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premature clutch failure on 2010 535xiT

1K views 7 replies 6 participants last post by  jd101 
#1 ·
I wanted to share our story to see if there are any others like it out there...

We have a 2010 E61, 6-spd manual, purchased new in November 2009. A week ago, with only 35,000 miles on it, the clutch went out -- major slippage and that horrible burning clutch smell. (My wife and I have driven manual cars for 20-30 years and never worn out a clutch.) We brought it into the dealer, they drove it and said it needed a new clutch and that it wasn’t covered under warranty because it was a wear and tear item. So I took it to our trusted independent BMW mechanic. They removed the transmission, pressure plate, clutch disc and flywheel. They confirmed that we needed a new clutch. They sent the flywheel to a machine shop and replaced the other parts. The guys at the machine shop (an experienced/reputable shop) said the flywheel showed no signs of heat checking. The independent BMW mechanic also said that his inspection of the clutch disc, pressure plate, throwout bearing and flywheel didn’t show any signs of abuse or excessive riding of the clutch. They said everything looked normal and it looked like the clutch disc “simply wore out.” They thought this suggested the clutch was faulty or under-engineered for the car, rather than anything caused by driver error or due to normal wear and tear given the low mileage.

Interestingly, the mechanic also said that a couple days after we brought our car in, another customer came in with a 535xi wagon with about 45,000 miles on it complaining of a slipping clutch and burning clutch smell. He said this customer was also a very experienced driver of manual transmissions. So this seems like an unlikely coincidence...

I called BMW NA today to ask about getting reimbursed for the cost of the clutch repair. Not surprisingly, they said no. They said that since an independent mechanic did the repairs there was no way they would/could reimburse me for the cost. For reimbursement to be even a possibility, the work would have had to have been done by a BMW dealer. And then I guess the dealer would have had to argue convincingly on my behalf that the worn clutch had nothing to do with normal wear and tear, but was defective/under-engineered.

Anyone else out there with a manual 535xi (sedan or wagon) with a failed clutch?
 
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#3 ·
Sorry to hear that. You know as well as all Bimmer drivers that the stealerships will get their money. I'm a little surprised that this was BMW NA though. As far as technicians go premature clutch failures are always the drivers fault. Haven't heard many BMW stories, but VW, Subaru, Mazda techs have their opinions on manual tranny drivers. Based on your story it seems BMW NA would have to send a rep to confirm what the Indy mechanic found. Clutches should not be gone at 35,000 miles anyway so that does sound like an under-engineered part.
 
#4 ·
You should still have full factory warranty and maintenance. If the clutch failed it should be covered by factory warranty, if its worn out it should be covered by maintenance package. I did a clutch in an e90 last month that was slipping at 30,000 miles and it was covered under maintenance because the clutch was less than 1mm thickness. They are screwing you. Time to raise some hell. Sounds like the dealership was trying to get you to pay out of pocket for something they know should be covered. Hopefully you still have the old parts to show them.

Sent from my R800x using Bimmer App
 
#6 ·
Yeah, in hindsight, I should have pushed back harder with the dealer in the first place when they said it wasn't covered under warranty, instead of taking it to the independent mechanic. Lesson learned.
 
#8 ·
Can you point me to the specific language in the maintenance agreement that shows the clutch is covered? Thanks!

I see this language under Coverage in the maintenance agreement: "Additional items that need replacement due to normal wear and tear, and that are not covered by the original New Vehicle Limited Warranty - such as brake pads, brake rotors, and wiper blade inserts -- are included..." I don't see any mention specifically of clutches.

And in the New Vehicle Limited Warranty there is this language: "Items which are subject to wear and tear or deterioration due to driving habits or conditions, such as brake pads, brake discs, clutch disc, pressure plate, filters, upholstery... and similar items, are specifically limited to defects in material or workmanship."
 
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