2009 TC Clutch

[Nathanr.6168]

My new TC with 2200 miles would not go into gear right last night so i brought it to the dealership. They said that I burnt up the clutch and flywheel even though I don't burn out or even drive fast. The dealership says it will cost me ,440 to replace the clutch and flywheel. Is it possible to burn up a clutch and flywheel in 2200 miles?

[Redneck4csa]

It's under warranty. Unless they could prove that you did it, they have to fix it. Ask them how they know you burnt up the clutch. There is no way you did that.

[Nathanr.6168]

They say that there is signs of high RPM's, this was from driving it to the dealership though. I drove it there and since the clutch was bad, it didnt go all the way in gear, so the RPM's were higher to do the same amount of work.

[navylife59]

I will assume that you have a manual as automatics have clutches (more than one) and a flywheel as well.


Have them define what they mean by "high RPM's". You are rev limited to 6200RPM. Is your clutch disengaging when you push the pedal or does it feel mushy? That would be the clutch slave cylinder. The clutch slave gets it's fluid from the brake reservoir. If you have loss/drained brake fluid, then you might have got air in the system. If you feel any grinding or popping then it might be the throw-out bearing, fork, pressure plate fingers, or combination thereof.

If the clutch seems OK then it is with engagement of the gears. Your synchro-mesh gears are of, the gear slider is damaged, or your shifter linkage is amiss. Have you installed a short throw shifter or changed the linkage bushings? Are you S/C or Turbo? Unless they can prove that you over powered the clutch (which I doubt), it is either a defect or was damaged from fluid contamination. The dealer should fix it. Should they not, then call Toyota Customer Service and ask to speak with a case manager or regional rep.

[Nathanr.6168]

My TC is a 2009 manual with just the standard package, no upgrades. The clutch engages when I push it, but when I release it, it does not fully engage.
The clutch itself still feels like it always has. I have not installed anything. (still learning about mods to the cars and don't want to mess it up by doing something stupid) Will do on the Toyota Customer Service.

[navylife59]

Sounds like it might be the pressure plate fingers. The throw-out bearing and the fork are in working order if the clutch truly disengages. Can you have the tranny in gear, depress the clutch, then depress the accelerator and the car not move?

You might want to check your clutch pedal assembly first. It is fairly simple to do and could be the cause of your issue. Now, the clutch could still be ruined, but it would be under warranty for sure in this case. Here in our Tech Article section is the instructions for adjusting.
http://www.club-tc.com/forums/genera...djustment.html

Contact Toyota National Customer Care if the Dealership is being stubborn. Toyota Customer Service: Tips for Getting Your Problem Solved | Tundra Headquarters . com I would follow the advice in this article as I have experienced this directly with my Camry.

[Nathanr.6168]

If i press the clutch all the way, the car wont move. I would do the things you said to check but the dealership still has the car in the shop... They are waiting on a new flywheel since they cant resurface it... I have contacted the Scion headquarters but they said they cant do anything so i will try Toyota directly like you said.

[Nathanr.6168]

I went and talked with the GM and he was acting like a puppet for the mechanics, he just said they wouldn't warranty the repairs. I called Scion and told them whats happening and they said they cant do anything. I called Toyota and they said to call scion... should I call a lawyer or do something else next?

[navylife59]

Tell them you want all of the replaced parts. If they can't or won't produce these parts, then something is definitely fishy. I find it hard to believe that a flywheel with only 2200 miles on it could be so worn so far out of spec that it can't be resurfaced. Go ahead and call the Toyota Customer care # to get the process going now. The Dealership might be able to put a Mechanics Lein on the car if you decide not to accept the work being non-warranty.

[Nathanr.6168]

Will do about getting the parts but I tried calling toyota, they said they cant do anything and told me to call scion, I got an insult of $300 instead of the $1,440 it costs to fix it when I called scion. as for not resurfacing it, they said there are pieces of the flywheel breaking off of it, so im guessing its not all one piece anymore o.O will see tomorrow when I ask for the parts

[navylife59]

Sounds just like you had defective flywheel. This could have been caused by faulty metallurgy or flywheel bolts that were not torqued properly or of the correct strength. Definitely follow-up on this as it is a defect. Flywheels just don't fall apart on their own and I have yet to here of any tC thrashing a flywheel, even 400WHP.

[Nathanr.6168]

yea, I'll be asking for the parts and talking to a lawyer today... hopefully I don't have to take scion/dealership to court...

[Redneck4csa]

They won't go to court. If it comes down to an almost lawsuit, they will just warranty the repair and be done with it.

[Nathanr.6168]

Owner of the dealership is going to call me. If I can't work it out with him, I have the phone numbers of every TV station in Houston in my hand ready and the number for a good lawyer...

[Nathanr.6168]

7 days and they still wont fix my car... I'm getting real tired of driving my old truck...

[StreetBrawler89]

Theres something very fishy going on there, sounds like you had a bad flywheel from the factory-WHICH IS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY.

[Nathanr.6168]

yes, it should be under warranty, but they don't want to pay for it. I'm getting my car back today after work. On Monday I go down to the court house and file a case against them for the cost of the repairs...

[StreetBrawler89]

Good luck man, keep us posted

[navylife59]

Have you tried another Dealership? Under Toyota's rules, Dealerships (other than the one the car was purchased from) are not obligated to work on your vehicle. Yes, that is correct. Just because it has a Toyota emblem, Dealerships do not have to touch your car. This is especially true if a previous Dealership had done repair work on your vehicle before. Toyota Corporate backs this policy up. Your only recourse is if you are a certain geographic distance from your original Dealership; let's say another state.

At this point, you will have to call Toyota Customer Care, file a grievance, be assigned a case manager, and go through arbitration. Unfortunately, hiring a lawyer without attempting this will lead to delays and more legal fees. Remember, it is about $15-$30 just to say hello to a lawyer! Without seeing the damaged parts, it is very difficult to make an accurate assessment, so get pics of everything in question.

[Nathanr.6168]

I have talked to a few lawyers (knowing people is good) and they said to have the repairs done, then file a case against them in small claims court. My car has been fixed and I will pick it up after I get off of work today. Total for the repairs should be about $1,560... Monday I file the case for the total cost of the repairs and 11 days of a rental... Down side to this route is that they don't actually have to pay me... If I win, I will just have a judgment against them that I cant really enforce...

And the fight continues!