tips , please . how do i deal with a dealer who tries to wriggle their way out of a warranty claim ? 

Try another dealer ? What is the claim for ?

clutch slipping under heavy loads in second gear (hill climbs and junctions , from standstill )

 

next dealer too far away for multiple visits 

Clutch is only covered for 6 months 6500 miles.... It is a wear and tear item.   Unless you are willing to authorise the removal and refit of your gearbox which will be around 5-6hrs to check to see if it is a warrantable claim i doubt ANY dealer will look at it.   

 

The dealer needs to cover the costs if it isnt warrantable once they have removed the gearbox. 

Edited 29 January, 20197 yr by Adrian55555

2 hours ago, Adrian55555 said:

Clutch is only covered for 6 months 6500 miles.... It is a wear and tear item.   Unless you are willing to authorise the removal and refit of your gearbox which will be around 5-6hrs to check to see if it is a warrantable claim i doubt ANY dealer will look at it.   

 

The dealer needs to cover the costs if it isnt warrantable once they have removed the gearbox. 

 

i'm an automotive newb . how complex / costly is a clutch replacement ? (without checking if it is warrantable) 

How old is your car? Age and mileage. 

 

At a main dealers i would say around £800 mark. Main cost is labour removing of the gearbox to access the clutch. Im not saying it isnt a warrantable issue. If the wear on the clutch is caused by a manufacturing defect, release bearing or pressure plate etc that could cause the clutch to wear prematurely. 

 

But.... It could be just nornal wear and tear. And this is the dilemma, to inspect the clucth the gearbox needs to be removed.   The dealer will not want to remove a gearbox to find its not warrantable and the customer (you) deciding u dont want to pay for the labour and the replacement clucth pack. 

 

So the question really is.  If it isnt warrantable are you willing to pay for it to be replaced. If you are, then u could say to the dealer that u authorise the labour for the gearbox to be removed so that the clutch and associated parts be inspected to see if it is a manufacturing defect that has caused the clutch to wear prematurely.  If it turns out it is warrantable you wont have anything to pay. 

How can clutch wear out in 6500 miles??? That can not be anything else than DEFECT. Even worse drivers on the world have clutch longer than that.... I would give Skoda a call... If required to headquarters. 

I have seen clutches wear out in way less than 6500 miles. The warranty guidelines state it that adjustments and wear and tear items are only covered for the 1st 6 months or 6500 miles whichever comes 1st.  

 

We dont know the age and mileage of the OP's car.   

Op hasn't said what mileage he has on his clutch.

 

The 6500mile/6 month is the warranty limit imposed by Skoda and even that has an abuse get out clause.

 

 

 

Also have to take into account it isnt always the dealers that are fobbing off as you say.  It is Skoda warranty that sets the guidelines. 

 

An example if the release bearing has caused the fault with the clutch, the clucth pack abd bearing will be replaced under warranty and the claim gets put down on the system as the bearing thats the culprit and the clutch is consequential damage.  99% of the time the parts will have to be returned to skoda for them to inspect. If it turns out that its not warrantable the dealer has to stump up the costs.   

 

Vw skoda etc are all getting tighter with the warranty. And dealers are getting more and more worried due to the fines on an audit.  We are talking tens of thousands and hundreds in some instances. 

1 minute ago, Adrian55555 said:

Also have to take into account it isnt always the dealers that are fobbing off as you say.  It is Skoda warranty that sets the guidelines. 

 

An example if the release bearing has caused the fault with the clutch, the clucth pack abd bearing will be replaced under warranty and the claim gets put down on the system as the bearing thats the culprit and the clutch is consequential damage.  99% of the time the parts will have to be returned to skoda for them to inspect. If it turns out that its not warrantable the dealer has to stump up the costs.   

 

Vw skoda etc are all getting tighter with the warranty. And dealers are getting more and more worried due to the fines on an audit.  We are talking tens of thousands and hundreds in some instances. 

