Questions and Answers

Volkswagen Jetta Transmission Q. I have a 1996 Volkswagen Jetta, 2.0 liter 4 cylinder engine and automatic transmission that stalls in drive and reverse. A transmission specialist told me it needs a rebuilt or new transmission, He found oil and metal in the pan. At this point with 195,000 miles, mostly highway, not sure whether or not it is worth the $2,000.00 investment. I really like the car and it is used as my second car.

A. It is normal to see some metal in the transmission pan, but since I didn't see it for myself, I can't say if what was in your pan could be considered normal.

What you describe sounds to me like a Torque Converter Control (TCC) solenoid stuck on. This can be easily repaired without replacing the transmission. I would take it to a Volkswagen dealer to look at.