lease company refusing to pay for clutch

kmb500

Hi guys, I have a Ford Fiesta leased from LeasePlan. As an extra on the lease, I pay £45 a month for a service and maintenance plan. This includes services and replacement parts.

My clutch has worn out at 24,000 miles and needs replacing. The Ford garage asked LeasePlan to pay for the work and LeasePlan refused, stating that it is down to driver error/misuse. The garage told them no, there is no sign of misuse (no damage to clutch) and that it has simply worn down to the rivets through wear and tear. LeasePlan refuses to believe them and says there is no way a clutch can wear out below 40,000 miles.
The garage has told them several times that it is wear and tear.

My contract states "LeasePlan will pay the cost of replacement parts through wear and tear". The garage told them that the clutch is a wear and tear item and this is why it needs replacing. LeasePlan refuses to budge. They told me there is no way a clutch can need replacing at this mileage unless I have misused the car. (which the garage said I haven't )


Can anyone give me some advice. This argument has been going on for 2 weeks, the garage is getting annoyed because they are not getting their money, and I'm not paying it because my contract states LeasepLan will cover the cost.

It has apparentyl today been reviewed by a senior manager at leaseplan and they say their final decision is to refer the costs to me, that they will not pay.

I am considering just paying for it and then making a small claim to court but I am really a bit out of my depth here. It is deeply frustrasting that I pay £45 month for a service that I am now not getting.

casseus

kmb500 wrote: »

Hi guys, I have a Ford Fiesta leased from LeasePlan. As an extra on the lease, I pay £45 a month for a service and maintenance plan. This includes services and replacement parts.

My clutch has worn out at 24,000 miles and needs replacing. The Ford garage asked LeasePlan to pay for the work and LeasePlan refused, stating that it is down to driver error/misuse. The garage told them no, there is no sign of misuse (no damage to clutch) and that it has simply worn down to the rivets through wear and tear. LeasePlan refuses to believe them and says there is no way a clutch can wear out below 40,000 miles.
The garage has told them several times that it is wear and tear.

My contract states "LeasePlan will pay the cost of replacement parts through wear and tear". The garage told them that the clutch is a wear and tear item and this is why it needs replacing. LeasePlan refuses to budge. They told me there is no way a clutch can need replacing at this mileage unless I have misused the car. (which the garage said I haven't )


Can anyone give me some advice. This argument has been going on for 2 weeks, the garage is getting annoyed because they are not getting their money, and I'm not paying it because my contract states LeasepLan will cover the cost.

It has apparentyl today been reviewed by a senior manager at leaseplan and they say their final decision is to refer the costs to me, that they will not pay.

I am considering just paying for it and then making a small claim to court but I am really a bit out of my depth here. It is deeply frustrasting that I pay £45 month for a service that I am now not getting.

Ford is going to look to you to pay it they are just as much as victim of the lease companies decision but ultimately they need paying.

You need to look over the minute details of the policy your claiming from small fine print and all to see any such clauses they claim exists within it. If not I would write a letter giving them 14 days in which to pay you back. Then if they refuse give another letter stating you intent to take them to court for breach of contract, you will also seek the monies you have paid into the policy.

Get the confirmation off the Ford garage its wear and tear in writing, and them to give you the old clutch just incase they want it for testing.

Jonesya

Well you have worn it out very quickly, they normally last at least double that, easily.

Regardless of the outcome, you might want to think about how you're driving and take it easier on the clutch otherwise it'll get expensive if your getting a new clutch fitted every other year.

parking_question_chap

What is wrong with everybody on this forum? How can you wear out a clutch in 24,000 miles? Should be a 12 month driving ban in my book.

It isnt wear and tear, its user error.

Carrot007

parking_question_chap wrote: »

What is wrong with everybody on this forum? How can you wear out a clutch in 24,000 miles? Should be a 12 month driving ban in my book.


It isnt wear and tear, its user error.

Yes it's short. My polo is on 143k and I have not had the clutch changed.


However average lifespans are just that. There will always be outliers either way. Or it could be slightly faulty and was alwyas going that way.


The company should not be so strict. Try finding someone higher up. They are well within their right to organise a check or there own if they want, and obviously charge you for it if it comes back as user error. But you should at least get the option.

sevenhills

kmb500 wrote: »

Hi guys, I have a Ford Fiesta leased from LeasePlan. As an extra on the lease, I pay £45 a month for a service and maintenance plan. This includes services and replacement parts.

My clutch has worn out at 24,000 miles and needs replacing.

You'll hear stories about clutches that last more than 100,000 miles (160,934 kilometers) and other stories about clutches that wear out in less than 30,000 (48,280 kilometers). Auto mechanics at dealerships and private firms, like AAMCO, for example, give differing estimates for the average lifetime of a clutch on an average car such as a Nissan Sentra, some estimating it as low as 20,000 to 50,000 miles (32,187 to 80,467 kilometers) and others estimating it at more than 100,000 miles (160,934 kilometers), but this depends on how carefully you use your clutch.


Perhaps 24,000 miles is normal for a driver that has recently past their driving test, or perhaps you have a disability?


https://auto.howstuffworks.com/under-the-hood/car-part-longevity/clutch-last.htm

kmb500

parking_question_chap wrote: »

What is wrong with everybody on this forum? How can you wear out a clutch in 24,000 miles? Should be a 12 month driving ban in my book.

It isnt wear and tear, its user error.

The manager at the garage said it is not uncommon and he's seen clutches wear out sooner than that.
He said if you don't use the clutch correctly, the clutch will get damaged, and there is no damage on my clutch its just worn out quickly.

Don't see the reason you are all being rude about my driving, my driving is not an issue and the Ford garage said the same thing. The AP Racing clutches that are on the fiesta are known for not having very long lifespans but as this is just through regular use, it's not covered under warranty either.

reeac

I'd like to know what the difference is between "damage" and "wear and tear".

sheramber

Driving with your foot resting on the clutch could cause wear which would not look like damage. I twould just be worn down.

loskie

"Damage" you will see overheating in the form of blueing

casseus

sheramber wrote: »

Driving with your foot resting on the clutch could cause wear which would not look like damage. I twould just be worn down.

There is a distance of travel with the clutch pedal before the pedal engages with the master cylinder, then a distance of travel before it engages the CSC, which then has a distance of travel before engaging the friction place, which then has a distance of travel before it engages the friction plate with enough clamping force to "ride it". You would need a heavy left boot to engage the clutch just by resting your foot on it with a hydraulic system. It can happen but will not have enough clamping force in order to burn through in 24k miles. My suspicion here is either ford fitted a clutch in the factory that may be of low manufacturer quality in its friction plate material and has worn through already this does happens from time to time.
Either case its all about that contract from OP's lease states. and clauses it has.
If they stick by that I would be asking for my money back paid into the policy at the least.