All that makes sense. But seriously clutch can not wear out that fast... Not without a fault. Worst drives can't do that. I know some old people that literally BURN clutch and their cars have 100.000miles+... In any logic on a manual this should be FIXABLE by SKODA or **** such manufacture... I'm not going to buy a car where I am not assured that my clutch will work for at least 4 years or 200.000km (idk how much is that in miles). Clutch repairs are very expensive and as I said normal clutch can not wear out in any case in that low mileage... Its simply not possible... I can't imagine what u would have to do to burn clutch that fast... DSG is slipping all the time and its not wearing that fast...

"How can a clutch wear out in 6,500 miles?" is the question.

 

Well according to the biggest car manufacturer in the world, or second biggest when they are caught in another scandal, they who are as honest as the day is long,

& they have all the engineers, accountants, dealership employees ready to say.

#DRIVER ERROR.  

 

Not their Drivers obviously, not Ex Demonstrators or Management cars,

not their crap clutches they buy in, but it must be the car owners fault, anyone but VW's fault.

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/456623-clutch-gone-after-4900-miles

 

 

Edited 29 January, 20197 yr by Skoffski

7 minutes ago, Skoffski said:

"How can a clutch wear out in 6,500 miles?" is the question.

 

Well according to the biggest car manufacturer in the world, or second biggest when they are caught in another scandal, they who are as honest as the day is long,

& they have all the engineers, accountants, dealership employees ready to say.

#DRIVER ERROR.  

 

Not their Drivers obviously, not Ex Demonstrators or Management cars,

not their crap clutches they buy in, but it must be the car owners fault, anyone but VW's fault.

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/456623-clutch-gone-after-4900-miles

 

 

They can only afford it for so long... Eventually they will start losing customers, heavily... I'm 26 years old and I'm already sure my next car is NOT part of VW Group. Probably a BMW or Mercedes. Maybe even Lexus. Toyota is biggest manufacture on the world after all. 

Toyota was number 2 biggest for 6 months of 2015.  Then VW Group were named and shamed.

But then they have dropped 'Das Auto'  and gone all Honesty is the best policy', 'Trust Building Measures',

  Source the cheapest parts available, keep the fleet buyers happy... If they last 3 years good, if not pay out only if we really need to, but other wise 'Driver error'. 

 

PS

The BMW Recalls on Coolant Issues and over heating are going a bit slow, but that is what happens when the DVSA / DfT in the UK let them do Voluntary Recalls / Service Campaigns. Much like the Brakes Service Campaign went. 

Edited 29 January, 20197 yr by Skoffski

I have seen customers wear put clutches in 3000 miles. When u have worked in the trade and see cars day in day out it isnt unusual!  

 

Think we are missing the point though, without removing the gearbox to inspect we cant say whether its warrantable or not! 

 

A dealer isnt going to waste 5-6 hours and not get paid. 

@Adrian55555   I would bet money you have seen or know of Demonstrators / Management cars that were driven by 'Dealership Employees' & potential Customers for 3,000 miles /3 months then the clutch fails soon after a new keeper buys / leases it and it was 'just the drivers fault',  No Dealership is wasting 5-6 hours and not getting paid.

Modern clutches can and do take lots of abuse and still last for 200,000 miles. There can be material defects such as the crap Sachs clutches fitted to 2.0tdi manual Superbs and Octavias which lead to disastrous consequential damage, hence VAG keenness to avoid responsibility. Also, oil from leaking seals, faulty operating mechanisms etc.

 

But as Adrian5555 says, dealers are just too nervous they won't get paid for work under the increasingly draconian warranty auditing rules, so take the default position. Wear and tear item.

 

Customers will not want to pay for investigation either.

 

Not much we can do, its in the wording....

 

Edited 29 January, 20197 yr by xman

Just noticed from previous thread, the OP has a 7 speed DSG box......

 

Iirc the standard warranty covers the DSG INCLUDING CLUTCHES

Edited 29 January, 20197 yr by xman

So what Engine and DSG, a new 7 speed wet or a DQ200 7 speed Twin Dry Clutch. 

 

 On the DQ200 DSG there are TPI's as there have been clutch Slipping issues since 2015 on various models across the VW Brands and there are Software Updates and Clutch Packs.