New Ford Ka - Clutch Problems

[Steven33]

Hi everyone,

I drive a focus but I'm asking for help on behalf of my dad who has a new shape ka. I havent spoken to him on the phone yet so details are sketchy but i'll be sure to update when i get more details.

Basically its a 2009 reg car with 31,000 on the clock, he has owned it from new and it has never been involved in any kind of accident or anything like that. I just got an email from my mum to say the "clutch has gone" (so dont know exactly what the problem is) but Evans Halshaw, where the car was purchased from, want £200 just to strip the clutch out to assess whether whatever is wrong with it is under warranty or not. (I wont even go into the saga that was buying the car from Evans Halshaw in the first place).

I would just like some advice on a few things so I can help out (although I live in Bristol and my mum and dad are in Scotland so could be a headache), I would appreciate any advice on:

1 - Has anyone had similiar issues with the ford ka clutch (or any other car with the same clutch fitted).

2 - Does anyone know anything about this £200 fee to assess the gearbox even though the car is still under the 3 year warranty? is that normal to have to pay before an assessment is done, or at all for under warranty?

3 - what is his rights? he wants to pay the finance off for the car and get something else (which is a shame because he's only ever had fords and this is the first he's had any trouble with one, especially at such low mileage). I thought about rejecting the car under the sale of goods act but unsure how much this applies as the car is 2 years old, but surely a clutch wearing out after 30,000 miles is not fit for purpose. my focus has done 120,000 miles and the clutch feels fine (touch wood now that i've said that).

any advice is much appreciated, i realise the details are sparse,

thanks

steve

p.s. it also had the anti-roll bar drop links changed last week. car quality definately not impressive,

[delboy]

if it the clutch then they can go at anytime

the wifes father gets through them like we would tyres

it's down to how you use the clutch and the older guys tend to be over revving when pulling away and dont let the clutch down

enough & wears it quick & they hold the car on it at lights etc aswell as using the clutch pedal as a foot rest.

as for the drop links they usually last a lot longer but saying that it's usually the rubber that perishes then causes the jont to

wear out.

ask ur dad to get a younger friend to drive the car to see what he recons to see whats wrong as its most prob the clutch gone and to

be honest thats accectible for 30k with a older driver

im in bristol so i see you cant get there to drive it ur self

[Steven33]

my dad is only 45, not exactly senile. my dad is a good driver, been in the car with him loads, he doesn't ride the clutch, disengage and leave it in gear at lights, use it as a footrest or over rev or anything like that, he's always looked after his own cars, he knows what he's doing.

i dont know how you think its acceptable for a clutch to go at 30K. Even my grandad who IS a terrible driver has never managed to wear out a clutch under 100K.

Im just asking if anyone else has had a similar issue with the ka or if it just seems to be a clutch that has came from the bottom of the barrel.

im guessing the drop link is just rubbish quality, not surprised since the car is a fiat underneath built in poland.

quote name='delboy' timestamp='1321425581' post='152780']

if it the clutch then they can go at anytime

the wifes father gets through them like we would tyres

it's down to how you use the clutch and the older guys tend to be over revving when pulling away and dont let the clutch down

enough & wears it quick & they hold the car on it at lights etc aswell as using the clutch pedal as a foot rest.

as for the drop links they usually last a lot longer but saying that it's usually the rubber that perishes then causes the jont to

wear out.

ask ur dad to get a younger friend to drive the car to see what he recons to see whats wrong as its most prob the clutch gone and to

be honest thats accectible for 30k with a older driver

im in bristol so i see you cant get there to drive it ur self

[Steven33]

the car was in an independant garage today and it turns out the seal on the slave cylinder had deteriorated and was thus leaking. all fixed for £90 which was better than the £200 ford wanted just for looking at it. sums up how much the warranty is worth.

still, for seals and a drop link bolt to have failed after 2 years is not on. i think ford are cutting too many corners. its plain to see in the ka especially, just the little things, like sound proofing, grab handles only on drivers side, lack of courtesy lighting in the boot and glove box etc

he's thinking of getting rid of the ka and getting a fiesta instead now, although dont know whether thats a good move or not. perhaps its time to try japanese

[delboy]

glad it's sorted m8

renault clios are well made but the new fiesta is quite nice

[Steven33]

cheers mate, lol afraid my girlfriend had a clio and the thing would never start anytime it rained. think the fiesta could be on the cards, this will be my dad's 6th, i think he must have had every generation!

[delboy]

my son had a clio & that was brilliant until he wrote it off

hes now got a fiesta ghia & it's a brilliant car.

hope ur dad gets something he feels happy with

[Steven33]

i honestly think its your luck with cars. I had a polo once and that was the worst car I ever had, in the two years i had it it needed a new gearbox, water pump, shocks, both brake drums, springs, water manifold, temp and crank shaft sensor, alternator, ecu, and about a million bulbs. i hope my dad does go for the fiesta as I'm trying to save up now for either a mk2.5 focus zetec s or the fiesta zetec s, cant decide so would like to see what the fiesta is like.