What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks
Clio lame
A friend of mine bought a new Renault Clio from Renault Enfield as she had been so pleased with her previous Clio also purchased from Renault Enfield.
Unfortunately, soon after buying the car, she was ill for 3 months. Thus a year after buying the car it had only done 6,400 miles when the clutch failed. The car was taken to the suppliers where Mrs Page was told she would have to pay for the repair as the flywheel was damaged and this meant the problem was caused by her driving. Could there be any truth in this?
This a lady, not a boy racer, who had been driving for 30 years and whose almost identical Clio had been driven by her for 3 years and is still being used by her nephew on the original clutch. The garage has now had the car since July. Mrs Page tells me that the garage have offered to pay 75% of the cost.
However, I still feel she has been badly treated and should not have to pay at all, in fact I feel she should be compensated for the loss of her car for months.
Unfortunately, soon after buying the car, she was ill for 3 months. Thus a year after buying the car it had only done 6,400 miles when the clutch failed. The car was taken to the suppliers where Mrs Page was told she would have to pay for the repair as the flywheel was damaged and this meant the problem was caused by her driving. Could there be any truth in this?
This a lady, not a boy racer, who had been driving for 30 years and whose almost identical Clio had been driven by her for 3 years and is still being used by her nephew on the original clutch. The garage has now had the car since July. Mrs Page tells me that the garage have offered to pay 75% of the cost.
However, I still feel she has been badly treated and should not have to pay at all, in fact I feel she should be compensated for the loss of her car for months.
Asked on 22 December 2012 by CB, Reading
Answered by
Honest John
This is a common complaint of elderly people. I receive around two a week. I guess that what happens is that they lose some control of their limbs that they formerly had and end up riding the clutch without realising it. So I think you should accept this reasonably generous offer from the Renault dealer. The alternative would be to call in an expert witness and attempt to prove a fault in the clutch operating mechanism, but the cost of that would far exceed the cost of a new clutch and the expert might find as above anyway.
Tags:
technical issues
clutches
Looking for a garage you can trust? Honest John's Good Garage Guide has thousands of reader recommended garages, plus how-to guides and tips on servicing.
The Good Garage GuideSimilar questions
I purchased a Clio 3 1.5 DCI manual last summer and so far have been very happy with it. The car is efficient and easy to drive, and the amount of included features and technology is impressive.
I have...
My car feels like the clutch is slipping under load. There's no smell at all and it has been the same for the last 8000 miles. How can I check?
How can I tell if the clutch in my car is failing?
Related models
.jpg?width=115&height=75&rmode=crop)
Clio facelifted for 2009 with same look as Laguna. 1.5 Eco2 diesel down to 98g/km CO2.
.jpg)
