2.0 TDI BMT catastrophic clutch failure

masterg89 · Post by **masterg89** » Sat Jul 18, 2015 9:10 am

Good morning all!

I am looking for some advice on what has happened to my rocco this past week. I bought the car second hand from VW and it has been out of warranty since the start of the year. It's a 61 plate only just coming up to 4 years old, with about 53k miles on the clock.

First a bit of backstory... A few months back I began to hear some ticking like noise coming from the transmission, noticeable when idling but went away when I put the clutch down. It came and went and I attributed it to a failing release bearing or similar. In hindsight I should have taken it in straight away for investigation but I didn't and have learnt my lesson!

So on Tuesday this week I was driving as normal At night and the clutch slipped completely, about 3k revs complete loss of acceleration. I instantly crawled home and phoned the AA to come in the morning. When the very helpful chap turned up in the morning there was a lovely pool of gearbox oil under the car and it was towed away to the nearest clutch specialists.

What they found was that the clutch pressure plate has failed with the metal holder in front of the fingers sheared and stuck out. See picture below! As it's been spinning away It has cut a groove in the gearbox housing evebtually causing a hole. The Metal filings from the groove you can see in the picture also went into the flywheel. All in all the clutch, housing and flywheel were replaced at a sickening nearly £1500!

The clutch is a Sachs unit which from some research looks to be the OEM. The garage mechanic said he has come across this before and that usually the metal holder part that has failed usually doesn't exist. I'm interested to know if anyone else has come across such a failure in their rocco or even similar VW/Audi etc. which I imagine share similar OEM for the clutches etc. it's obviously quite devastating as it appears this sort of thing shouldn't have happened at all, especially considering the car is not that old/many miles. I'm hoping I can take this up with VW but I imagine as its out of warranty they will have nothing to do with it!

Any thoughts or info from anyone is much appreciated! Thanks!

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Deft · Post by **Deft** » Sun Jul 19, 2015 2:39 pm

It's worth considering if there is any leverage under the Sale of Goods Act (which typically covers goods up to 6 years old - irrespective of warranty length). Even though it is second hand, if you bought if from a dealer (i.e. not privately) then you still have some legal rights.
The tricky thing (and I know nothing about clutches) is reaching a position whereby you can demonstrate there was a non wear and tear fault - as clutches can be destroyed with the right kind of effort!
http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/ ... -my-rights" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

wensleydale · Post by **wensleydale** » Mon Jul 20, 2015 2:07 pm

I had a very similar fault at about the same mileage (also a 61plate 140). The dealers initially thought it was a release bearing but upon investigation found a gouge in the gearbox housing. VW replaced the gearbox, clutch and flywheel under warranty with no questions asked, so it may be that there was a manufacturing fault with a batch of clutches.

jayroc · Post by **jayroc** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 3:21 pm

What a shame! I don't think DSG GEARBOX suffer this kind of problem though!

dimexi · Post by **dimexi** » Wed Aug 05, 2015 8:59 am

Get straight on the blower to VW - go armed with your info and evidence as well. I doubt that part should come loose under normal wear and tear. Also, this isnt how a clutch should fail

xjay1337 · Post by **xjay1337** » Wed Aug 05, 2015 9:10 am

jayroc wrote:What a shame! I don't think DSG GEARBOX suffer this kind of problem though!

Nope just mechatronics units.
Everything has it's weaknesses.
Generally the manual boxes are very strong.

pokeiarda · Post by **pokeiarda** » Wed Sep 16, 2015 9:22 pm

I'm having the same issue but my scirocco is manual but the gear box is wrecked and the year is the same 61 plate. I have had it remapped so vw have washed there hands of it. [CRYING FACE]

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xjay1337 · Post by **xjay1337** » Thu Sep 17, 2015 11:35 am

To be honest the gearboxes are relatively inexpensive, around £500 on ebay.
Not the end of the world.

1978 · Post by **1978** » Mon Nov 28, 2016 2:01 pm

The exact same thing has just happened to my 2013 Scirocco. Did you have any feedback from VW?

Many thanks

pokeiarda · Post by **pokeiarda** » Mon Nov 28, 2016 2:06 pm

Vw may support you if the car is unmodified

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Roccokid · Post by **Roccokid** » Fri May 26, 2017 7:46 pm

Help!!!!

I am looking for some advice on what has happened to my rocco

there was a lovely pool of gearbox oil under the car

What they found was that the clutch pressure plate has failed with the metal holder in front of the fingers sheared and stuck out. See picture below! As it's been spinning away It has cut a groove in the gearbox housing evebtually causing a hole. The Metal filings from the groove you can see in the picture also went into the flywheel. All in all the clutch, housing and flywheel were replaced at a sickening nearly £1500!

