Clutch Burn Out After 8,00 Miles Yaris Tr 1.33 Vvt-I

[piggywig]

My mother has had a Yaris TR 1.33 VVT-i Man petrol from new.

She has driven many cars in her time, but never had problems with clutches. She is a careful driver, not a boy racer! After 9,000 miles the clutch started to slip on her new Yaris. The garage replaced it under warranty.

The garage main dealer now suggests that as my mother is getting older she may rest her foot on the clutch. This may be responsible for causing wear and tear to the clutch beyond normal usage. They have charged her £937.08 to replace the clutch at 18,000 miles the Yaris is less than 2 years old and still under Toyota warranty. It was suggested at the garage that this happens to the elderly, and had had happenned to an elderly driver at 500 miles!

If you're out there old or young, have you had a similar problem with the clutch on your Yaris?

Toyota will not cover the clutch under warranty. I'm thinking of going to Watchdog. If annyone else out there has had the same problem please let me know.

If you can advise where I can have the 'burnt out' clutch (removed by the main dealer) independently inspected for an independent decision please let me know that also.

Is £937.08 a fair price to pay to replace a clutch on a Yaris?

Thanks.

[Mistermena]

My mother has had a Yaris TR 1.33 VVT-i Man petrol from new.

She has driven many cars in her time, but never had problems with clutches. She is a careful driver, not a boy racer! After 9,000 miles the clutch started to slip on her new Yaris. The garage replaced it under warranty.

The garage main dealer now suggests that as my mother is getting older she may rest her foot on the clutch. This may be responsible for causing wear and tear to the clutch beyond normal usage. They have charged her £937.08 to replace the clutch at 18,000 miles the Yaris is less than 2 years old and still under Toyota warranty. It was suggested at the garage that this happens to the elderly, and had had happenned to an elderly driver at 500 miles!

If you're out there old or young, have you had a similar problem with the clutch on your Yaris?

Toyota will not cover the clutch under warranty. I'm thinking of going to Watchdog. If annyone else out there has had the same problem please let me know.

If you can advise where I can have the 'burnt out' clutch (removed by the main dealer) independently inspected for an independent decision please let me know that also.

Is £937.08 a fair price to pay to replace a clutch on a Yaris?

Thanks.

Thats a crazy low milage for a clutch to go! My VW Polo (Driving school car) has over 206k on the clock and still on the original clutch. Have you contact Toyota customer services?

[adam_d]

This is possibly completely unrelated, but does the 1.33 do that thing where it blips the throttle up a little bit when you change gear?

This caused problems with the clutch on our 1.6 Auris, which was replaced after a few thousand miles and was blamed on that behaviour. Strangely this clutch has been perfectly fine since then, but the car still does do that little blip, and especially when changing from 1st to 2nd, it feels like you're putting more strain on the clutch than you need.

[piggywig]

Hi

Yes I have.

Customer Services say that they will do nothing. Not even a contribution towards costs. This is my mum's third Toyota, and she's never had a problem like this before. Disappointing eh?

I thought a new Toyota with warranty meant no bills for my mum. Not so.

My mother has had a Yaris TR 1.33 VVT-i Man petrol from new.

She has driven many cars in her time, but never had problems with clutches. She is a careful driver, not a boy racer! After 9,000 miles the clutch started to slip on her new Yaris. The garage replaced it under warranty.

The garage main dealer now suggests that as my mother is getting older she may rest her foot on the clutch. This may be responsible for causing wear and tear to the clutch beyond normal usage. They have charged her £937.08 to replace the clutch at 18,000 miles the Yaris is less than 2 years old and still under Toyota warranty. It was suggested at the garage that this happens to the elderly, and had had happenned to an elderly driver at 500 miles!

If you're out there old or young, have you had a similar problem with the clutch on your Yaris?

Toyota will not cover the clutch under warranty. I'm thinking of going to Watchdog. If annyone else out there has had the same problem please let me know.

If you can advise where I can have the 'burnt out' clutch (removed by the main dealer) independently inspected for an independent decision please let me know that also.

Is £937.08 a fair price to pay to replace a clutch on a Yaris?

Thanks.

Thats a crazy low milage for a clutch to go! My VW Polo (Driving school car) has over 206k on the clock and still on the original clutch. Have you contact Toyota customer services?

