Hi! My first post, this. But have been reading for yonks..!
Here's what I'm after some advice on.
In Oct 2008 I bought a 2005 model Volvo V50 for my wife - cost £9,000 (the car, not my wife). It has done around 4,000 miles in the last five months. A recent "strange smell" has been investigated by our local Volvo main dealer and described as probably the clutch & DMF in urgent need of replacing.
Cost to fix - something in the region of £1,000.
The car came with a three year third-party warranty. But as there is no doubt wear & tear involved in this problem, I don't expect the warranty company to cough up and the Volvo dealer has said pretty much the same thing.
Is it unreasonable of me to think that for the clutch & DMF to be on the verge of failing after five months and 4,000 miles, there must have been a problem with the car when I bought it?
Should I be expecting the dealer I bought the car off (a nearby indie Volvo specialist) to contribute to the repair?
Anyone got any words of wisdom?
Thanks in advance!
Sean
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The trouble with DMFs, judging by posts here and elsewhere, is that they don't seem to tolerate even a hint of clutch slip; there's no shortage of very experienced drivers who've killed a DMF in months. So personally I very much doubt if you'll have any luck with the dealer or Volvo on this one.
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Other than a "Strange smell" are there any other symptoms?
It could be a leak of gearbox oil or hydraulic oil onto the clutch mechanism.
I would have expected some strange noises or clunks or rattles when changing gear if clutch & DMF have failed, as well as the usual slipping.
What is the total mileage?
Check wording of warranty (you should have been given a copy or there should be instructions where you can find it) -does it cover "flywheels"?, it certainly will not cover clutches. You may find you only have to pay the cost of the clutch plate and a small part of the total labour if the flywheel is covered.
Edited by Saltrampen on 27/03/2009 at 12:56
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Clutch is generally considered to suffer from wear and tear. Difficult to prove otherwise.
The small print in my Hyundai 5 Year warranty emphasises that IIRC. So unless you can get proof that there is a fault, not much chance of a contribution.
Unless you are very careful and say something like you bought a Volvo on the basis of their high quality and the garages, good?, reputation. You could politely express your dissapointment and ask that they uphold their good name. Or words to that effect.
I got partial contributions from VW for out of warranty repairs adopting such tactics.
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You need to check the warranty to se if the parts are covered...I suspect not. I think a reasonable approach might get you some contribution to the repair.
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How many miles has it done? The number you've done isn't that important - it is the total the car has done which determines whether it is reasonable wear and tear.
Getting any recourse on a clutch is difficult - even on new cars with low mileages.
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Just wanted to say thanks for the replies/comments/advice.
The "problem" had been identified by a franchised Volvo dealership who hadn't bothered to remove the inspection cover, so were clearly making assumptions about the problem and hoping I'd just cough up.
An independent Volvo specialist has looked at it and things have been sorted.
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I'm curious. What was the solution?
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Apparently I've yet to make my previous reply (in about ten hours time).
I need to go and lay down!
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I need to go and lay down!
[pedant mode] no, you need to lie down. Down is very difficult stuff to lay. [mode off]
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Typo. I'm sure BT meant to say "lay me down".
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Under 6 months from purchase the fault is deemed to be present at purchase unless the dealer can "prove" it wasn't.
Inform him nicely off this clause in Sale Of Goods (some of them kick off when you mention these words) & if he refuses to at least contribute 50% go to Trading Standards (they like these words even less).
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hi seanF i to have just had a similar prob with a secondhand dealer. so i got on to the gmb union legal team and they sent me some info about buying from a dealer if you would like to mail me at markwright_9@msn.com and give me your address i could send you a copy of the stuff they sent me. it covers your rights and where you stand with the dealer.
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