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

3,655

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

3,655

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
    12,390
  • #2
    Goodwrench707
    Reputation
    5,400
  • #3
    Ed92626
    Reputation
    4,630
View All

Find great deals from top-rated dealers

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Volkswagen Passat
25 Great Deals out of 511 listings starting at $2,999
Used Volkswagen Jetta GLI
4 Great Deals out of 272 listings starting at $9,000
Used Honda Civic
193 Great Deals out of 4,033 listings starting at $2,877
Used Toyota Camry
51 Great Deals out of 1,074 listings starting at $2,500
Used Toyota Corolla
143 Great Deals out of 2,253 listings starting at $3,495
Used Honda Accord
45 Great Deals out of 986 listings starting at $2,995
Used Volkswagen Golf
25 Great Deals out of 489 listings starting at $4,995
Used Volkswagen Golf GTI
20 Great Deals out of 491 listings starting at $4,995
Used BMW 3 Series
70 Great Deals out of 1,191 listings starting at $2,500
Used Nissan Altima
31 Great Deals out of 667 listings starting at $3,495
Used Hyundai Elantra
158 Great Deals out of 3,074 listings starting at $1,995
Used Mazda MAZDA3
74 Great Deals out of 1,368 listings starting at $2,995
Used Audi A4
24 Great Deals out of 680 listings starting at $943

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.