Vauxhall Cascada - Clutch Burnout in under 19,000 miles?

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Mon 2 Oct 2017 23:40
Vauxhall Cascada - Clutch Burnout in under 19,000 miles? - Charlotte Lock

Hiya! I am hoping someone can help me.

I purchased a 1 year old cascada, petrol, 1.4 with 5,000 miles on the clock. (currently just under 19,000) Yes I am a woman, but yes I can drive lol (used to be external sales so used to do anything upto 200 miles a day). In that time, I used to drive company cars which were vauxhall Astras, no I wasnt over careful with them but anywho

My Cascada is my baby and I treat her very well, she is well driven, mostly just by me as I dont like anyone driving her haha Never had an issue with her upto last week. Id been out for a couple of hours and came to a steep hill. Yes it was b***** steep but nothing a 2 year old car cant handle right??

I didnt creep up the hill, I applied the handbreak and waited until there was a full cars length infront of me before attempting to move up further. Only my car didnt move. I was baffled, so I applied the handbreak and put the car into first gear again to attempt to move, again nothing. I did this 5/6 times before the car finally decided to move very slowly up the hill (nothing in comparison to its normal power). Once I had got over the hill I noticed a horrible smell in the car and it just didnt feel right so I pulled over. The Heat coming away from the engine (no fan working I might add which baffled the snot out of me) was incredible, so much so I was scared to open the bonet up, I did manage to get it up but I was very hot under there.

Got it to Perrys the next day (yes I called the husband to come rescue me as I had kids in the car and I am a firm believer that if I dont feel comfortable with something, dont do it! ) and this is their email.....

We have found evidence of thermal overload to the clutch plate, clutch cover and the dual mass flywheel but no evidence of any mechanical failure of any of the components.

Your vehicle requires a new Clutch kit, slave cylinder and dual mass flywheel.

Obviously Vauxhall are saying that it is driver error and not covered under warrenty. I am struggling to accept that I have caused this by going up a b***** hill! Is there any way this could have been caused by other parts being faulty or damaged?

I have finally agreed to have the work done (at a stupid cost but thats another matter) and I have requested my parts be returned to me so I can have them checked out. I am half thinking, did the dealer I got the car off swap the clutch out for a crappy one and thats why I got such a good deal on the car? Has another part caused this meaning it should be covered under warrenty? Was this actually me? MY thoughts are if this was me, I dont deserve my licence and shouldnt be driving a blinking car if I can burn a clutch out in under 19,000 miles (granted the first 5k werent me).

Sorry for the long winded post, tbh this was half a vent as no one seems to understand my fustrations with this at all, thank you in advance for any help what so ever :)

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Tue 3 Oct 2017 00:24
Vauxhall Cascada - Clutch Burnout in under 19,000 miles? - RobJP

It does sound rather like the first owner has managed to cause damage to the clutch - which has taken time to come to wrecking it completely. The other possible alternative would be a manufacturing defect.

Unfortunately, you'd have to get a professional engineer's report to confirm it was a manufacturing defect (at your cost), and then sue the dealership who sold you the car for your costs - note that it would be nothing to do with Vauxhall, your contract is with the garage you bought the car from. If they then wanted to get money bock off Vauxhall, then that's their business.

Oh, and it's incredibly unlikely that a garage would swap a clutch out as you suggest - it's just not worth the cost.

You probably got a good deal on the car because they have sold in such tiny numbers, and just aren't very popular. Nothing sinister about it. I think I've only seen 2 Cascadas on the road. There are about 2,500 registered in the UK

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Tue 3 Oct 2017 09:37
Vauxhall Cascada - Clutch Burnout in under 19,000 miles? - gordonbennet

Yes i too think it was most likely driven badly by its first owner, but (and i used to be one) i have seen some serious clutch abuse by not so competent car transporter drivers, but you will never know if and when it got abused.

Worth having the parts back in case there is evidence of oil impregnation (thinking failed oil seal) to the plates.

Clutches don't last like they used to and some people never get to 19k before needing a new one, asbestos free friction material now, engines with little low rev torque leading to drivers slipping clutches without realising they are doing so, not suggesting you are doing so.

But the big problem IMO is that people want everything light so its easy for them to rest their foot on the clucth instead of it needing a proper shove and having a bite point that one can feel...any maker providing a decent heavy positive clutch would be castigated by the usual motoring mags and those who listen to such people would never buy the product, as with so many other things we've ended up with what we've voted for.

In hindsight a decent indy would most likely have supplied and fitted a new clutch (OE quality LUK parts) for considerably less than the dealer, for example Toyota quoted £700 for the family Aygo, our indy charged £280.

Edited by gordonbennet on 03/10/2017 at 09:40

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Tue 3 Oct 2017 16:39
Vauxhall Cascada - Clutch Burnout in under 19,000 miles? - galileo

GB has pointed out why clutches don't seem to last as long as they used to.

My local indy recently had his Shogun written off (13 year old 4x4) so bought a 1.4 turbodiesel Fiesta as a short term replacement. He tells me he stalls the thing quite often, below 3000 revs its gutless, takes some getting used to after his big engined Shogun.

Part of the problem is that most cars now have a high ratio first gear, all in the interests of recording low CO2 emissions in the unrealistic EU test, so high ratio and little engine torque at low revs is an obvious recipe for clutch wear.

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