Got the above error today. Two months out of warranty. Googling it reveals it may need a new gear shift, coming in at around £1,000. It seems to make no difference too the running of the car, just get that message popping up.  It seems that there's a technical bulletin about it, I found one for the Golf, but it doesn't say it should be repaired free out of warranty. Maybe there may be a goodwill payment but I'm not holding my breath.