2013 VW Jetta GLI Weird Sound... Shift Fork & Clutch Sound? Rattle?

This is my 2013 Volkswagen Jetta GLI Autobahn w/Nav. It has automatic transmission and is stock. I purchased the car from Wes Greenway's Alexandria VW. I bought this car 6 months ago and since then I have been having this weird rattle at low rpm with my foot off the gas or pressing the gas pedal very lightly.

I thought this was a wastegate issue but I was told that it is not.

Its embarrassing and annoying that i can't enjoy my car when it sounds like something is broken. Im going to try to bring it back to the dealership again to see if anything can be done but i feel stuck and frustrated ...

Anyway, the video was shot in a public garage so you could hear the sound better. Also it was easier to reproduce the sound when going up hill in the garage with my foot off the throttle.

If anyone is experiencing the same issue please feel free to share your experience and what you are doing to fix it. Any suggestions are welcomed.

*** update - 8/12/13 - Well I just got a call and they let me know that they will replace the whole transmission. They said if one is available (because they are refurbished) that if they can get it by Wednesday then it will take about 1 day to install.

So we will see what happens. hopefully this doesn't cause other problems. This is my first VW I have owned and I cant say I ever had a transmission replaced on any car I have owned. I have my fingers crossed and hope this will do the trick. I'm optimistic and hope nothing else goes wrong with this car. I miss my car already, hopefully they will treat her with care.

Btw, im not even at 9k yet... Fingers crossed

*** Update ... Im taking the car to a different dealership (Karen Radley VW) on Friday to get a second opinion. Alexandria VW said it is normal and they couldn't do anything. Even going as far as saying if they replaced the transmission that I would have the same problem. Hopefully Karen Radley VW can help or have a different opinion. At this point if nothing can be done after I see Karen Radley or if VW Customer Care cant help me I might trade it in for another car other than a VW.

***Update - 5/21/13
Alright, i just got back from the dealership (Wes Greenway's Alexandria VW). They say that nothing is wrong.

I spoke with Josh in the service department and showed him the video. He saw the video and he had a strange look like "what the heck is that sound". Then he said he would get one of their top guys in the shop to look at the car and go on a ride along.

So I meet with Adam, their top guy/shop mechanic. He comes along for the ride and hears the sound when i go up hill. He hears the sound but he says its normal. I stressed to him how i thought it wasn't normal for it to be that loud and make it as often as my car does.

So we drive back to the dealership and decide to test drive another gli with 30 miles on it. We go to the same hill and it makes the sound for a split second a few times but not as often or prevalent as my car does. At this point he says that he feels no difference between my car and this new one and that the sound is normal for the DSG transmission and the sound will vary slightly from car to car.

I asked if anything can be done, or look at the heat shield or transmission mounts like what was suggested on the forums but he insisted that doing any of that wouldn't matter because its the transmission and that they cant do anything about it. I told him its driving me crazy and at this point he understood my frustration but he said he couldn't do anything. He said even if he replaced the transmission that i would still have the same problem.

During the test drive with the new car he definitely ruled out it being a wastegate rattle which is totally not what im having he said.

He said it is a Shift Fork & Clutch sound when switching gears and during take off. He says that this is normal and will not affect transmission or longevity.

The dealership was nice and Adam sounds like he knows his stuff but im not happy with the car and im not sure what to do next. ... so there you have it... I guess at this point i have to live with it or see if VW Group of North America can help. I dont know what else to do... Any suggestions?

Below are links:

VWVortex Forums:

[L_G_Brandon]

Thank you very mucho for the replay I just got my car back I guess we have to deal with the sound still I like the car a lot thank you again

[DennisMangual]

Just called VW and just like you said they assigned a regional person to my case and I will have to make another appointment with Alexandria VW and let VW Customer Care know before i go to the appointment. They said the person with my case will make sure that all resources are available and talk to the dealership before and after.

So we will see what happens. I will definitely mention the ideas you have Adam. Thanks!

[jgpwlcs]

I noticed you're from Woodbridge, but bought the car in Alexandria. What dealership did you take it to? I haven't had a good experience with some of the people at Karen Radley with my mk6.

