Warranty Help

[daesimps]

My 54 plate (11 500 miles) Cupra 150 TDI is booked in for inspection tomorrow as the clutch is intermittently slipping.

If you accelerate from 2000 RPM in 3rd, 4th,5th or (and I never do this - it was just a test) 6th gear the revs rise up to about 3k with no increase in speed. They then drop down to about 2200 and the car accelerates. This is intermittent - but becoming more regular. I cannot figure out the conditions to make it do it all the time.

Does anyone know where I stand on warranty. I bought the car with 5500 miles on it on December 29th 05 from a Seat dealer (Nidd Vale in Harrogate). I have therefore done about 6k in it and have problems already. 11.5k is nothing for a clutch - my 2 previous cars have had 100k - 150k on original clutch. 95% of my driving is cruising on motorways. I don't accelerate from below 2k rpm, I don't accelerate in a gear higher than 4th where poss and don't drive with my foot on the pedal. I hardly ever hold the car on the clutch at junctions either.

All advice welcome.

Thanks
Dae

 

[mmfb]

Not sure Dae, but in my exp the seat warranty has fixed all sorts of things, from work gear knobs (previous owner wore a ring). Changed plastic interior panels to stop rattles, newexternal leon/cupra/r badges. So i think youll have no worries with this under warranty providing your dealer is ok.

If not - complain to Seat.

 

[daesimps]

Had to pay for the clutch - but believe me it isn't the end of it!

They claimed the flywheel was blue which indicated bad driving/clutch slipping!

I then pointed out the fact that I had booked the car in last week (500 miles ago) because the clutch was in fact slipping. I thought that because they had said there was evidence of clutch slipping that proved my point!?!?!?

Instead they argued that it didn't prove anything, and that SEAT wouldn't replace the clutch under warranty. I had to pay for the clutch, and they are going to try and get some money back from SEAT as part of their "good will" policy.

I didn't really have a choice - they had my car in bits and I need it for my job.

If SEAT come back to me with a "no" on the good will then I am going to take this matter as far as I can. My argument is that I have only done 5k since I got the car (End Dec 05) and it has only done 12k in total. I would have to be a very bad driver to wear a clutch this quick - especially as most of my time is on the motorway at a steady 70 (ish!).

I'll keep you posted but any advice would be welcome.


Dae

 

[Wheely]

Hi Mate,

If you check out the TDI section, you'll find this topic covered a few times. And you'll find several people who have had their TDI clutches replaced under warranty. Interestingly most have a similar age car and ocured around the same mileage as yours ...............mine included.

Mine did it in winter, but stopped now. I complained to dealer and they to Seat Uk. Basically Seat agreed that they would replace any defective components under warranty, but if they found nothing I would have to pay for stripdown labor. In the end my own dealer agreed Id only have to pay 50% of any lbour charge if they found nowt wrong.

I didnt get it done at the time - but said I'd see how it went. Interestingly though my car (Leon TDI Cupra) had its 20K service today. The mechanic during test drive stated the clutch was smelling, not grabbing correctly and despite no slip, sounded like a worn pressure plate. Said he poke to service manager and looks like they'll be doin' this under warranty.

Its a fight but you can win. Just a shame you've handed money over. But dont give up - I'm convinced we got a bad batch of clutches !! Someone also sent a post saying the part number has now changed slightly - meaning its probably a slightly better one supplied now

Get 'em !!

MARK

 

[daesimps]

SEAT have come back with a resounding "NO" to the "goodwill" question, so I have logged an official complaint with SEAT UK.

Does anyone else have details of any TDI clutch problems. If anybody has had a similar problem can they please let me know. Maybe I can get enough evidence together to make them do something.

Thanks.
Dae

 

[Wheely]

Update on my clutch slip (Leon TDI Cupra, now with 20K miles).

Slipped at around 2K in high gears, up hills, in cold weather.
Hasnt slipped since Feb

At 20K mile service, mechanic (who I allowed to take out for a good test drive)said clutch a bit smelly and pedal high. Also said lightest touch on clutch pedal caused slippage.

Booked in today, they found plate in 'ok' condition but after speaking to 'Technical' (I guess Seat UKs tech dept) they have stated its a known issue on certain age clutch plates and a whole new clutch will be installed tomorrow under warranty.

Interestingly when I and two local Seat dealers spoke to Seat Uk before today, they always denied knowing of any clutch problem.

So a result for me. Hope the guy launching his complaint got some help from Seat UK. As this is getting a popular trend on certain vintage models.

 

[morebeer]

I had a clutch go on my LCR at 45k two months ago (2 weeks before I sold it). It was replaced under warranty (1 month before it was 3 years old). I had little problem in getting it sorted as my car had a history of drive problems, including replaced gearbox and snapped clutch pedal assembly. When the car was picked up by the AA, I sent a letter with it to my dealer, copied to SEAT via fax, detailing the fact that the problem was unacceptable and I was unwilling to pay for it. I subsequently received a call from SEAT, who confirmed the works would be completed under warranty. They did however think that it was NOT unusual for a 3 year old car to have been with the AA five times and that the faults it had had were not un-reasonable. If the car had been more reliable I would of stayed with SEAT and bought a new Cupra when it is released, however I had little option but to get shot of the car (as it was coming out of warranty) and now am the contented owner of an Astra VXR (loving every minute of it).