VW Touran Gearbox Issues: Slipping and Rough Shifts

As someone with moderate experience in car maintenance, I dealt with almost identical symptoms on my 2018 VW Tiguan diesel last year. The transfer case was indeed the culprit, showing significant mechanical wear in the gears. I first noticed unusual shifting patterns and grinding sounds during acceleration. After monitoring the situation for about 2 weeks, I noticed oil leakage spots on my parking spot, which turned out to be transfer fluid. The workshop diagnosed defective gears in the transfer case, requiring a partial rebuild. The entire repair took about 2 days and cost 330€, including new transfer fluid and replacement parts. The symptoms you describe match perfectly with what I experienced, the progressive deterioration of shift quality is a classic sign of transfer case issues. The repair completely resolved the problems, and shifting has been smooth since then. To better assist with your specific case, could you share: Current mileage on your Touran, When was the last transmission service performed, Are you noticing any unusual sounds during gear changes, Have you spotted any fluid leaks under the vehicle This information would help determine if your issue is identical to what I encountered and whether you might need similar repairs.

Last service was done in June and my odometer shows 43520km. Im getting a metallic clunk noise when shifting gears, particularly from 2nd to 3rd. The transfer fluid appears dirty through the inspection window, showing small metal particles which suggests severe gear wear. My local mechanic found oil leakage around the transfer case seals and recommended getting this fixed asap to prevent further gear grinding and damage. Im now looking at repair quotes as the transmission seems to be deteriorating quickly. Feels like this issue needs urgent attention before causing more extensive damage.

Thanks for those details, this definitely confirms my initial suspicions. Your symptoms match exactly what I experienced with my Tiguan, especially that metallic clunk between 2nd and 3rd gear. The metal particles you mentioned in the transfer case oil are particularly concerning. When I found similar contamination in mine, it indicated significant gear wear had already occurred. Once metal particles start circulating in the system, they accelerate mechanical wear exponentially. My advice would be to get this repaired immediately. In my case, delaying would have led to complete transfer case failure. The leaking seals you mentioned were also part of my issue, they allowed contamination which accelerated the gear oil deterioration. Based on personal experience, waiting longer risks turning a 330€ repair into a much more expensive transmission overhaul. The workshop might need to: 1. Flush the entire system 2. Replace worn gears 3. Install new seals 4. Refill with fresh transfer case oil Would suggest requesting a detailed inspection of the gear wear patterns when they do the repair. This helped identify the root cause in my case and prevented future issues.

Thanks for this thorough information. Based on the urgency described, I will schedule the repair work next week. The metal particles in the transfer fluid and the progressive gear grinding are too serious to ignore. The repair costs align with what I expected, and its reassuring to know a similar case was fixed successfully. My main concern was potential transmission damage, but catching this early should prevent that. The metallic clunk noise between gears has gotten quite noticeable, and knowing that worn transfer case components are likely the cause gives me confidence in pursuing the repair. I will make sure to request that inspection of the gear wear patterns during the service. The presence of metal particles and oil leakage around the seals definitely indicates significant mechanical wear that needs addressing. Will ensure they flush the system completely and check all seals while doing the repair work to prevent any recurring issues with the transfer case fluid. Good to know this can be resolved in about 2 days. Having experienced nearly identical symptoms, your insight has been particularly helpful in confirming the diagnosis and understanding what repairs to expect.