So within the past two weeks I noticed that my TL clutch was starting to slip. I also think my passenger CV might be going out, but that's a different topic.

So I immediately take the car to dealer and explain problem with clutch. It is documented. They kept the car for four days (including weekend) and gave me a loaner. Monday, they give me the car back and tell me I'm wrong (basically) and that the clutch is fine. That they don't see any slip. There was a problem with an O2 sensor that they replaced so they just wrote off my clutch problem.

Now, less than two weeks later, my clutch is getting pretty bad. It is crystal clear that the clutch is now failing. When I originally took the car in when it had very first started slipping, there was probably no damage or hotspots on the flywheel at all. Now, I'm certain that there are issues with the flywheel.

Not really sure why I could tell the clutch was slipping and the mechanic, plus service manager could not, but that's how this story goes.

Anyone have some advice on dealing with a dealer in any situation like this?

Also, certified warranty ends at 100k miles right?

 

Last question first. Yes, the CPO warranty is 7/100, but the clutch is not a covered component.

Take them for a ride to make obvious the slipping clutch, but sit down when they quote you a price.

 

That's what I guessed with the warranty coverage.

I understand I need to put a new clutch in the car. I'll either do that or I'll trade the car.

My problem with the whole thing is that I took the car in as soon as I noticed even the slightest slip. And it was reproducible at that time. If I can tell it is slipping, I do expect that a mechanic can tell as well.

Because it was so early when I took the car to them, I would guess that there was probably zero damage or hot spots on the flywheel (a part that would not need to be repaired/replaced two weeks ago). But, now, I'm certain that the flywheel is also damaged or has hot spots and now it will need work as well.

It will take my $1400 clutch repair to $1700 and it shouldn't because I told them about it well in advance.

The point is I told the service department about the problem. They did not address the problem at all and now there are other damaged parts because they did nothing the first time.

I expect to replace the clutch. I do not expect to repair other damage done (flywheel) due to their negligence.

Do I sound reasonable or off the deep end?

 

It's possible that the clutch doesn't slip under normal driving conditions so the mechanic didn't notice a problem. If you're hard on the car and you experience clutch slippage, sorry to say, you've got to pay the price for whatever is damaged.

 

zookie - i would say that you shouldnt have to pay for the flywheel (dealer should eat the cost), because they should have been able to diagnose a slipping clutch 2 weeks ago ... so they have to drive the car however they have to in order to test that ... no excuse IMO to say that just because normal driving conditions didnt results in a slipping clutch means there is no problem ...

 

I don't feel like going through your 1700 posts to determine, but are you a "dealer can do no wrong" type?

So far, you have just assumed that the fact that the certified mechanic cannot detect clutch clip and I can is somehow my fault and/or problem.

How about looking at it from a different light for a moment.

I could tell there was something wrong with the clutch. I told the service manager and I talked to the technician directly before they worked on my car. I told both of them that when I am driving, and especially accelerating in higher gears (while entering a highway), I can feel the clutch starting to slip.

That's about all I should need to say to them and it probably far more information than they get from many other car owners.

So you tell me if my expectations are wrong in assuming that they will then do their due diligence, find the problem, and offer corrective action. Instead, they did nothing related to the clutch except tell me that it is fine. Now, I have a clearly failing clutch and flywheel damage and that damage would not have existed if they would have taken care of the problem when I told them about it.

Is there really anything in this story that makes you believe that they somehow did NOT make a mistake here?

If you're a "dealer can do no wrong" type, then you will of course somehow make it my fault that the certified technician can't feel clutch slip, and I, a simple business person, can.

 

VQPower37, thank you for the response. I just wanted to make sure I was correct in thinking the same before I talk to them.

 

A slipping clutch is VERY easy to feel and detect. It's really hard to imagine that a technician would not detect this when that is the reason for your trip to the dealer's shop.

 

SouthernBoy, I couldn't agree more. The technician looked at my car and they repaired an O2 sensor. The service manager said he wanted to keep the car longer and drive it himself so he kept the car over the weekend to drive home.

It would be one thing if he never went on the interstate or actually pressed the accelerator down that you might not have felt it at that point since it was very early. But, when I specifically report that the clutch is failing (and when I notice it), I would expect someone to try and make it slip. Simply putting the car in 3rd gear and pressing down on the accelerator would give a little slip. Enough that I could notice and that should be plenty for them to notice. Going on the interstate would make it even easier to detect.

Think I might trade in for a different car because it doesn't seem worth it to invest in a new clutch, regardless of whether they cover the flywheel or not. It's amazing how much more expensive drivetrain related costs are after the manufactuing process.

 

How do you know it's slipping as the TL clutch does act differently than the norm? If it is slipping why then take it to the dealer for conformation, just get it replaced.
Maybe you can tell them to floor the gas and pop the clutch and then see how it reacts. Dealer shouldn't be responsible for any additional problems.
Do you really believe if they found the clutch slipping, they would bypass a repair job and a chance to make $$$$$$?

 

Turbonut,

Anyone who has ever had a clutch slip knows exactly how that feels. It's not really difficult to diagnose, in my opinion. Popping the clutch would be a way to tell. Though when a clutch starts to slip, the lower gears are not ones where you can tell. So, when I explain to the service department that when accelerating in higher gears is where it can be felt, I trust that they perform a test that is sufficient to confirm or deny the condition.

I didn't take the car to the dealer for confirmation. I took the car to the dealer for repair. I said the clutch was slipping. They kept the car for days and gave it back to me, disagreeing with me and saying that the clutch is not going out. They are the mechanics, not me, so I believed their professional diagnosis. Was I to disagree with their professional diagnosis and tell them to replace the clutch anyway? Of course not. That would be like disagreeing with your doctor about simple high blood pressure and telling them to replace your heart anyway. We hire professionals for their educated assessments of situations and conditions.

