a stop.
I have a 2004 vw Beetle turbo, automatic convertible, with 77,000 miles. The transmissions does not change gears properly, and at will not operate at all. The dealer has indicated it needs a new transmission at a cost of $6,800. The vehicle is not worth much more than that!! it is not safe to drive. .
I have a 2004 new Beetle convertible w/60,000. Miles on it. Transmission shifting from a stop, it won't go into proper gears. It jerks really bad after bogging down (not going into gear). I have had several near misses in getting rear-ended. This has been going on & the vw dealer just says they need to diagnose the problem so to start it is $150. & I was told it could need a new transmission; but, I see other posting of similar issues on web sites when I did a search about it. That is where I found this link, I think this is a dangerous & costly issue! I believe it is a recall issue for Volkswagen.