— A 2019 Volkswagen Jetta transmission noise lawsuit alleges the Aisin AWF8F35 8-speed automatic transmissions suffer complete failures caused by broken seals and oil leaks.
The proposed class action lawsuit says the 8-speed transmission "grates, scuffs, scrapes, grinds," all due to the torque converter.
California plaintiff Dominique Parrish purchased a new 2019 VW Jetta in May 2018, but by August the plaintiff took the vehicle to a dealership complaining of a coffee grinder noise coming from the transmission or engine. A technician drove the vehicle and determined everything was working as normal, so no repairs were performed.
Pennsylvania plaintiff Evan Wood also owns a 2019 Jetta and says the transmission makes a growling noise when driving less than 25 mph. The plaintiff says he took the Jetta to three different dealerships and all three told him the transmission noise was normal.
Owners of 2019 VW Jettas have told CarComplaints.com about transmission noise and how it shouldn't be considered "normal."
"Grinding noise while accelerating under light load. Thought at first it was a loose heat shield rattling underneath but I can now tell it's similar to others complaints. Was told by my dealership that it is a normal noise and does not need fixing. I disagree. A brand new car shouldn't have to be a compromise."
"The 8 speed automatic transmission emits a grinding noise that sounds metallic when up-shifting under normal or light acceleration. Vibrations and resonance can be felt in in the accelerator pedal and floorboard. The sound is NOT NORMAL Volkswagen, do something to fix these garbage transmissions that your engineering team haphazardly chose to implement into the MK7 Jetta!"
Other 2019 Jetta drivers have also described dealing with leaking transmissions in their new vehicles.
"I took the car to the dealership immediately the next day. They advised me that it was the transmission leaking. Got the car back and noticed a strong smell which stopped after the first day. However, after about 3 days the car started driving funny. When pressing the accelerator, the car struggles to go. The strong smell came back and a grinding noise has started."
The lawsuit alleges VW knows about the transmission problems because dealers were sent technical service bulletins that contained "tips" how to handle things if 2019 Jetta drivers complain.
According to the lawsuit, Volkswagen told dealership technicians noises from the transmissions are considered “normal operating characteristics.”
In addition to noise and leaks, customers complain the transmission problems cause serious safety concerns while driving due to unpredictable acceleration when changing lanes or merging onto highways.
The 2019 VW Jetta transmission noise lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California - Parrish, et al., v. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
The plaintiffs are represented by Capstone Law, and Berger Montague.
CarComplaints.com has owner-reported complaints about VW Jetta vehicles.