[Mistermena]

Hi

Yes I have.

Customer Services say that they will do nothing. Not even a contribution towards costs. This is my mum's third Toyota, and she's never had a problem like this before. Disappointing eh?

I thought a new Toyota with warranty meant no bills for my mum. Not so.

My mother has had a Yaris TR 1.33 VVT-i Man petrol from new.

She has driven many cars in her time, but never had problems with clutches. She is a careful driver, not a boy racer! After 9,000 miles the clutch started to slip on her new Yaris. The garage replaced it under warranty.

The garage main dealer now suggests that as my mother is getting older she may rest her foot on the clutch. This may be responsible for causing wear and tear to the clutch beyond normal usage. They have charged her £937.08 to replace the clutch at 18,000 miles the Yaris is less than 2 years old and still under Toyota warranty. It was suggested at the garage that this happens to the elderly, and had had happenned to an elderly driver at 500 miles!

If you're out there old or young, have you had a similar problem with the clutch on your Yaris?

Toyota will not cover the clutch under warranty. I'm thinking of going to Watchdog. If annyone else out there has had the same problem please let me know.

If you can advise where I can have the 'burnt out' clutch (removed by the main dealer) independently inspected for an independent decision please let me know that also.

Is £937.08 a fair price to pay to replace a clutch on a Yaris?

Thanks.

Thats a crazy low milage for a clutch to go! My VW Polo (Driving school car) has over 206k on the clock and still on the original clutch. Have you contact Toyota customer services?

Now then... Have you written a letter to Toyota and they have responed in return by a letter? I would consider an indy engineers report to determine if this is a manufacturing fault or not! You have to consider that this could be a costly excercise but could result in a outcome in your favor. Or do as you've said and contact the Watch dog programe. Its your call at the end of the day.

The issue here that a clutch can be considered a consumable item and thats what I guess that Mr T is reliant on???

I would have hoped that Toyota would look sympathetically on this?!... But it doesn't look so in this instance

[Cyker]

I had mine changed mine after I'd owned and driven it about 10,000 (The car itself had done about 35,000).

It turned out the clutch plate was basically okay (Easily another 20k miles on it he reckoned) but the diaphragm spring was shot and the mechanic said that this was caused by me (or the previous owner he quickly added before I could protest ) sitting in traffic with the clutch pressed down for long periods instead of putting it in neutral and clutch up.

(I'm very lazy so I'm handbrake,neutral,foot resting in the footwell as soon as I'm stopped )

[ormi]

go to a diff toyota garage and say nothing about the other garage and say you were driving up a hill then all of a sudden the car started to rev......make out you drive it more....tbh their is an old woman comes in to my work in 6000 miles shes had 3 clutches shes not had to pay for one yet!!

but you cant really blame the car if your mum slips the clutch too much....

but try what i said and see how you get on but you must try an other dealer.....

[balli hi]

The clutch and pressure plate on my Auris was changed after just 7 weeks. About a year ago i noticed a vibration in the clutch pedal when changing through the gears, i took it back to my dealership before the warranty expired for them to check it out, they informed me that they could find nothing wrong , right now the clutch is right on top and vibration in the clutch pedal is still there.

[piggywig]

I have reported the clutch problem on my mother's Yaris to Watchdog.

If you have had to have the clutch replaced on your Toyota at around 10,000 miles or less under warranty or otherwise, please can you let Watchdog know.

It would seem to be affecting the Auris models as well as the Yaris.

It may help get this problem sorted for us all free of charge if we can prove the problem is not due to driver abuse.

Thanks.

[Lorna2]

Never had any clutch problems on any of my Yarises

[piggywig]

How old is your Yaris? My mum never had issues with the clutch on her previous two. That's why I'm concerned about the problem. I don't think the Dealer should have charged over £900 to replace the clutch either. She was charged even though the car has only done 18000 miles. Thanks.

Never had any clutch problems on any of my Yarises

[piggywig]

go to a diff toyota garage and say nothing about the other garage and say you were driving up a hill then all of a sudden the car started to rev......make out you drive it more....tbh their is an old woman comes in to my work in 6000 miles shes had 3 clutches shes not had to pay for one yet!!

but you cant really blame the car if your mum slips the clutch too much....

but try what i said and see how you get on but you must try an other dealer.....

