2003 VW Jetta shifting trouble?

Asked by Gabriella Apr 07, 2019 at 03:21 PM about the 2003 Volkswagen Jetta Wolfsburg Edition

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

I have a 2003 vw jetta 1.8t and it’s been having
issues shifting. I’ll be driving it and all of the
sudden the car will slow down and rev extremely
high causing the car to jerk. I’ve tried putting new
transmission fluid in and that didn’t work.
Someone please help!!! I don’t know what to do
and I can’t afford a new transmission.

2 Answers

3,765

the first thing you need to do is understand the operation of the stick shift. I have THEE same exact car as you do. I started out getting only 330 miles in one tank. I now get 450 miles with just 10 gallons of purchase. Treat the car like a baby ( even though it is german engineering). When you push in clutch ALL the way for EACH gear, bring it out nice and easy. The reason why your motor rev high is because you down shift to prior gear and it's not ready for it. the transmission is not the brake system. When you down shift go to neutral first and rev up motor a good pinch ( like a diesel truck would do ). Then proceed to the next lower gear and it would go a lot smoother! Too many people rely on automatic transmission because they simply don't understand the simplicity of standard. ALSO, I have never heard of a car jerk because the transmission was being used as a brake. Something in your story just doesn't sound right. good luck

3,765

secondly, you probably put oil in the motor because for a standard transmission, there is NO way you could put transmission fluid into a standard.. a shop must do that. Or you simply telling a lie about your transmission. maybe you simply don't understand the vehicle.

Your Answer:

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    Deathjam4
    Reputation
    12,620
  • #2
    Goodwrench707
    Reputation
    5,410
  • #3
    o_jayne
    Reputation
    2,680
View All

Find great deals from top-rated dealers

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Volkswagen Jetta GLI
4 Great Deals out of 316 listings starting at $7,481
Used Volkswagen Passat
8 Great Deals out of 388 listings starting at $2,999
Used Honda Civic
162 Great Deals out of 3,375 listings starting at $2,230
Used Toyota Camry
51 Great Deals out of 944 listings starting at $2,212
Used Honda Accord
43 Great Deals out of 914 listings starting at $2,799
Used Toyota Corolla
110 Great Deals out of 1,961 listings starting at $1,995
Used Volkswagen Golf
22 Great Deals out of 426 listings starting at $3,991
Used Volkswagen Golf GTI
19 Great Deals out of 547 listings starting at $5,900
Used Hyundai Elantra
159 Great Deals out of 3,178 listings starting at $1,850
Used Mazda MAZDA3
76 Great Deals out of 1,533 listings starting at $2,299
Used Nissan Sentra
63 Great Deals out of 1,840 listings starting at $2,495
Used BMW 3 Series
71 Great Deals out of 1,191 listings starting at $1,995
Used Nissan Altima
25 Great Deals out of 673 listings starting at $2,000

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.