Hi all,

 

I have recently privately bought a '14 plate diesel Yeti and have done around 900 miles in the 3 weeks I have owned the car before the clutch detonated!

 

I have had the car towed to the Harlow Spirit Skoda dealer and have just been advised that the clutch and flywheel needs replacing and not covered under warranty. Cost will be £1800 inc VAT

 

The car has done just shy of 14000 miles and is 2 years old.

 

Skoda have said that this problem is due to previous driver style being heavy on clutch

 

Has anyone seen anything on this being a common issue with Yetis or is it likely to be down to driver error? It doesnt look like I have any option other than to get the work done - does 1800 seem right for this or would I be better advised to get independent quotes?

 

Should I insist on independent inspection?

 

Many thanks in advance

 

I would get quotes from trusted independents.
Even heavy use should not wear a clutch out in 14000 miles.
Could you contact the previous keeper?

An independent inspection should reveal if the clutch is worn out or if the failure was down to faulty components. I'd get a case lodged with Skoda UK asap if I were you.

Have you got the service history? Has it been clocked? It's probably the DMF that failed rather than the clutch wearing out, nevertheless 14k miles (if genuine) is nothing.

Does the car have a tow hitch? I believe that on many diesel cars (not just VAG) the DMF can more easily overheat if driven incorrectly especially whilst towing, causing premature DMF/clutch failure.

 

Jim

 

EDIT: Oh  - and welcome to the Forum. I'm only a few miles from you in WGC!

Edited 8 June, 201610 yr by muddyjim

If the vehicle has been serviced in accordance with Skoda requirements I cannot see why it is not covered.

As regards the cost of £1800, it does not surprise me, and a good independent would probably be nearer the £1200.

 

My previous diesel, a VW Touran had a dmf failure at just under two years and 18,000 miles. This was done under warranty, and  lasted about 7 years before going again. I towed lightweight caravans, 1000kg, 1300kg for one year, and 900kg at present against a tow limit of 1500kg. I drive like a vicar and treat my vehicles with care. The problem is dmf have more parts in them and do fail, but they are smoother to drive.

 

Colin

You say you have recently bought the yeti, was this a private sale or from a dealer?

 

If a dealer then suggest that they fix it for you, the owness is on them to show that the fault was not there when you bought the car. If Skoda say its due to the previous owners driving, then that is surely enough to show that? 

Use the new legislation, (Sale of Goods Act) to get the supplying dealer to fix it as they are responsible for faults at time of sale (and within one month).

If it was a private sale then can't do this, but if you had it inspected then put inspector on notice of claim

One other thing if it is fixed, insist on the faulty parts being returned, if they are disposed of you won't have any evidence to be able to prove a claim. Keep them until it is all settled.

Edited 8 June, 201610 yr by SurreyJohn

He did state:

 

I have recently privately bought a '14 plate diesel Yeti ......

Jim

If the private seller knowingly sold you a pup, you still have recourse, but I don't fancy your chances. As suggested, inspection will show if due to a failure of components or heavy use. If the former the warranty should cover it, if the latter, you are on your own.

End of the day, any private sale is a double edge sword. You save a few quid, but don't have the 'sale of goods act' safety net to catch you if it all goes pear shaped.

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Whatever the reason for the failure - and I do sympathise - the fact that the purchase was 'private' may have a bearing on Škoda's reluctance to contribute?

By way of contrast, the air con compressor failed on my 39k miles Jan 2011 Yeti. Dealer quote was £1025, reduced to £566 after a 'goodwill' contribution from ŠkodaUK

Excellent customer service again from Rainworth Śkoda and the work was completed within 24 hours and the car returned fully valeted

Many thanks for the replies - much appreciated.

 

Even if I do get independent quotes, it seems like I am stuffed with the car in bits at the Skoda dealer and not able to drive to another garage.

 

It seems my best plan of action would be along the lines of:

 

• Visit the garage and take pictures of the failed parts
• Request the parts are kept pending Skoda UK case
• Speak to service dept about 'fit for purpose' of a car of low age/mileage with such as significant failure which hasnt been hammered, hasnt towed, but is likely to have done a fair percentage of its miles in traffic - but which cars dont do that these days? Try to negotiate price down
• Speak to Skoda UK about contribution
• If all else fails, speak to trading standards and Which legal service about action possible against design fault in the car - an internet search on this issue does seem to point to this as I dont appear to be on my own with this issue

If I've missed anything out that then please let me know

Update - spoken to Skoda UK and they said that if the garage says worn by driving style then nothing they can or will do. They said that any request to seek a contribution towards the repair from Skoda needs to be raised through the local dealer.

 

Has anyone else on the forum had experience of Spirit Skoda service dept in Harlow?

 

I am going to also get some independent quotes for repair even though I will have trouble getting the car too them

I hate to say it, but my elderly mother has no difficulty in burning out a clutch in under 10k miles. Fortunately she only does 2k miles a year! That isn't to say that some other reason for the failure isn't possible and may be evident on closer inspection, but proving a burnt out clutch wasn't down to poor driving before you got the car will be very difficult.