Do I think they would bypass a repair job and the chance to make money? Absolutely not. I believe that they honestly made a mistake in not confirming that the clutch was slipping. That does change their responsibility in the matter. They would have made that money if they had correctly performed their diagnosis the first time and confirmed that the clutch was slipping. Now, less than two weeks later, it is abundantly clear that the clutch is slipping. Just shifting from first into second gear will slip unless your are barely presseing the accelerator. And I mean barely. It would be similar to accelerating like an old Geo Metro. That is how I have to drive my TL today. When I take the car up there later they will have no trouble confirming that the clutch needs replaced. But that is something they should have already confirmed. I am not a mechanic and I could at least suggest that the clutch was slipping. If it is to that point, I expect that a technician should easily confirm my suspicion or tell me what the cause is for my problem description. Not give the car back and tell me I'm wrong. Especially when, as it turns out, I am not wrong at all.

Just to be clear: The dealer ABSOLUTELY should be responsible for additional problems that are a direct result of their failure to adequately diagnose a problem which I employed them to do. The flywheel in my car would not need replaced or repaired at all if they had correctly diagnosed a condition which I hired them to investigate. Now, solely because of their mis-diagnosis, my flywheel needs repaired or replaced. That is about as black and white as it gets.

Do you still not agree? I have learned to appreciate your reluctance to see this clearly as it has prepared me for dealing with the service manager assuming he attempts to be so bold as to suggest anything similar.

 

Sorry, but I still don't agree. There is no way a tech could drive the car and not notice a clutch assembly in that condition, let alone a mere 2 weeks later the engine is spinning out of control. If it was truly in need of a new clutch, the dealership isn’t going to take any responsibility for the flywheel as you say it was slipping before you even took it in for evaluation.
Bottom line, your dime.

 

You have got to be kidding!

Since there was nothing substantiating in your post to solidify your position, I will assume you are continuing to disagree just to disagree.

I can't tell you that a tech drove my car. I can tell you that I took my car to the dealer, explained the problem to both the service manager and to the tech. Then I left in the courtesy car. Then I received a call from the service manager saying that the head service manager wanted to keep the car over the weekend just to be sure. I don't know if that man is a tech, I only know he is the head service manager.

I do not know if the technician actually drove my car any further than the garage bay or if he listened to what I said and drove it down the road or on the interstate. I do know that the service manager took my car home, but I don't know if he lives 1 mile away from the dealership or 20. No, I did not track mileage because why would I. My service paperwork shows an entry and exit mileage of the exact same number which is clearly not true, but thats what the paperwork says.

All I know is I left the car in their hands and explaining that the clutch was slipping and they missed that the clutch was, in fact, slipping.

The facts are simple:
My clutch was starting to slip and I noticed it
I took the car to the professionals (Acura dealership)
They kept my car for four days
They returned my car and told me there is nothing wrong with my clutch
12 days later (today) my clutch is clearly slipping and now there is a very high likelihood of flywheel damage.

The clutch is not totally gone and the engine is certainly not "spinning out of control", but it is also crystal clear that the clutch is slipping at this point. 12 days after they told me there was nothing wrong with my clutch. It no longer requires that you be in a high gear to notice the slip. You can shift into second gear and when you press the accelerator, you won't miss it.

I'm fine paying for a new clutch, but not a new flywheel.

And in the opinion of my attorney who I spoke with earlier today (you inspired me to get a professional opinion), it is a situation that is a "slam dunk". He says it certainly wouldn't go that far, but if it did, the win is easy.

 

They aren't going to cover the cost of the flywheel. Go ahead and sue, the attorney fees will cost more than the flywheel does. You'l also burn the bridge with the dealer, and probably Acura corporate, so don't expect to get any goodwill work from them.....ever.

 

This sort of sums it up, and if you've never been to court to pursue an automobile repair claim, it will be quite a rewarding experience, although your pockets will be lighter. You'll need an accredited mechanic to back you up as to the existing condition when the car was left at the dealership, but that has been lost, and you have no one to dispute the dealership’s response, except yourself. Sorry, but a losing case. Maybe the attorney will take it contingent on the outcome, but I certainly doubt that.

 

Did you tell the dealership that you wanted this covered under warranty or did you just say fix it? There seems to be some kind of gap if they returned it saying the clutch was fine.
As you said, a slipping clutch is very easy to detect. But the fact that you want them to pick up the tab for everything is probably not going to happen. If the flywheel is damaged because of it's slipping over the last 2 weeks, then it's your fault, not theirs. If it truly was slipping then you should have taken them for a ride the day they said it was fine and shown them the symptoms.

 

Since neither of you were on the call with my attorney, I just won't even go there. Suffice to say that it will cost me very little to pursue legally if I would need to do that. They did me wrong, not the other way around in case that has gotten lost somewhere in this thread. I took my car to the professionals and they made a mistake. It happens to everyone and that's ok, but I do expect them to make good on the situation. I now have more damage to my car because they didn't correctly diagnose a problem I presented them with. We have multiple Acura dealerships in this area so burning a bridge with this one if they do "own up" to their mistake is something I am ok with. Acura corporate is something I'm concerned even less with and before I would pursue legal matters, corporate would certainly know of and be involved in rectifying the situation.

When I took the car in, I did not tell the dealership I want any of this service request covered under warranty and I do not want the dealership to pick up the tab for anything except damage done because they didn't fix. From what I understand, this is mostly just the flywheel and it is not very expensive. I will still gladly pay for the clutch that should have been replaced two weeks ago.

This dealership has been fantastic to work with over the years and I feel pretty confident that they will do the right thing and repair the flywheel free of charge. Only time will tell.

 

I'll just say that I hope it all turns out as you expect and leave it at that.