[piggywig]

Thanks for your comments.

There would appear to be a lack of consistency between garages, as to what they consider they will cover under the Toyota warranty for their customers. I think the garage could have done this work under warranty for her, had they wanted to.

Mum has obviously been unlucky, in her choice of Main Dealer Toyota Garage. Your garage would appear to be more customer friendly.

I am concerned that the Toyota garages are assuming that the problem with the clutch is caused by driver error and not investigating (or even giving the benefit of the doubt) that it may be a problem caused by a component part. there would appear to be a bit of ageism creeping in here!

My mum has diven and had two previous Toyotas from new, and not had problems with the clutch or the Main dealer. Because of this I would like to think that Toyota would have shown a little bit more concern, and a little bit more goodwill. I would like to think that Toyota could still step in, rethink their stance, apologise to her, and cover the replacement clutch under warranty for her.

The Main Dealer garage had already srtipped down the old clutch before ringing and advising the over £900 costs, and we had little choice but to let them fit the new one.

[piggywig]

Yes, there is a noticible vibration on the clutch pedal. thank you for your imput.

The clutch and pressure plate on my Auris was changed after just 7 weeks. About a year ago i noticed a vibration in the clutch pedal when changing through the gears, i took it back to my dealership before the warranty expired for them to check it out, they informed me that they could find nothing wrong , right now the clutch is right on top and vibration in the clutch pedal is still there.

[piggywig]

Thanks for your response.

Have you had clutches needing replacement on previous cars prematurely?

This may be a design or parts problem on the newer Yaris.

Other Yaris (and Auris) drivers are suggesting that the diaphragm spring may stick and place pressure on the clutch pedal causing the clutch to stay slightly on thus burning it out. I'm not a mechanic, so I don't know.

It may be that your problem is unrelated, if you feel it is down to your driving manner.... but it may not be!

I had mine changed mine after I'd owned and driven it about 10,000 (The car itself had done about 35,000).

It turned out the clutch plate was basically okay (Easily another 20k miles on it he reckoned) but the diaphragm spring was shot and the mechanic said that this was caused by me (or the previous owner he quickly added before I could protest ) sitting in traffic with the clutch pressed down for long periods instead of putting it in neutral and clutch up.

(I'm very lazy so I'm handbrake,neutral,foot resting in the footwell as soon as I'm stopped )

[ormi]

not sticking up for anyone here but with warranty lets say the garage did do the clutch now warranty stuff gets sent back for assesment so if toyota laughed and said no danger then the garage would have to pay the bill as well as a fine of £1000 for submitting false claims....

go back to the garage and ask for the workshop managers name franchise managers name and the mechanics name and ask him for his email address the companys address and the contact number for them all...then ask for the number to toyotas customer care......he will prob ask why to which you will reply watchdog is interested in this story and wish to contact everyone and they asked you to get all the info to which they will prob !Removed! bricks and refund you....you can also argue the cars unfit for use and was sold under false pretences...

[piggywig]

I hear where you're coming from. i wouldn't wish anyone to submit false claims.

I would have been happy if the Garage had offered to send the clutch off for independent assessment, rather than assuming the cause was down tod driver error.

Other Main Dealer garages are replacing clutches under warranty without question. Are they submitting false claims? Our garage is not just assuming the cause of the clutch burn out is down to driver error, even though this is my mother's third toyota and she has not had clutch problems like this on the others, but stating that it is down to driver abuse without question or testing for other causes. Other drivers Yaris and Auris are reporting similar experiences. They are suggesting the diaphragm spring could have caused the fault (I am not a mechanic, and this means very little to me).

I have kept the clutch parts that the garage say they removed.

I feel that this issue is not being universally dealt with in the same manner by the Main Dealers, and would welcome some clarity over policy here. To charge over £900 to do this work is pretty much top end, and a reduced cost of works by the garage and or a contribution towards costs from Toyota at the outset would have been nice.

not sticking up for anyone here but with warranty lets say the garage did do the clutch now warranty stuff gets sent back for assesment so if toyota laughed and said no danger then the garage would have to pay the bill as well as a fine of £1000 for submitting false claims....

go back to the garage and ask for the workshop managers name franchise managers name and the mechanics name and ask him for his email address the companys address and the contact number for them all...then ask for the number to toyotas customer care......he will prob ask why to which you will reply watchdog is interested in this story and wish to contact everyone and they asked you to get all the info to which they will prob !Removed! bricks and refund you....you can also argue the cars unfit for use and was sold under false pretences...

