2007 335 coupe clutch assembly exploded

[azseattle]

People, I need some serious advise. I leased an 07 335 coupe last year in April. The car only has 14000 miles on it.
I have been driving sticks for quite a while and can tell when the clutch is going bad but up until last Friday, I could not feel any problems what so ever with the clutch. I have had a Nissan 3000 GT and the clutch lasted about 80K miles and I could see the clutch going bad for atleast 10K miles.
I do not ride the clutch or downshift excessively and should be considered a gentle driver.
The only thing I can think of is a "cluck" noise from the engine that I heard every now and then for the past month or so. I couldn't tell if it was coming from the transmission but now I am almost a 100% that it was the transmission. I didn't get a chance to get it checked.
I had to visit Canada for some family emergency a few weeks ago. This past Friday, I was visiting a friend for his birthday and on the way to his house, I started to smell a strong odor, similar to the smell of burning rubber/clutch/brake pads. I was very close to my friend's house so I decided to simply go to his house and look at the car during the day light to see if I could figure out what is going on. I was able to get to my friend's house without a problem.
The next morning, when I tried to drive the car, it wouldn't move. I was able to put it in gear. The clutch pedal felt smooth and normal, however after putting the car in gear and releasing the clutch, the car wouldn't move. Fortunately, road side assist covers Canada and I was able to get the car to a dealership.
This morning, the dealership called and from the get go, without even opening the tranny, they sounded a bit skeptical about having it covered under warrenty as they considered the clutch assembly as regular wear and tear. After opening the clutch assembly, I was told that half of the clutch plate exploded. There was wear( I don't know if excessive) on the other half of the plate but not to the point that the car wouldn't even move. There was some damage on the flywheel/pressure plate as well.
They said that they are pretty certain that it is abuse of the clutch and said that they will consult BMW Canada before coming to a final decision but they sounded very skeptical and I am pretty sure they will not cover it under warrenty. The cost is nearly $3500 for the entire assembly to be replaced.
I had a 2005 330CI and at around 40K miles, the brake pads went bad. I was expecting that the dealer will argue that it should be considered regular wear and tear but the dealership in Seattle was kind enough to have it replaced under warrenty so I am a bit shocked and surprised that they are not covering the tranny with only 14K miles on it.
I am not willing to pay for something I am not responsible for. I am not willing to accept their conclusion that I abused the clutch as I was very careful with it. My next option seems to be to get a second opinion here in Canada and if they are not willing to fix it either, have the car shipped back to the US, which itself will cost a fortune. Unfortunately, I have to stay in Canada for atleast another month.
Please advise.

[ss109]

This is a regular wear item covered by BMW's full maintenance program. You're right, a properly drive clutch should last at least 100k miles, if not more; not 14k miles. I would have them contact BMWNA to see if there is someway they can be reimbursed as I don't think Canada has the same free maintenance program we do.

[mryakan]

You are correct in that the Canadian maintenance program is not on par with the American one. Now if the Canadian dealer doesn't cover the repairs under warranty, I would contact your dealer in the US and see if they can work out a reimbursement. You probably have to put it on your CC and they will refund you the cost when you are back in the US. I ran into something not too different when I had my US e36 here in Canada before I moved permanently here. Back then, Canadian BMWs did not get the 3 year free maintenance deal but I was due for an oil service, so I contacted my dealer in Boston and they said I can fax them the work order/receipt and they will reimburse me for the oil service cost which they did.
Good Luck.

[LuvMyE92]

Call BMW NA. This should be a warranty repair - not a maintenance item (as brake pads are). However, you're in a foreign country, and I think that's most of the problem. Worse case you may have to have it towed to the USA, which would suck - but maybe they'll cover it under roadside assistance? Hey, it costs nothing to ask.

Best of luck.

[azseattle]

As expected, the dealership called me today and told me BMW Canada will not cover it. Furthermore, they asked me to pay them $500 for diagnostic fee. I called BMW NA who are asking me to get the car towed back to the US.
Without even having any work done on the car, I am looking at paying about $1000.

[mryakan]

That sucks. You should be covered under warranty in Canada, so if this ends up being warranty approved, I would definitely get BMW NA to cover any additional costs you incurred. Also I would apply for trip interruption benefits if I were you. The main issue here is really whether this would eventually be covered under warranty or still be considered user abuse/fault. What did BMW NA tell you about that?

[azseattle]

Some good news- Road side assist will cover transportation to the US. Bad news- I am stuck with the diagnostic costs at the dealership. Those guys did not tell me or get my approval for the diagnostic costs.

[E92!Dreier]

Sorry to hear about your misfortune -- at least it seems you are on track for a better outcome than you expected in your original post --

Just don't tell anyone else that you had a Nissan 3000 gt

You might have had a Nissan 300 GT Skyline or a Nissan 300 ZX, but I think you might have meant a Mitsubishi 3000GT? Right? Wrong?

