Clutch Replacement Failed After 24 Hours (eurocarparts) - No Warranty?

[Mark89]

Hey,

I recently had a full clutch replacement on my Focus, I asked around for prices and went with the cheapest quote I got as I was running low on funds. The clutch started to make funny noises a few hours into driving it, and the following morning whilst idling it was making a scratching sound that went away only when you pressed the clutch pedal down.

Took it back to the mechanic, and sods law and all, no noise at all. A few hours later, the noise is back and worse, tends to happen at traffic lights etc, Anyway, the next time it made the noise continuously I drove it straight back to the mechanic, who agreed the clutch is faulty and sounds like the bearing is gone. (brand new with the clutch kit.)

Now it gets interesting. as I was on a tight budget they went with the cheapest clutch kit available on ECP and as these are extremely cheap clutches the mechanic did not offer any warranty on labour. I was extremely annoyed so I went to look on ECP website and they say they offer warranty on labour as long as its proven that the clutch is at fault.

I took this back to the mechanic who said that ECP are notorious for not honoring this warranty and that they've tried multiple times in the past. They would always blame the workmanship and refuse to pay, and for this reason I need to cough up again for labour if I want it corrected! (WHICH I NOW CAN'T AFFORD)

GRGH. Has anyone dealt with ECP warranty before? And if so what was the turn around? The mechanic will send in this clutch and order the next one up (Valeo) however says he is not hopefully I will get the original labour costs back.

Any advice?

[wild_one]

Most of the pro mechanics I know refuse to use ECP at all. I knew one that got them to pay for the fancy oil in a BMW when a sensor he fitted from ECP (at the insistence of the customer) failed and dumped the contents of the dump in a car park in Southampton. That involved having the car recovered back too. So I think there warranty was underwritten by the devil? 

 Just out of interest Do it yourself next time. I'm an old ***** but I put a new clutch in my 1.6lx a few weeks back. Found a Luk 3 piece kit for under £30 on amazon! Bargain. Fitted it myself over a weekend. No big deal. In fact they have to be one of the easiest clutches to do?

[TomsFocus]

ECP & CP4L warranty is utterly useless anyway.  But when it comes to something like clutches, the release bearing may have been fitted wrongly, if a bearing isn't exactly square it will wear out quickly...how are you going to prove the mechanic didn't fit it wrong?  I don't see you getting any money back here I'm afraid.

With a high labour item like a clutch it's always worth buying a decent one.  eBay and amazon often have cheap LUK and Valeo's so that's where I tend to buy them these days. 

[alexp999]

As far as I understand it, the warranty on the clutch is irrelevant when it comes to your consumer rights?

The garage supplied the part as part of providing a service.

Therefore they are liable if the part has failed?

They should be covering the cost of the labour, if you are going for a more expensive replacement, then fair enough, pay for the difference in cost of the part, but that should be it.

[wild_one]

I think there could be more to this story than meets the eye.

[stef123]

Was this a transmech clutch kit by any chance? Comes in a green box?

[Botus]

always fit a genuine ford or LUK clutch, and always use genuine release bearing

 

its quite funny how everyone says don't use ECP then whilst you what them doing work half the parts and the delivery vehicle always popping round are ECP

these days china fakes are everywhere I wouldn't be happy to buy "branded bits of ebay"

[Mark89]

10 hours ago, stef123 said:

Was this a transmech clutch kit by any chance? Comes in a green box?

Yes it was how did you know? Or better yet, what do you know? 😃

[Mark89]

16 hours ago, alexp999 said:

As far as I understand it, the warranty on the clutch is irrelevant when it comes to your consumer rights?

The garage supplied the part as part of providing a service.

Therefore they are liable if the part has failed?

They should be covering the cost of the labour, if you are going for a more expensive replacement, then fair enough, pay for the difference in cost of the part, but that should be it.

You have a point but the reality is it was a backstreet garage so good luck with getting them to admit blame.

My only hope is claiming through ECP just wondering if anyone has experience with this?

 

Thanks 

[Botus]

you'll need to pull it out to see what's gone wrong,

if appears to have been fitted correctly and there's no oil leaks, then at worst money back on the clutch, at best should get labour back

but to get anywhere you'll need to see what failed, there's a local industry news rag (free at decent parts factors) that has lots of great info, they did one on crap clutches (especially upgraded ones being totally rubbish) genuine is safest (designed to do 100k all day long when not abused, others lucky to make it to 4 weeks !!!! ) if you have a broken spring get the whole lot paid for by ECP

 

https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/regulation/consumer-rights-act

 

 

[stef123]

On 8/22/2018 at 1:47 AM, Mark89 said:

Yes it was how did you know? Or better yet, what do you know? 😃

I know all the brands ECP sell and as soon as i read your post I knew this was what you had bought. Google transmech clutch failure, there's hundreds of images and posts on the premature failure of them. I wouldn't fit one to my worst enemies car. 
 

[Pebbleheed]

On 8/22/2018 at 1:53 AM, Mark89 said:

You have a point but the reality is it was a backstreet garage so good luck with getting them to admit blame.

My only hope is claiming through ECP just wondering if anyone has experience with this?

 

Thanks 

If they’re offering a service and you’re paying then the law still applies. 

You can use the small claims court to enforce any debt they owe if you have to resolve this yourself. The Moneyclaim website is dead easy to use. 

Depends how determined you are but you can get your money back. 

[guy woodbridge]

do you know what i dont like? The garage said  "ECP are notorious for not honoring this warranty and that they've tried multiple times in the past". They would always blame the workmanship and refuse to pay, and for this reason I need to cough up again for labour if I want it corrected! (WHICH I NOW CAN'T AFFORD). Then why on earth even offer to fit them? Must of caused them and previous customers nightmare situations.

[Botus]

you must take out the broken clutch and inspect it....

if its in as new condition but with a broken spring or similar failure..... then ECP have to refund and pay labour, they can't really wriggle out of that if they try, screw them in small claims court where you will win....   start to note down each time you have written, each journey all cost incurred by their selling of faulty parts and put all these costs in the claim …. when you get north of £2500 and manage to get a written letter to the right guy at ECP they will give u 600 quid they are not morons....