[ormi]

£900 does seem a bit steep in fact really steep...

can you please take a pic of the front and the rear of both parts?please dont clean them

[Cyker]

£900 is a bit on the high side; That's Audi prices

I was quoted about £700 to replace my clutch by Jemca Toyota.

Other non-Toyota garages quoted £500-600 and in the end had a travelling mechanic do it for £400...

[piggywig]

Thanks for your response.

Yes, I think it's really steep!

I think the Main Dealer could have advised before stripping down clutch, especially if there was a chance it may not be covered under warranty.

£900 is a bit on the high side; That's Audi prices

I was quoted about £700 to replace my clutch by Jemca Toyota.

Other non-Toyota garages quoted £500-600 and in the end had a travelling mechanic do it for £400...

[saniasamah]

ive had a problem today i took my auris mmt diesel to toyota hodgson at silverlink and told them my clutch was sliping as the revs were riding higher before settling down.once again it was mr sheil the workshop manager who sent a mechanic out .the conclusion was that i must treat this car as a manual and always take my foor of the accelerator and must be sometimes holding the accelerator down as im changing gears which is why they are that its pointing towards premature wear from me..i took out an extended warranty from hodgson toyota 6 weeks ago from these guys .they said the chances are very very high of the assesor coming out from toyota and not replacing it under warranty .than id have more expense for labour ,.my cars only done 27500 miles and isnt driven in a harsh manner (its not stolen or rented ).now im told the bill without getting warranty involved to fit a clutch to this car is 930 pounds which i find very expensive for a clutch .the clutch itself to buy parts only is 300 pounds labour is about 630 pounds .also why did i waste my money on the warranty if they are all saying they wont replace under warranty as its not a manufacturer dafault.,anyway also the waranty is not worth the paper it is written on 550 for a warranty peace of mind.not likely ,.id rather save the 550 every year and just pay for and faults on the car .toyaota extended warranty dont take it out thats my opinion. if you have an mmt toyota always take your foot off the accelerator on every gear change always .or youll be buying a clutch prematurely ..

[Parts-King]

A couple of things that spring to mind

Its a 7 hour job (book time and thats what you will have been charged), labour at say 75.00 an hour, clutch at 231.00, plus VAT gets you to £900 ish

I think the Main Dealer could have advised before stripping down clutch, especially if there was a chance it may not be covered under warranty.

He did did'nt he? when the first one was fitted? In general terms a worn out anything is not covered by warranty, but there are instances where a faulty componant will cause premature faulure or where there is an incorrect adjustment made, and this would generally be covered

Did you keep the second (old) clutch, if so have it independantly inspected, or ask Toyota if they will inspect it

Any dealer worth his salt will check the service history if the clutch goes again, to see what has been done before, so taking it to another dealer might not give you anything

Your contract is with the dealer who fitted it, forget watchdog, it might make you feel better about the whole affair but what will it do? Nothing is the honest answer, they wont give you your money back. I would sit down, get everything on paper and post Toyota a nice letter, how many cars mum has bought and spent over the years, and ask for a contribution. It would seem harsh the clutch has gone twice but at the end of the day if it is worn out then something (mechanical or mum) has caused it to wear out, getting hold of the old clutch will be a help to see what actually failed. Before writing, maybe ask for a meeting with the service manager and Dealer Principle. I am not one for firing off emails, it's too easy and they have no weight whatsoever, sit face to face with somebody in authority, keep calm, and ask for answers, you are much more likely to get something doing this than you would ever get by emailing and going to Watchdog.

Good Luck

Kingo

[Mistermena]

A good tech can change a clutch in less than 7 hours! I bet its half that time! But the dealers still charge you for 7! Gotta say that it sounds wrong to me as I belive that a customer should only be charged for the time spent doing the job or a max book time if it takes longer. But how many dealers are going to say it only took 3 hours Sir and charge you that?