2000 Volkswagen Golf Gear changes, real hard

Hi,

My 2000 VW Golf Automatic, with 120K miles has been running good so long. Recently I am seeing considerable differences in the ride. When ever the car goes from gear 2-3 and 4-5, I can feel a strong bump, as if the car has hit a pothole. Also, when in stop and go traffic, when I gradually slowdown the car and step on the gas for some acceleration, the car takes some time, jerks and then moves to a upper gear to move. This usually happens when the automatic has just moved to a lower gear during slowdown.

Looking for your suggestion on what could be wrong and is this a trend in VWs. Also possible suggestions and solutions, before taking it to mechanic / dealer.