That said, I would have thought signs of the clutch being on its way out could well have been evident but missed when you bought the car and the previous owner may have known it, which is why they 'got rid'. Perhaps do a bit of detective work, call the Skoda dealers near the previous owner to see if any of them have a recollection of seeing the car about clutch issues before you bought it. If you can show that the previous owner knew, you would be able to sue for the cost of repair in the small claims court (if you have an appetite for it).

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DMF failure can be difficult to detect, predict and can happen in various ways. My first failure was instant, with no warning signs the car went from perfect to sounding like a bag of spanners and feeling like a bag of gravel through the clutch pedal. The car was "confiscated" on the spot by VW. The second case again showed no warning signs and I felt no difference. I had been towing through France, the engine was pulling strong and fuel economy was good. I stopped at Calais for the tunnel and when I wound the window down thought a battered old diesel Transit was next to me. To my horror it was my car. When I started the car at Folkstone the noise was gone and I did not hear it again for a month.

 

Colin

Final update - dealer offered to reduce bill by 40% as goodwill gesture which I have had to go for as I had very limited options with the car already stripped down - Skoda UK refuse to contribute anything as seems like they operate a 'driver guilty of crap driving til proven innocent' policy by default. I will not be buying a Skoda again 

 

This does leave me feeling very nervous about how fit for purpose this car is likely to be especially if spending any time crawling along in traffic - which is pretty much unavoidable especially in South of UK

 

The fact that they only give 6 months warranty or 6500 miles on clutch of even a new car speaks volumes of how reliable these things are doesnt it

Sorry you've had this problem - it is very much the exception though, as many others will no doubt testify!

 

Was the previous owner a clutch abuser?

 

In 40 years of VAG ownership with 2 cars always in the household, we've never had clutch issues!

Ask for the old parts and post pictures on here. I'm not an expert but an expert can tell the difference between a worn clutch and a failed flywheel.

Final update - dealer offered to reduce bill by 40% as goodwill gesture which I have had to go for as I had very limited options with the car already stripped down - Skoda UK refuse to contribute anything as seems like they operate a 'driver guilty of crap driving til proven innocent' policy by default. I will not be buying a Skoda again 

 

This does leave me feeling very nervous about how fit for purpose this car is likely to be especially if spending any time crawling along in traffic - which is pretty much unavoidable especially in South of UK

 

The fact that they only give 6 months warranty or 6500 miles on clutch of even a new car speaks volumes of how reliable these things are doesnt it

 

Sorry, but I agree with SUK on this.

You bought a second hand Yeti, with no apparent checks made, as a private sale. You do not know any of the previous history of the car and have not stated what the mileage was when you bought it.

Caveat Emptor.

 

And I suggest that your last paragraph shows how your views have been clouded by your bitterness. I have just sold a 5 year old 140 4x4 that had done just over 103k miles, including towing and low speed off-road work, and the clutch had plenty of bite left.

 

It goes to prove (again) that buying cheap is not always the best option.

Quote "It goes to prove (again) that buying cheap is not always the best option".

 

Agree, ..... But paying over the top, Just because it comes from a Skoda or Independent dealer, is also not an option.

 

Second hand means always Buyer beware.

 

​Even if Chris had an Independent inspection, I very much doubt if  the inspection would have picked this up.

Its taken "900 miles in the 3 weeks" to show itself. 

 

I do agree this is not good, specially for the buyer, no mater what the mileage, but, 14000 miles and is 2 years old, not good enough on todays vehicles. 

Replace the DMF with a solid.

[quote name="Carlodiesel" ...

Replace the DMF with a solid.

Has anyone done that and what was it like regarding NVH?.

I certainly would avoid fitting a SMF on a 4x4 diesel.

I took the solid flywheel route with second replacement needed on Touran. It was a couple of hundred pounds cheaper. The car did not feel the same. Clutch felt heavy, engine sounded noisier and was less flexible. I needed to change up later in the rev band. As such economy suffered a little.

If the car was towards its latter years I would do the same again, but on a newer vehicle I would go dmf again.

 

Colin

Edited 10 June, 201610 yr by eribaMotters

[quote name="ChrisEland"

 

Has anyone else on the forum had experience of Spirit Skoda service dept in Harlow?

 

I used Spirit at Harlow when I had my Yeti. I found them helpful, professional and with very good customer service. When my Yeti was 4 years old and out of guarantee, it suffered a major problem which they spent a significant amount of time identifying and ultimately rectifying. They also obtained a 60% contribution to the cost from SUK. I would recommend them without hesitation.

I bought a 2011 Yeti 1.6 diesel green car one year ago. the clutch burned out in about 6 months. Now the replacement clutch has according to the mechanic burned out. it did make the burning smell the day it went. They said it must be my driving. I did about 20,000 km in the year.

I had two manual shift toyotas before that went to over 100,000 miles and I never had to replace a clutch. I don't rest my foot on the clutch. Occasionally I have stayed in second gear when I should have been in fourth. Can that have burned it out?

I feel something is not right. If it burns out again in six months I'm getting rid of the car. Has anyone any ideas what might be causing this if it is not my driving?

I have been driving for fifty years, Toyotas and Hondas mostly. Never had problems with a clutch before.