Q: 2006 VW Jetta with 150,000 miles just bought. Drives amazing at first but after 10 minutes it hesitates shifting. RPMs rev way up

asked by on July 18, 2017

30 minutes within buying my 2006 VW Jetta it started to hesitate while changing gears while in traffic. Before that point the car drove without a hitch. No issues at all to report. Hoping it just needed to be ran after sitting for a while I took it out the next day. Once again it started out smooth. Then after 10 minutes or so it began to have trouble again. Once the car is set in a gear there are no problems. But once in stop and go traffic it's awful. To the point where it looks like I am unable to drive a manual (and the car is automatic) and if I were to get into a race with a semi I would be left far behind due to the hesitation of shifting. There are no known leaks or smells and no lights on indicating any issues.

My car has 151000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

Hi there. A problem like this could be due to the transmission needing to be flushed or something entirely different; ranging from a worn or damaged torque converter, internal transmission seals being damaged or even engine performance problems. I would recommend having a professional mechanic come to your location and complete a car is slow to accelerate inspection to isolate the source of this problem.

Hello, thank you for writing in. The transmission may be struggling and need servicing. Poor fluid upkeep is one of the main causes of transmission issues. If the fluid and filter has not been changed, it is time to do so. During this process, the bottom of the transmission and the fluid can be inspected for signs of more serious problems. If the vehicle is still having issues afterwards, you may need to look into the fluid pressure and solenoids that regulate those pressures. Only further inspection will tell. For more help, contact our service department to schedule an appointment.

The statements expressed above are only for informational purposes and should be independently verified. Please see our terms of service for more details

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