Clutch gone

[Iank]

Clutch gone after 10k, 18 month old '65 plate 1.2T ds3.
My wife has had C2 VTS and Saxo previously over the years and never had to replace clutch. With no warning clutch appears to have gone totally. Now with Dealer it was purchased from. No idea yet if they will cover under warranty. Anyone had same problem and issue getting it covered under warranty?

[cyclone]

User error?
I can hear it now " I drive fine and it's never happened before it's not my fault it's unfit bla bla bla" and you know, it may not be, but that is #1 cause. Been a couple other problems that needed the clutch or bearing replaced but not noticed a rash of worn out ones.

[Chris_Blue]

Take em to the cleaners

[Hyperkev]

Ridiculous

[Shauna_H]

I had my clutch replaced under warranty after 2 years and about 20 thousand miles after I bought my car, but mine was due to the release bearing being faulty. I did however have the car back with the dealers about ten times with a recurrent issue that turned out to be the release bearing so I had no problems getting mine replaced in the end up as it was evident it wasn't driver error. Was there no indication the clutch was going? Was the car new when you bought it?

[Iank]

There was no indication at all which I find very strange!!
I personally drove her car only the day before and no problem whatsoever!
I also know when a clutch is starting to go.
Only when she was driving home up a fairly long steady gradient did problems start to
notice, it wouldn't let her change gear and she had to coast onto hard shoulder of M2.
Car brought brand new from Hidsons (Citroen) in Kent.
As I'm writing this just had confirmation from dealer that it is the clutch burnt out and they have been advised by Citroen warranty not covered.
Let the Battle commence!!!

[Iank]

Poor quality products come to mind. Even for a bad driver a clutch should last more than 10k.
Drove it myself the day before, not the slightest hint of slip.

[Czar]

Just before you go off all guns blazing to the Citroen dealership, just remember the dealership has strict warranty guidelines to follow as set out by Citroen, so although you are not happy, it is not the dealerships fault, try being amicable and working with the dealership to fight your case with Citroen, not against them !!

A clutch driven plate can be destroyed in as little as just a few minutes, I've been asked countless times over the years to help with cases, where clutches have apparently worn out at low mileage and or after a very short time of vehicle ownership, with the most attentive and diligent drivers who never ever rest their foot on the clutch pedal or hold the vehicle for long periods of time on inclines, when upon inspection, it is evidently clear that premature clutch failure was indeed unequivocally driver error.

You are going to have a very very difficult time proving mechanical failure over driver error, if Citroen are adamant that a warranty claim is invalid, there are recognised signs as to why a driven plate has worn away beyond its operational tolerance, the same applies to the pressure plate and DMF (dual mass flywheel)

Your only saving graces are, mechanical structural failure of one or more components of the clutch assembly, and you may yourself have to prove this from having the clutch components independently tested, at your expense, oil contamination, this will be self evident at the dealership, and a intermittent sticking hydraulic clutch slave cylinder, again this will require disassembly and very careful inspection, again possibly by an independent engineer.

At the end of the day, if Citroen stand fast and decline any valid claim for warranty, and you don't or can't prove any failure/fault from independent testing with an engineers report, then it's game over and driver error.

[Shauna_H]

There was no indication at all which I find very strange!!
I personally drove her car only the day before and no problem whatsoever!
I also know when a clutch is starting to go.
Only when she was driving home up a fairly long steady gradient did problems start to
notice, it wouldn't let her change gear and she had to coast onto hard shoulder of M2.
Car brought brand new from Hidsons (Citroen) in Kent.
As I'm writing this just had confirmation from dealer that it is the clutch burnt out and they have been advised by Citroen warranty not covered.
Let the Battle commence!!!

As said by Czar, the dealership is stuck between a rock and a hard place, they can't replace the clutch FOC to you as Citroen won't pay for it and once they've made a decision on a warranty claim its nearly impossible to get them to change their mind. As for bad driving and clutches lasting 10k, my partner is a mechanic and he's had new cars in with a less than a thousand miles needing a new clutch, purely down to bad driving and nothing else. Any signs of a mechanical fault would have been evident when the car was striped and the dealership would've used this toward a warranty claim. Best of luck trying to get it replaced under warranty but dealing with CUK over the past few years, I doubt you'll be very successful.

[Iank]

Thanks everyone for the comments posted.
However we will still pursue this further with CUK even though from Czars comments it's probably going to be a waste of time.
I know she doesn't 'sit on the clutch'! 2 previous Citroens she's owned and drove to over 50k +
without issues must surely be a testament to a reasonably good driver.

[Eagle]

My ds3 thp engine 2010 year clutch is worn at just 11.000miles
The cause? A low rpm high torque and a failed dyno attemp (car was slipping from dyno)

[cyclone]

So like the OP, self caused

[Iank]

So I guess, given the amount of DS3's also being used by Learner driver schools CUK must be laughing!!!