Has a gearbox fault damaged my car's clutch?
I have a car that is 17 months old. I've owned it since new and covered 8000 miles in that time.
A month ago, the car developed a gearbox grinding/crunching. The dealer diagnosed a problem with "first and second gear syncro". This will be fixed under the car's three-year warranty.
The technician has advised that the clutch pedal is high and when he removed the gearbox, he found that the clutch material is wearing, and clutch dust is inside the gearbox.
There are no signs of a manufacturing defect, it is premature wear from the clutch being depressed whilst driving. As the gearbox is already out, they are recommending that the clutch be replaced to avoid a more expensive repair in the future.
Are the 2 issues likely to be related? They won't fix the clutch under the warranty and in 38 years of driving, I have never had a clutch issue before.
A month ago, the car developed a gearbox grinding/crunching. The dealer diagnosed a problem with "first and second gear syncro". This will be fixed under the car's three-year warranty.
The technician has advised that the clutch pedal is high and when he removed the gearbox, he found that the clutch material is wearing, and clutch dust is inside the gearbox.
There are no signs of a manufacturing defect, it is premature wear from the clutch being depressed whilst driving. As the gearbox is already out, they are recommending that the clutch be replaced to avoid a more expensive repair in the future.
Are the 2 issues likely to be related? They won't fix the clutch under the warranty and in 38 years of driving, I have never had a clutch issue before.
Asked on 17 October 2022 by Jill Johnson
Answered by
Dan Powell
I think you have reasonable grounds to demand a free repair and argue the two problems are connected.
For example, if the fault was preventing you from performing smooth and efficient gear changes then you will have been forced to depress the clutch for longer than necessary. And this will have accelerated the wear of the clutch.
I would suggest sending a letter or email of complaint to the dealership service manager. Make it clear in a polite but firm manner that you are very unhappy with your new car ownership experience. And you fail to understand why you should be asked to pay for a repair that's most likely caused by a manufacturing fault.
For example, if the fault was preventing you from performing smooth and efficient gear changes then you will have been forced to depress the clutch for longer than necessary. And this will have accelerated the wear of the clutch.
I would suggest sending a letter or email of complaint to the dealership service manager. Make it clear in a polite but firm manner that you are very unhappy with your new car ownership experience. And you fail to understand why you should be asked to pay for a repair that's most likely caused by a manufacturing fault.
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