VW Golf Hybrid Transmission Failure & Display Glitch Fix

I had a very similar issue with my 2016 VW Passat Hybrid last year. After working on various cars as a hobby mechanic, I would rate my experience level as moderate. The symptoms you describe match exactly what I experienced, the gear shift became unreliable and the digital display showed incorrect gear positions. The automotive electronics controlling the transmission were basically going haywire. In my case, the main culprit was a defective control unit that manages the communication between the gear selector and transmission. The workshop diagnosed this after running comprehensive tests. The repair involved replacing the control unit and recalibrating the entire gear selector system. Total cost was 1000€ including parts and labor. To better assist with your specific case, could you share: Has the check engine light come on? What exact error codes did your diagnostic scan show? Does the issue occur more frequently when the engine is cold or warm? Are there any other electrical issues present? The fault patterns can vary between different Golf production years and transmission types, so these details would help determine if your issue matches what I experienced with the control unit.

Last service was at 62000km and I was able to confirm the issue persists. The shift knob inconsistency seems to worsen especially in warm conditions. The check engine light is constantly illuminated and the gear indicator malfunction in the instrument panel has become more frequent. Error codes P0700 and P0705 keep appearing. My local workshop quoted me 1200€ just for the diagnostic work on the automotive electronics system. Before committing to such a high cost, I really want to understand if replacing the control unit fixed the problem completely in your case or if other components needed attention too. What worries me most is that even after resetting the error codes, they return within a few kilometers of driving. Would you mind sharing if this matched your experience?

After replacing the control unit in my Passat, I can confirm it resolved most issues, but there were some additional steps needed for a complete fix. The error codes you mention, P0700 and P0705, were identical to what I experienced, indicating a transmission control system problem. The persistent return of error codes after reset was exactly what happened in my case. This typically points to a hardware issue rather than just a sensor problem. While the control unit was the main component, we also had to replace: The gear position sensor, Wiring harness connecting to the electronic display, Software update for the transmission control module Total repairs ended up around 1600€, but completely resolved the instrument panel issues and erratic transmission behavior. The gear indicator in the car dashboard now works flawlessly, and the grinding noises disappeared completely. Important to know: The workshop found that the warm weather correlation was actually tied to expanded wiring causing intermittent connections. This matches your observation about worse performance in warm conditions. The diagnostic cost quote seems high, might be worth getting a second opinion from another workshop that specializes in transmission electronics. In my experience, a proper diagnosis shouldnt exceed 400€-500€. Have you noticed any correlation between the gear indicator malfunction and specific driving conditions, like highway speeds versus city driving?

Thanks for the detailed info about your experience. Yes, the gear selector issues definitely show a pattern, they get much worse during highway driving compared to city speeds. Specifically when maintaining steady speeds above 80km/h, the electronic display goes completely blank and the transmission starts acting erratically. Your repair breakdown is really helpful. The total cost is higher than I hoped, but at least I now know what to expect. The fact that the wiring harness needed replacement along with the control unit explains a lot about the temperature sensitivity I am seeing. I will definitely shop around for a better diagnostic price. Found another transmission specialist who quoted 450€ for full electronic diagnosis including sensor problem verification. They also mentioned they commonly see this fault pattern in hybrids of my production year. I will schedule the work next week and update once I know if my repair costs and fixes end up matching your experience. Thanks again for the detailed explanation, it really helped me understand what I am dealing with.