[azseattle]

Yes, I meant a mitsubishi 3000GT not nissan. All this anxiety is playing with my head and I am even messing up on the makes of the cars I had back in the days.
Anyhow, I spoke to a dealer in my city and it was a disappointing conversation. They said that if the canadians ruled it out to be driver abuse, they are most likely going to do the same. I suppose I will have to spend over 3K to get this car fixed.

[E92!Dreier]

AZ -- Try to stay calm. Definitely give BMW NA a call, and I would suggest contacting someone from the BMW CCA. They have ombudsman from each region who make it a point to help people like you who feel left out in the cold by BMW. They may be able to actually help you if you are not even a member, and at the very least they can advise you how to proceed.

Good luck.

[azseattle]

I called BMW NA three times. First two times I spoke to some friendly and understanding people who suggested I bring the car back to the US. After the disappointing chat with the US dealer, I called them again and told them about my chat and the guy at BMW NA backed the dealership and said that the clutch is not covered under warrenty.

[TeaRoy]

I call BS! The clutch should be covered. I would NOT let this go. Yes...it can happen from abuse...and yes maybe some people abuse the hell out of their clutch...but I would be LIVID if I were you. I realize this isn't helping, I have no info to provide other than - I think 'early clutch death' has been posted here before. I'd search all the bimmer forums and see if you can find someone else in your situation.

Now I have to stay calm.

[TeaRoy]

Quick search here yielded at least one other person in a similar situation - search this forum with these words: 335i Coupe Manual CLUTH FLYWHEEL

I would've linked you to it...but apparently I'm an idiot...I couldn't figure it out. I don't know if it'll help, but at least you're not the only one.

[azseattle]

I have legal insurance policy through work which covers costs related to law suits related to consumer goods. Once the car is back in my country of residence, I can pursue a lawsuit if they refuse to fix it. Lemon law might work in my favor too.

[ss109]

Lemon law has nothing to do with this circumstance... I love how people just throw that phrase around looking for ratification!

Regardless, my local dealer has an '07 335i M6 in that has 19k miles on it and required a new clutch because it was driven poorly and hard. He is getting a new clutch under warranty. There is no reason you shouldn't as well.

[azseattle]

I got an email from BMW Seattle. They have straight up refused to even consider covering it under warrenty. Their reasoning is that since it is a new car and the clutch died so early, it just got to be abuse. Also, I spoke to BMW Bellevue earlier during the week and not only were they rude, they had also refused to cover it under warrenty.
When I went to buy the car, they were all over me trying to convince me how awsome the BMW experience is. Unfortunately, I found out otherwise.

[Driv3r]

I got an email from BMW Seattle. They have straight up refused to even consider covering it under warrenty. Their reasoning is that since it is a new car and the clutch died so early, it just got to be abuse. Also, I spoke to BMW Bellevue earlier during the week and not only were they rude, they had also refused to cover it under warrenty.
When I went to buy the car, they were all over me trying to convince me how awsome the BMW experience is. Unfortunately, I found out otherwise.

Hah you cant just take their word when they tell you that they will take care of you. They are trying to sell cars, sales and service are two different things.

[luckywales]

I'm so sorry to hear about your experience. I drive the sedan version of your car, and I'd be so pissed.

Your treatment makes me think twice about ever owning a BMW. I understand that it's one country vs. another, but there's no reason it has to be so black and white.

It's one overall car company - that's how they go to market...as BMW...not as BMW NA, or BMW Canada.

The fact is you bought "The Ultimate Driving Machine" which broke after 14k miles. In my mind they have to prove that you were drag racing or being otherwise savage with the clutch, rather than "yeah, some guys in Canada said it was wear and tear".

Keep us posted.

[GerhardS]

I must admit - cars in our country are very expensive. A new e92 with some extras would put you out of pocket foe some ZAR 700,000 ($90,000). The motorplans come as standard with 5yrs/100,000km's - they replace everything except fuel and tyres.

Cost BMW about $6,500 to replace the two turbos and exceptional service from the dealers.

Short and long in South Africa - expensive to purchase; cheap to own.

[GerhardS]

Should also mention that the motorplan covers the rental of another car for up to 30 days; in my case I got a c200 Merc for 7 days - BMW workshop manager exploded when he saw what I drove when I picked up the 335 - told me that next time (if there was one) he would give me his BMW to drive.

[Georgere]

I called BMW NA three times. First two times I spoke to some friendly and understanding people who suggested I bring the car back to the US. After the disappointing chat with the US dealer, I called them again and told them about my chat and the guy at BMW NA backed the dealership and said that the clutch is not covered under warrenty.

i spoke to BMWNA and their representative told me clutch as well as everything else (except for tires) is covered.... I asked the same question my BMW SA and was told that they (dealers) cover the clutch once after that they consider it was unreasonable abuse of the car... still confusing and contradicting but they should cover it anyways since it the 1st time for u at the least....

