A class action suit possible because of week clutch...

[2004VibeGTDriver2]

The possibility of A class action suit has been brought to my attention because of the amount of VibeGT drivers who have experienced this problem. I personally have been driving a stick shift car/truck almost all of my life (52 years old) and my 2004 VibeGT is the first one that has had a clutch slippage problem develop at around 60,000 miles. I have seen a lot of news on the internet where this problem is common in the Vibe GT's starting around 30,000 miles. So Lets hear from you, Vibe GT Drivers, you tell me,..I is this a problem that the dealers should have recalled?

[joatmon]

for what it's worth, there is a lengthy discussion of gt clutch problems in http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=5172

[ragingfish]

Recalls are for issues that affect the safety of the occupants - airbag problems, brakes failing, steering loss, etc. It is NOT used for something such as a clutch life issue.

[AKLGT]

^^^ what he said. it's not a life or death issue, just a nuissance. and yes, the VGT clutch is crappy, but so was the paint. There are plenty of other cars who have the same complaints with clutches going out at 30K. I just don't see any grounds for a class action lawsuit because of it. I doubt anyone's ever died from their clutch slipping.

[Mavrik]

um... good luck? I think?

[prathman]

Note that the original poster isn't asking for a safety recall, but for a class action suit and/or extended warranty due to a pattern of premature failures. One example was the Toyota Camry engines where the warranty was extended to 100 kmiles/8 years due to sludge problems when numerous owners complained and a class action suit was filed. No safety issues were raised in that case either - just relatively early failures (which may have been at least partly due to infrequent oil changes).No idea how successful this might be in the case of the VibeGT & Matrix XRS clutches. Someone would need to gather pretty extensive data to show that the wear rate is well outside of industry norms and isn't caused by the driving patterns of the owners.

[djb383]

The only winners will be the lawyers.

[2004VibeGTDriver2]

just a quick note on that class action, I figured that some people with around 30,000 miles on their Vibe GT's might have a chance but my Vibe has 71,000 miles on it and I figure I am probable about due for a new clutch.

[Mavrik]

Clutches are considered wear and tear items. Its next to impossible to say exactly how long one should last as everyone uses it differently. Is 30k to soon? possibly/ I've seen people wear them out in less then 10k and I'm not referring to those in the Vibe GT.so having a lawsuit saying a wear item didn't last as long as you think it should will be next to impossible to win.

[ragingfish]

Quote, originally posted by prathman »Note that the original poster isn't asking for a safety recallQuote, originally posted by 2004VibeGTDriver2 »I is this a problem that the dealers should have recalled?He may not be seeking a recall, but he asked why it wasn't one. So we weren't totally off-base. But I have to go with Mavrik here, you're not likely to get anywhere with a CAS on a w&t item. The G6's are notorious for crappy brakes - I'm not even at 50k but had my pads replaced once already, and the rotors are warped. But the reality is, there is no grounds for a class action suit - should somebody have wanted one. That's like saying your wiper blades wore out too fast.The answer to the problem is, when the clutch goes, opt for a different brand clutch.Oh, and FTR, it's a toyota clutch, not GM. I know it's not really relevant, but figured i should throw it out there.

[prathman]

*Safety-related* recalls are frequently mandated by the government following an NTSB investigation. But manufacturers are certainly free to issue recalls for other reasons that may not involve a safety issue.However, such issues are usually handled by extending the warranty period for the affected item. That way you only have to fix the vehicles that actually exhibit the problem and they come in for service over an extended period of time rather than all at once. [And frequently such warrantee extentions aren't well publicized to further reduce the cost of them.]I think it's unlikely that there'll be any class-action suit for the VibeGT/MatrixXRS clutch since:1) it would take a great deal of work to gather sufficient evidence that the clutch failures are really premature due to defective design/manufacture rather than being a result of driving habits, and2) there aren't enough of these cars out there to make it worthwhile for a law firm to spend the required time, effort, and expense.

[NMR Guy]

113,000 miles on my 2003 GT - I'm still on my original clutch.

[ToolGuy]

This is an interesting topic and I am not saying something cannot or will not be done. However that said, if something were to be done it would probably only cover people that still have the original clutch and it would fall under a campaign, most likely. Campaigns are not publicized with notices in the mail or on the news. It is the where the company admits there is an issue and only fixes the issue when the customer complains or the part falls under the campaign and the dealer notes it. I doubt this would go anywhere because the engine sludge issue on a Chrysler 2.7L V6 engine found in the Intrepids and Concords has been around for years, many people upset and many engines replaced most outside of warranty and Chrysler still will not admit there is an issue. Likewise I suppose one could be started for the original Continential Tires on the Vibes which are wear items as well. Many replaced theirs way early like in the 20-30,000 mile range.I got almost 50,000 out of mine original Contis. I must have had the only set of Contis that was made to last I guess.

[djb383]

Maybe there should be a class action suit against drivers education...................for NOT teaching the correct way to apply/use a clutch and shift gears. I've owned several manual tranny vehicles (not a Vibe GT) and never replaced a clutch, even with 100K plus miles.

[harryyiii]

You people are way too easy on Toyota. A clutch lasting 30K miles is inexcusable and indicative of a defective product. 30 K seems to be the average for Vibes, Matrixes, Corollas, and Celicas with the 2ZZ engine. I guess that the crappy Toyota manual transmission could not handle the torque and decided to use the clutch as a torque limiting device, hence the lousy life. My experience with Neon and VW clutches are 100K plus hard mile life. Why would a class action be inappropriate for a known defective product sold for over 8 years.

[joatmon]

Quote, originally posted by djb383 »Maybe there should be a class action suit against drivers education...................for NOT teaching the correct way to apply/use a clutch and shift gears. I've owned several manual tranny vehicles (not a Vibe GT) and never replaced a clutch, even with 100K plus miles.over the past five years, that point has been debated. There have been enough people who have stated that they have extensive experience driving a clutch and yet these people are still having premature failures on the GT/XRS. I have no doubt some of the GT/XRS clutch failures are related to driver skill level, but I am pretty well convinced that an inordinate number of clutch failures are occurring where driver skill is not the cause.

[Eloi]

My 1996 Sunfire had more than 175 000 km when I first had to get some work done on the clutch....I hope my 2009 Vibe will do the same....