Burnt Clutch at just 4800 miles!
 

First off, I know there are other threads that address clutch and tranny issues. I didn't want to hijack them so I decided to start a new one because my issue deals with a burnt clutch as well as a warranty problem. I'll try my best to explain. And obviously if anyone else has dealt with a similar issue, it would be good to know for all of us consumers. So let me try to explain.

On Saturday November 16th, my clutch failed at just under 4800 miles. No, I do not have a habit of riding the clutch. In fact, I've been driving manual transmission vehicles in addition to motorcycles since the mid-80's. This is a first for me. As I was downshifting, the clutch literally stuck to the floor as it was fully engaged. (Sound familiar? Toyota accelerators?) I have no idea why it got stuck. It wasn't because of the floor mat. I used my left foot to get underneath it and pull it up which I did, but after that I could only compress the clutch halfway and was unable to shift. The car was no longer drivable. After calling Toyota Roadside Assistance, I had the vehicle taken to Auto Nation Toyota Irvine where I leased the vehicle back in August.

I thought for certain this would be covered under warranty with such low miles. But today, November 19th, I got a call and they said that their service technicians determined that this was not a "factory defect", but caused by an "outside" issue, which they did not specify. So I'm left with a $1600 repair bill.

After I got the call I spoke with a couple attorneys to see if I could possibly contest this. In a nutshell, they said my chances are slim. I was told that Toyota tends to be difficult to litigate against and that they are one of the more arrogant car manufacturers that want to maintain a reputation of having non-defective cars. In addition, I made the mistake of taking the car back to the dealer (again, because I thought it would be covered under warranty) instead of an independent shop which might be able to provide proof that it, indeed, was a defective part. At this point, Auto Nation Irvine has disassembled my car and I've decided I'm going to eat the $1600 and just pay the damned bill. Should this problem occur again in the future, I don't know, maybe I can determine that I have a lemon on my hands. But for now, I'm frustrated and defeated. :sigh:

Yikes. That's a rough situation you're in. Please keep us updated on why it happened and the outcome.


Good luck with everything.


EDIT: Did you happen to have done the clutch pedal adjustment at any point? Could that have been a contributing factor?

Out of curiosity, Did you ever clutch kick the car? Have you ever drifted it?
Also the issue sounds like your pressure plate lostits teeth.
I would advise you not to pay 1600 to gert it fixed. Dropping the transmission in this car takes about 1.5- 2 hours.... Then you can change the clutch.
1600 is steep. I would find out what that outside issue is and let one of us talk you through it.

All the best, Maverick.

Don't even dare paying that bill. Warranties are not limited to 'inside' issues. Have them explain the outside and why they have ruled out an internal problem. That's how they make money and sometimes they do so being bullies. Don't let that happen. Hold your ground and get an explanation. As mentioned above, we will help you through the process of getting this covered. Keep the $1600 in your bank account.

Call corporate, and request that a regional rep from TMS CQS comes out to review the car or to at least review your case file. All of them are engineers who can make a much more effective assessment of "abuse" versus production build quality issue.

Especially since you're in SoCal, you're very close to corporate. You honestly might be better off going to a Toyota dealership in Torrance and asking to meet the rep there.

I'll play devil's advocate...

Just cause you've been driving a while does not mean you do it correctly. My Mom's been driving over 30 years and she still wait until the last second to slam on her brakes. I've been driving for almost 10 years and I can heel-toe, rev match, left foot brake, etc with the best of them on the track.

Also, they found out the "faulty" accelerator pedals were not, and that it was stupid people not knowing the difference between the brake and the gas. I don't think you want to throw yourself in with that group of people.

Perhaps telling us more about your driving habits would help, like do you race (autox, drift, track days)? Do you run it hard on the street (popping clutches, hard launches, power shifts)? Or do you granny shift, not double clutching like you should :D

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Sounds like a broken pressure plate, causing clutch drag and worn out prematurely. Usually happens with hard launches, power shifting...etc. In some cases the input shaft would be damaged by a seized throw out bearing.

Btw, a sunken mechanical clutch pedal has absolutely nothing to do with a stuck fly by wire accelerator pedal.

I was told by my Subaru rep that I could essentially beat the shit out of my clutch and I would get a free one under warranty. Sorry about the shitty toyota service department.

Well, FastOnFastOff ......that's a shame .... :(

I addition to the above questions, before it "went out", had you noticed any difference in the release/engagement points?

Had you noticed it slipping?

If you answer our questions, maybe we can help explain why it failed.

I hope you get er fixed up soon and back on the road...:thumbsup:

humfrz

Yeah sure.. The way subaru denies warranty at the drop of a hat.. I would say your rep is full of shit.

The clutch is a wear item similar to brake pads. When they wear down fast it's because of use and usually abuse. Unless you can prove otherwise, I bet you are stuck with the bill.

I've work with multiple manufactures, Subaru is most likely to cover whatever people ask for. They pay for the first clutch, almost no exception. Brake pads and wipers are covered up to 36k, no questions asked. People have to just be polite and not a PITA, claims are usually shot down at the dealership level. ie: piss off the service writer/manager/mechanic, they're the people that tell the story to the district rep and ultimately deny claims.

No they didn't. The software was found to be riddled with inefficiencies and bad/lazy programming. Do some more reading into it.

Here's some reading for you:

http://www.caranddriver.com/features...-scare-feature

I also checked into the situation personally when I was an engineer and found no mechaical issues. Also notice it only happened to automatic trans equipped vehicles.

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