Catastrophic Clutch Failure at 16000km !!!!!

[K1W1]

Fact is, unless the problem is VERY obvious nobody will be able to tell if the issue was a mechanical fault or driver problem

True but at this stage there is one "expert" (the dealership) saying one thing (driver fault) and the owner has nothing in response other than to say "I didn't do it". An independent inspection may well find something the dealership has overlooked or at least be able to demonstrate the the fault could also have been caused by mechanical failure rather than simply driver error. The OP has posted a massive bitch about how wronged they have been and how perfect the driving ability of their parents are but they have apparently not taken basic steps to ensure that their side of the argument can be proven and are instead relying entirely on the dealerships story without any sort on independent confirmation.

[Tigger]

Hi mate,

Hey I really feel for you guys...so sorry.

I dont mean to be rude, but is there any chance they may have been resting their left foot on the clutch pedal slightly while driving?
Please forgive me if that sounds bad, it is just that VW / Skoda will probably check that sort of thing.

I know of a guy who wore out brake pads early due to doing that with the brake pedal...

[3jcorolla]

As GLGDI states unless the failure is very obvious and has not been rectified by the dealer before inspection it is our word against theirs.

Tigger you are correct that ridding your foot on the clutch may result in slipping, however he has driven manuals his whole life without such premature failure.

Most of the travel in this car has either between between Bendigo and Melbourne, or visting me when I lived in Adelaide ( at least 3 trips to adelaide in this car).

I have collected all clutch pieces (flywheel, clutch plate, and pressure plate) from the dealer(preston motors epping), but mystriuosly the thrust bearing has gone missing despite my strict instruction that I wont all parts. I was going to get these indepently inspected, but without the thrust bearing it seems almost usless. Left with little choice but to bend over and suck it up.
You are correct that it is easy towear brake pads out if you rest your foot on the brake. The point here is generally that pads wear out before your brake discs snap into three pieces. You may however warp the disc which indicates time to change.

I have to check whether the gearbox is still out so I can get an opinon on the input shaft. Blueing of the clutch plate tangs is evident, however without the thrust bearing or inspection of the input shaft it still lies between user V manfacturing defect.

[MarksVRS]

Firstly I will say that I feel for you and best of luck.

I drive a manual diesel and I have to say that I have been known to do some quick shifts from time to time, although never would i be found to ride the clutch. My car is coming up to 3 years next month and has 29000km on the clock. If my clutch were to fail like that, there would be hell to pay!!

Now with all due respect (and please don't be offended), that pressure plate shows a lot of overheating! I respect what you have said although I have seen plenty of people that "claim" they don't ride or slip the clutch, yet watch them at an up-hill sloped intersection or trying to park and I cringe with the abuse on the clutch. The older generation have a better chance of riding the clutch because they come from a generation of cars that had useless handbrakes!! I am just saying that maybe they were not aware of when they were slipping the clutch??

Driving with the foot on the clutch is another classic, especially given the clutch is so light in these cars. Some people may not realise they are doing it.

[K1W1]

I'm still curious as to how two people who have driven manual cars for years were apparently unaware of the massive slipping that must have occurred prior to the clutch failure. That clutch did not fail in a short drive to the local shops.
Just out of interest is there anything that the cars computer would have picked up as a fault code in this situation?