[E92Vancouver]

As expected, the dealership called me today and told me BMW Canada will not cover it. Furthermore, they asked me to pay them $500 for diagnostic fee. I called BMW NA who are asking me to get the car towed back to the US.
Without even having any work done on the car, I am looking at paying about $1000.

Do you have a teenage son that runs the hell out of your car? I use to do that to my parents cars when I was 16 years old. If you run that car hard, the high torque of that turbo engine will eat that clutch in half a heart beat.

[shifterkart33]

Sorry to hear about all this.

Have you seen the parts? Find an engineer with experience in failure analysis (and preferably a car guy), have him take a look at the parts, and document everything just in case.

I make it real clear to BMW before they touch my car that any work they do not under warranty and not approved by me will not be paid for.

If it's not covered, get it out of the dealership and take it somewhere with reasonable prices.

The clutch in our '99 323i went out at about 60K miles. I replaced it myself with BMW parts for a few hundred dollars.

Join BMWCCA and get the club discount on parts.

[E92Vancouver]

On my E46, I complained to the dealer that the clutch action was jerky. They replaced my clutch twice on warranty. After the warranty expired, I complained that the clutch was still jerky and they finally correctly diagnosed the problem as a faulty slave clutch cylinder which they tried to charge me for. I said this was the original cause of the problem and they mistakenly changed the clutch. They ended up paying for half of the slave cylinder.

[nm335]

I got an email from BMW Seattle. They have straight up refused to even consider covering it under warrenty. Their reasoning is that since it is a new car and the clutch died so early, it just got to be abuse. Also, I spoke to BMW Bellevue earlier during the week and not only were they rude, they had also refused to cover it under warrenty.
When I went to buy the car, they were all over me trying to convince me how awsome the BMW experience is. Unfortunately, I found out otherwise.

Hello "azseattle":

So if early failure can not be due to a defect, and late failure falls out of warranty perhaps you should ask them to provide you an acceptable range of mileage where such a failure would be covered under warranty?

Do those goose stepping morons know how to spell "infant mortality" or "bathtub curve"?

[azseattle]

about the cost of a flywheel and clutch assembly.

A flywheel by itself costs close to 1500 dollars, the clutch assembly is 330 and the labor is 1100. I have told them not to replace the flywheel and instead just do the clutch assembly and I will fight the case in seattle.

The car has been at the dealership for three weeks now. The first week and a half I have been trying to come up with a deal with BMW Canada or a dealership or even BMW NA. The next two weeks I was trying to save money to pay for the repairs.

[mryakan]

OK guys, I will not allow this to continue like this. The thread has been locked due to it turning into a bickering contest.
To the OP, when you have updates about your case, you can choose to PM me with the details and a copy of some work order and I will update the thread and reopen it if appropriate. Do not attempt to create a duplicate thread on this matter, it will be closed promptly and you may face disciplinary action. I am not taking sides here, but unfortunately this thread turned ugly and I have to close it off, hopefully temporarily until I have some solid info on its validity.
TO EVERYONE, please refrain from attacking other members or accusing them of trolling. If you have suspicions of trolling, please use the "report post" function to inform me or other mods and we will take appropriate action. Disregarding this warning could land you in trouble.

[mryakan]

Thread Unlocked after OP provided proof of work (attached to post above), and offending posts have been edited or deleted. Everyone please read the warning below again and abide by it.
Thanks



TO EVERYONE, please refrain from attacking other members or accusing them of trolling. If you have suspicions of trolling, please use the "report post" function to inform me or other mods and we will take appropriate action. Disregarding this warning could land you in trouble.

[azseattle]

So I have the car back after over a month. I have been noticing that weird smell that I first noticed when the clutch initially died but since its a weekend, I can't take the car to the dealership until Monday.
I am refraining from driving the car until then.

[E92Vancouver]

So I have the car back after over a month. I have been noticing that weird smell that I first noticed when the clutch initially died but since its a weekend, I can't take the car to the dealership until Monday.
I am refraining from driving the car until then.

Azseattle, my sincere apologies for my accusations. I hope BMW makes this situation right. At least you have a 2 year warranty on the clutch repair. I wonder if that weird smell is brake fluid from the clutch slave cylinder, dripping on the exhaust?

[E92Vancouver]

AZ Seattle, how has the new clutch been? I am kind of thinking that the turbo engine develops too much power for the clutch!!

[Gabe335i]

So I have the car back after over a month. I have been noticing that weird smell that I first noticed when the clutch initially died but since its a weekend, I can't take the car to the dealership until Monday.
I am refraining from driving the car until then.

Is the weird smell like intense burning rubber?

[rs1tc]

I know this topic is pretty old but if the slave cylinder failed would that not lead to premature clutch wear that the owner would be oblivious to? Checking my slave cylinder isn't part of my check list before I drive. Did they measure the clutch material depth? At this point it doesn't matter I guess.