The clutch is a Sachs unit which from some research looks to be the OEM. The garage mechanic said he has come across this before and that usually the metal holder part that has failed usually doesn't exist. I'm interested to know if anyone else has come across such a failure in their rocco or even similar VW/Audi etc. which I imagine share similar OEM for the clutches etc. it's obviously quite devastating as it appears this sort of thing shouldn't have happened at all, especially considering the car is not that old/many miles. I'm hoping I can take this up with VW but I imagine as its out of warranty they will have nothing to do with it!

Any thoughts or info from anyone is much appreciated! Thanks

I've had my Scirocco back about 10 days since YES, a Catastrophic Clutch and/or Flywheel failure.

Brief History. As above, i.e. Clutch failure thro' the housing, oil drains from gearbox, noises from gearbox. During a regular 10k service, garage tells me 'no oil in gearbox'. Therefore.... New Clutch (LUK), Dual mass flywheel, and the gearbox 'Reconditined'.- New bearings, few gears etc. All fitted by independant gearbox specialist. It's not 100% satisfactory, but not far off. Total cost inc vat £2.5K !!

Any advice on.....
Reclaiming (some?) monies from V.W. ? i.e from the retailer who sold the car? I have noted below, the post by Deft Re Sale of Goods Act

Re: 2.0 TDI BMT catastrophic clutch failure

Postby Deft » Sun Jul 19, 2015 2:39 pm
It's worth considering if there is any leverage under the Sale of Goods Act (which typically covers goods up to 6 years old - irrespective of warranty length). Even though it is second hand, if you bought if from a dealer (i.e. not privately) then you still have some legal rights.
The tricky thing (and I know nothing about clutches) is reaching a position whereby you can demonstrate there was a non wear and tear fault - as clutches can be destroyed with the right kind of effort!
http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... -my-rights

My Car Spec. 2011 2.0 Ltr TDI Blue Motion. purchased july 2014 from 'Inschape' V.W. milge 30K. with DasWeltAuto 12 months G/tee. Expired 05/06/2015. In 3 years mileage now 56K (when Clutch failure). Errrmmm whats OEM ? Taaaaa

Cuprabob · Post by **Cuprabob** » Fri May 26, 2017 8:08 pm

OEM - Original Equipment Manufacturer

pokeiarda · Post by **pokeiarda** » Fri May 26, 2017 8:11 pm

Go and see a vw garage first. They may help. They wouldn't help me because my car war chipped. Mine is a 61 plate same spec. They obviously had some bad parts back then.
They were hopeful of helping with the cost when they first had the car in.

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pokeiarda · Post by **pokeiarda** » Fri May 26, 2017 8:16 pm

Same issues. But vw dodged the bullet

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xjay1337 · Post by **xjay1337** » Fri May 26, 2017 11:33 pm

People paying 2.5k are you going in with your trousers down????
As i said used gearbox is less than 500 quid.
Reconditioned means used. Remanufactured is rebuilt.
Clutch kit is 500-600 quid .
And 4 hours labour max 250.

Give up with legal action. 50-60k on a clutch is well into expected service life.
You can destory a brand new clutch in 10 miles so you have no ground unfortunately.

pokeiarda · Post by **pokeiarda** » Sat May 27, 2017 6:39 am

Understand where you are coming from but with reference to the life of the clutch you are referring to the friction material. Not the mechanics of the unit.

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Roccokid · Post by **Roccokid** » Sun May 28, 2017 1:52 pm

Thanx guys for the chat. Any clues I can quote about any TPI reference ( it is the Sachs? Pressure plate Failing then tearing a hole to the g.box housing?). My car hasn't been chipped, still bog standard. Spoke to local Inchape vw. "No knowledge of clutch problems on this/these models". I have V.W. UK customer helpline number. Any odds on me getting help/info/£££ contribution? I don't see this clutch/pressure plate problem as "wear and tear". It's a component failure.

Roccokid · Post by **Roccokid** » Sun May 28, 2017 1:54 pm

P.s. If I do not get luck with V. W. UK I'll go back to Inchcape retailer where purchased

Cuprabob · Post by **Cuprabob** » Sun May 28, 2017 3:24 pm

It'll certainly do no harm contacting Customer Services and they might offer some goodwill if the car has FVWSH and is under 5 years / 60k miles but I wouldn't hold my breath.

Unfortunately components do fail, sometimes in warranty and sometimes out of warranty. You pays your money, you takes your chance

pokeiarda · Post by **pokeiarda** » Sun May 28, 2017 3:46 pm

Let me known if you need info. They know about it as my case went up the vw chain

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