With a total of 3,490 miles I get to spend upwards of $3,500 to buy a new manual transmission since the car is over 12-months old (it is 18-months old. I caught COVID and felt very sick for over 6-months.) I've argued, pleaded, etc. to no avail. I really like this car but I just didn't do my homework prior to buying it. So I may simply take the loss and sell it and go buy a Toyota or whatever. I can't afford thousands for transmissions every couple of years. Then I got to thinking, "Wonder if there is any insurance I could purchase that covers VW GTI manual transmissions?" Has anybody heard of such?
7
Insurance to cover manual transmission?
- Thread starter Machinato
- Start date
jimlloyd40
Autocross Champion
- Location
- Phoenix
- Car(s)
- 2018 SE DSG
I've never heard of anything except for an extended warranty.
So the original VW warranty was only for 1 year?
So the original VW warranty was only for 1 year?
Yep - the VW folks told me the warranty ran for 12 months or 12,000 miles. I was also told the clutch is treated like tires in that it is not covered by warranty. That was a tough pill to swallow since I bought every type warranty VW offered and heard over and over, "Now you're covered bumper to bumper except for perishable parts like tires, fuses, etc." Never was a clutch mentioned or frankly I would have investigated VW clutches a bit more before deciding to buy the car. I was actually shocked to hear the clutch wasn't covered. I was hoping some sort of insurance might be out there, otherwise I might just sell it on and take the loss in depreciation. I hate to do that not because of the money but because I really like driving the car; its fun to drive, very agile and a real hoot to fly around corners. Thanks for your reply.
jimlloyd40
Autocross Champion
- Location
- Phoenix
- Car(s)
- 2018 SE DSG
What year is yours? Why isn't the transmission covered under the powertrain warranty?
Acadia18
Autocross Champion
- Location
- The Greater Boston Metropolitan Area
- Car(s)
- 2019 Golf R
So it's the clutch, not the transmission? Clutch is a wear and tear item, although not something that usually has to be replaced frequently or quickly.
If the car was brand new and you need a new clutch in under 3,500 miles, it honestly sounds like you didn't know how to drive a manual transmission car and killed the clutch. Mechanically, they're pretty simple things. Usually the only things that kill them is very extended use, or user error.
If the car was brand new and you need a new clutch in under 3,500 miles, it honestly sounds like you didn't know how to drive a manual transmission car and killed the clutch. Mechanically, they're pretty simple things. Usually the only things that kill them is very extended use, or user error.
Jeffapotamus
Ready to race!
- Location
- NW Indiana
- Car(s)
- 2019 GTI
Your first post says you are replacing the transmission. The second implies that you are replacing the clutch.
Acadia beat me to the post lol.
12 months almost sounds more like a used car warranty.
Acadia beat me to the post lol.
12 months almost sounds more like a used car warranty.
Strange Mud
Autocross Champion
- Location
- Small Town CT
- Car(s)
- Assorted
hope you feel better and yeah, clarify. Clutches are one year at best and w/o insulting your 1st car with one? Or abuse? Kids?
Escape Hatch
Autocross Champion
- Location
- USA
- Car(s)
- Mk7 GTI
Transmission, clutch, COVID for six months... WTF is going on right now? I had COVID and was ill for roughly 10 days. I think the foggy head symptoms may still be lingering for you after 6+ months?
jimlloyd40
Autocross Champion
- Location
- Phoenix
- Car(s)
- 2018 SE DSG
Happy that you recovered okay. That foggy head symptom could come in handy in certain circumstances.
OldVWFan
Go Kart Champion
- Location
- NW Arkansas
- Car(s)
- 17 GTI Sport
Sorry to hear about your ordeal with COVID and hope that you are completely over it. What year is the car? Did you purchase the car new or used? It could have had the remainder of the new car warranty left or a used car warranty. As others have asked is the complete transmission bad or clutch or slave cylinder? What exactly are the symptoms of your problem? How close are you to Cornelius, NC? I would call ShopDap.com and discuss with them. I don't believe that it would cost $3500 to replace the clutch or the slave cylinder if that is the real problem and not the the transmission has exploded internally. You don't indicate how hard you drove the car. I doubt that now that you have the problem that you could find any company that sells extended service contracts would cover the car.
Thanks for your reply. I bought the car new. I hoped there was a transmission problem that caused the clutch issue, but nope, the transmission was fine so I'm stuck with paying the clutch bill. I haven't received a phone call yet from the service people but I expect I will hear from them Monday or Tuesday. Then I'll know the actual cost, but I was told it would be about $3,500. I never drove the car hard. I never rode the clutch either. Instead I was careful with the clutch so I was very surprised when this all occurred. Initially I started the car in my garage and put it in 1st gear and it wouldn't move. I started it twice and finally it worked perfectly with no noise or odd shifting, etc. But several days back I was driving down the road and stopped at a red light. I started off fine and shifted into 2nd and then into 3rd, but nothing happened in 3rd gear. Instead the RPM gauge went nuts and the car wouldn't move forward. I tried all gears and finally had to stop in traffic. Two nice fellows helped me push my car into a housing area on the road and I had it towed from there to the VW dealer where I bought it. That is the saga of my partially dead GTI. I admit I was totally amazed when I was told the clutch was ruined but the transmission was fine. I was even more amazed when told none of the expensive warranty I had purchased covered the clutch. That's why I'm thinking I might just sell the car now if I can't buy some sort of warranty that will cover the clutch, which is brand new.
jimlloyd40
Autocross Champion
- Location
- Phoenix
- Car(s)
- 2018 SE DSG
Since you have to pay for it I would get it done at a quality indie shop and save $1000.
cb1111
Newbie
- Location
- Virginia, USA
While the OP has been avoiding the question "Do you know how to drive a clutch?", unless the OP has never driven a clutch before, I'd think it is pretty hard to kill a clutch in 3500 miles (with no other signs of damage).
I'd contact VW customer service and ask them to pay for the repair as this must be a manufacturing defect.
I'd contact VW customer service and ask them to pay for the repair as this must be a manufacturing defect.
I agree with this. OP, could you please post the explanation the dealer gave in how a clutch could get to the point where you can't even move the car in under 3500 miles?
Have you contacted VW of America directly?
Acadia18
Autocross Champion
- Location
- The Greater Boston Metropolitan Area
- Car(s)
- 2019 Golf R
It's fully your decision, since it's your car, your money, and your life. If you didn't mistreat the clutch (even unintentionally), a clutch dying at 3,500 miles is a 1 in 10,000,000 fluke. One of those things that never happens, but could happen to anyone. But selling the car would probably loose way more money than the cost of just replacing the clutch. Especially if you're selling it broken without fixing it. Best thing to do would be bring it to a local indie shop, have them replace the clutch for a fraction of what the dealer would charge.