[DennisMangual]

Hi Marius, I was told it was the transmission and that it was normal?! At this point im frustrated and dont know what to do next. I might take it to another dealership then see if Volkswagen Group of America can help.

[DennisMangual]

Im hoping to take a look at the 2014 GLI 30th Anniversary, im waiting to hear details on that car.

[SeanKayGee]

Mine makes the same sound when giving a little acceleration, starting up hill and letting off gas from a stop.

[ashline]

I have a 2013 gli autobahn, my clutch makes a rattle but stops when it is pressed in. Not sure if this is normal but it doesn't seem so. I hope it isn't the same issue.

[DennisMangual]

I dropped it off at Karen Radley Woodbridge and they have the car for now as they try to figure out whats wrong with it. I took one of the guys for a ride along and he definitely could hear it. We also took a brand new GLI and it didn't make the crunching sound as mine. Something is definitely wrong with it. They have been nice but a engineer/service person from VW was going to stop by but i guess he didn't make it even though he was in the area. Well..now is the waiting game...frustrating.

[burkettacb]

Oh, btw, have them on your next visit unplug the sound producing speaker in the engine bay. It may be broken. The 13's came with the defective speaker and you might be hearing a lot of rattling from it. Yes, there is a speaker in the engine bay pointed at the cockpit that makes engine noises. It's useless and I had mine unplugged upon repair, sounds better without and no terrible mechanical rev noise

[burkettacb]

That's fantastic, let me know how it goes and if I can be of any further assistance!

[DennisMangual]

Update: July 2014, the rattle is back between 1-2 gear.  The transmission was replaced around 10k and it was not loud for a few months but came back.  Took it to the dealership and there is pretty much nothing that can be done.  I shouldn't be able to make that sound happen from my car but I guess thats just the nature of the VW DSG?  Anyway, just trying to ignore it but sometimes its hard not to.

Btw, at 19K (last week) i had an issue with a piping sound when i turned, it turned out to be the Subframe.  The bolts had to be torqued.  We will see what else this car has in store for me down the line.

[budlomo]

My 2012 did this and It drove me nuts. I contacted vwoa they had a tech come to the dealer and check it for himself. after all said and done after many complaints it still made the noise they said it was normal. I finally had enough and talked to my sales person about it, who I purchased cars through in the past and got a pretty sweet deal on a 13 gti with the 6 speed. I like the gti. but sometimes I miss the gli because of the dsg for fast shifts.

[DennisMangual]

Jeremy, the service manager was really nice about the whole thing but at this point his hands are tied. He wants to fix the sound issue but because QTM says it is within spec and not to do anymore work on the vehicle that he cannot do anything else.

Sure enough when I went home the sound is definitely still there as I pulled up my drive way. At this point everyone at the two dealerships I bought it too can hear the sound and reproduce it and agrees it doesn't sound right but im still stuck.

[DennisMangual]

*update 2, the dealership just called me back and said that they don't have a transmission in stock and it will take about 2-3 weeks at minim to get one in. So they will give me back the car and call me when the transmission is in the shop.... waiting game ...

[DennisMangual]

Well the dealership replaced my whole transmission and that seems to have lessen the sound so now its not as noticeable for me. If you can reproduce the sound easily and it is bothering you, I would call VW Customer Care and start a case... That way they can document and work with you and the dealership to fix it or make it better. In my case it helped to have VW Corporate working with the dealership.

[DennisMangual]

I was thinking of trading it but even though it had only 9k miles on it and less then a year old the best I was offered was 22k for it. Definitly not worth selling and taking a loss. Im not sure what long term effect it will have on the car but I will probably trade it in after the warranty expires, im not sure.

[DennisMangual]

* Update ... Im taking the car to a different dealership (Karen Radley VW) on Friday to get a second opinion. Alexandria VW said it is normal and they couldn't do anything. Even going as far as saying if they replaced the transmission that I would have the same problem. Hopefully Karen Radley VW can help or have a different opinion. At this point if nothing can be done after I see Karen Radley or if VW Customer Care cant help me I might trade it in for another car other than a VW.

[MarcoDonalds]

My polo gti have this problem! What is this he solution?

[mihailmariusg]

I had something similar and it was the fuel pipes, under the car. Worth a check.

[DennisMangual]

Thanks Marius, I will ask them about that.