Clutch slipping after only 3,300 miles

[William london]

I have Ford Focus 64 reg with only 3,300 miles on the clock and the clutch is slipping. I have been told by the garage that it cannot be fixed under warranty and I have been quoted £530 to repair the car. Surely the clutch should have lasted much further than 3,300 miles? Does anyone know where I should go from here. Many thanks

[alexp999]

You have two options, either do a lot of jumping up and down with legal threats, etc.

Or you'll need to pay for an independent report to give them which states it has failed as a result of a manufacturing defect. You can claim this back if successful, but there is the risk you have to pay for the report and give nothing if they can't prove it is a manufacturing fault.

It is possible to wear the clutch out over only 3,300 miles if you ride the clutch, which is why it is considered a wear and tear item.

[William london]

Thanks Alex , for the past 20 odd years we have always had new Fords, driven then a lot more than 3,300 miles and never had to replace a clutch. I will think about the options but thanks for your reply

[TomsFocus]

How badly is it slipping?  And was there an event that caused it like accelerating hard before bringing the clutch fully up by accident?  If so, it might bed back in again, it's happened to me a few times, albeit on higher mileages.

Unfortunately it is a wear and tear item unless you can prove that there is a manufacturing fault somewhere though.  I have read about people having an issue with the pedal sticking down slightly while driving, any issues like that on yours?  Also if you're in the habit of resting your foot on the pedal, that's not a good idea these days, wasn't so bad with older cable clutches but hydraulic ones are so light that you can be riding it without noticing!

[The Dark Knight]

How long have you had it now just out of interest? An independent report as mentioned is a good idea and you can demand repair using your legal rights. Wear and tear after that many miles just doesn't wash unless you have been riding the clutch but from what you have said, that is not the case. I know plenty of people having clutches done under warranty. 

[alexp999]

What you want to do is also say if they don't do it under warranty you'll have no choice but to enforce your statutory rights and if you have to get an independent report to prove it has failed they will be billed for the cost of it.

[iantt]

Have you had it from new? If not then previous owner could have done most of the wear, what varient of focus do you have? Petrol , diesel and engine size?

[William london]

I bought the car from new in August 2014 it is Focus Titanium X Navigator 1.0' Eco drive (petrol). No other problems apart from the clutch.

[The Dark Knight]

You need to get the ball rolling soon on this. The below topic is worth a read for a real world example. Do the terms and conditions of the warranty actually say that the clutch falls under wear and tear or is it just on their say so?

 

[dave1987]

I had clutch judder and difficulty in engaging reverse gear in my 2012 1.6 150 ecoboost focus. After 3 attempts the dealer eventually diagnosed the faulty clutch and replaced under the manufacturers warranty (car was just under 3 years old and 13k at the time). Car bought 2nd hand 6 months prior at 9.5k miles from a dealer. So clutch warranty replacements have been and can be granted. Keep on them!

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