tell me about replacing your DSG

[MRPassat]

Hi there,
I drive a 2006 Passatt DSG 3.2V6 FSI and have issues with my gearbox since acquiring the vehicle in 2009. Jerkiness on take off, clunking and disengaging gears, etc. Despite raising these issues with 2 separate dealers there was no fault found yet both dealers acknowledged it was most likely a faulty mechatronic unit which is a known issue by Volkswagen and which they should rectify
Subsequent mentions of the gearbox issues at scheduled services got me the same answers. My car has done less than 100k kms.
2 months ago my gearbox died, flashing PRNDS "the flash of death syndrome" which after having it towed to a dealer was informed was caused by a faulty mechatronic unit (surprise, surprise). $11k to replace which after complaining VW offered a 50% 'goodwill gesture" on which I still feel is unacceptable.
Since then have been at loggerheads with VW Aus insisting that they replace the gearbox FOC due to it being a known issue. Along with email chain from the 2 dealers that advised it was a known issue I have cited the US recall due to this fault as well as the numerous examples I have found from other frustrated owners in VW forums.
I now have a CTTT hearing against VW Aus about the matter scheduled for next month and would like to hear from any other DSG owners who have had a faulty mechatronic unit exchange with VW or a VW dealer.
I want to present as many cases as possible to show that this is not an isolated case but a prevalent problem as well as known issue within VW dealers and that VW Aus should replace the gearbox when the issue presents itself regardless of wether a vehicle is out of warranty as it's a known issue.
Please get in contact if you have had a faulty mechatronic unit on your DSG

[phaeton]

Hi MRPassat,

I worked in a VW dealership for a very small amount of time and must say this.
For VW Australia to cover you 50% of the cost is very generous considering your not the original owner.
Perhaps speak to the Dealer Principal/Service Manager and see if the dealership can cover more percentage of the cost.

I think that while its not you fault you purchased a vehicle with a faulty Mechatronic system - you should have raised your concerns with the Dealer you purchased it from sooner than leaving it this late. (I mean put your foot down and said you wanted it fixed).

Good Luck

[Tim]

are they quoting $11k to replace the mechatronics or the whole DSG? If just the mechatronics then thats about double the price it would normally cost!

[Umai Naa!!]

Mechatronics is about $4.5K exchange, plus around 3 hours to fit, and road test.

They must've quoted the outright price, plus diagnosis, plus repair, and a little bit more.

[THE_EGG]

Seems like a similar story to mine :/ I had a brand new 6R Polo TDI DSG and weird things would happen to the gearbox when I was stopped at lights or whenever it would kickdown when i put my foot down (flashing gear number requiring a restart of the engine). Very dangerous and put me in some very bad scenarios, I became too scared to drive it because I was worried about having a big crash while merging on the highway etc. I spoke to VWA Customer Care and also cited the US recall and gave them a link for a video on youtube showing what happens. They just kept referring me to the dealership, at which point the dealer principal referred me to VWA CC, so I was getting no where.

The only helpful people were the head mechanic who witnessed the problem when I showed him the problem during a diagnosis test drive and tried bringing it up past the dealership but unfortunately couldn't get anywhere. And the other helpful person was surprisingly the salesman who sold me the car who offered me lifts wherever I wanted to go whilst my car was in for repair.

I ended up trading my vehicle in for a different car.

I hope you get somewhere with your case though, there are a huge number of DSG related cases on the internet so you should have plenty of evidence.

[MRPassat]

Hi Ben,

thanks for your response. I raised it every time the vehicle had it's scheduled services, they even sent diagnostics off to VW. Other than that one time nothing was done about it apart from change the DSG oil and tell me it's working fine. It's either been mis diagnosed or ignored which seeing as it's a known issue I think is poor customer service.

cheers,

MR

[ian]

Lucky for me i had mine replaced under the 3 year Warranty,yes mine was unresponsive at take off , and it was bought to my attention by an ex VW mechanic BEA who refereed me to Barlo who firstly replaced the mechanic unit but did not fix the problem and the fault codes could not be deciphered so were sent to VAG in Germany how also could not so they just told VW Australia to replace the whole Gearbox
and it came with a 2 year warranty of its own .

If your car had these fault codes while it was still under warranty Vw should do the right thing and replacec it .

[Jetz01]

Hi there. My DSG basically crapped itself at around 25,000km. Got it replaced under warranty. Can't recall if they replaced the entire gearbox or just the mechatronic. I think I had to wait for a part to arrive from Germany.

I think in the US they did a recall and also offer a 10 year or lifetime warranty on the DSG?