Clutch issues

[FluxCapacitard]

Hi All

 

First post, couldn't see an intro thread, so hello from Wiltshire

 

Bought a car (SAAB 93) circa Feb 2014, dealer gave 12 month warranty with it, he is a decent guy, had a couple of issues, and he sorted them all no problem. One was the clutch started slipping @ 84k miles, i bought it @ 82k miles. Now it's slipping again @ 92k miles, and 13 months later Looking through the paperwork, it also had a new clutch @ 36k miles, so it now needs its 4th clutch in under 100k miles. He is basically refusing to acknowledge there is a fault with car, and i need it desperately for work, so have agreed to pay for the repairs, albeit @ £40 an hour labour instead of £55, and to pay cost for all parts. Do i have a leg to stand on, in so much there seems to have been a fault with car (forever) and certainly 8k miles on a clutch is ridiculous, he says it must be driver error, but i drive it normally, i'm 47 and have 3 kids not 19

 

So my questions are, do i suck it up, and forget, or take him small claims after the work is done? I need car now for work, so need the repair done urgently,

 

Thanks in Advance

 

Flux

[JoeyJoeC]

How did you manage to ruin a clutch so quickly? Even poor quality ones wouldn't wear that quick! Do you drive with your foot on the clutch? My girlfriend often revs the engine high while she changes gear for some reason, this wore out the clutch pretty quickly.

[FluxCapacitard]

I didn't, read my post. I am assuming there is a fault with car, as it now needs it's 4th in under 100k miles. I don't ride the clutch, and have driven for 29 years, and owned over 20 cars, none have had clutch issues before.

[scaniaman]

Pure guess work but I think the whole clutch release mechanism needs very close inspection. If that proves to be OK then a check on the flywheel needs doing in case it is slightly warped.

Unfortunately, this work would have to be undertaken by a MOTOR ENGINEER not a computer junkie. Investigative work tends to be very expensive as it can take many hours.

PS. As an afterthought, are you absolutely sure it's the right clutches that have been getting fitted??? Once had trouble with a lorry and discovered the clutches being supplied were as per motor factors catalogue, which for this particular vehicle was wrong.

[nicolee2931]

The problem is who's to say the 2nd and 3rd clutches were poor quality aftermarket parts and not genuine parts. In my experience some aftermarket parts are very poor quality especially in relation to clutches, I've noticed the friction surface on some cheap parts to be much thinner which can only mean although it will work it may not last as long, but it's also been the case where some aftermarket parts have been as good as genuine parts. I would get some investigative work done on the clutch assembly as previously advised and look into obtaining a genuine replacement and see how that goes.