archibald

My 2012 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited never had any problems other than a Manufacturer warranted problem with a valve that needed to be replaced. Cost me "0" around 30k miles and I was a happy camper.

But... just a week ago my clutch went to the floor and I had to be towed to the local dealership. After a few calls it was determined that I needed a new clutch kit, throwout bearing, and flywheel.

The cost for this repair with Mopar parts is $2,000. Obviously the parts are pretty expensive, especially the 12-15 clutch kits.

I talked to Chrysler corporate and they told me my flywheel was under warranty ($500), but my dealership refused to warranty the part because he said it was operator error. I have never been off road and I live in Florida (flatlands). I even talked to FCA corporate in MIchigan and they told me there is nothing they can do. They go by what their "franchised" dealers tell them. Am I crazy but that sounds like a convoluted system.

So here is my question, What is normal wear and tear for a flywheel? 40k seems crazy low miles. Is this potentially a defect? This is my 3rd manual transmission vehicle and I have NEVER had any problems and I dont ride the clutch.

I cant afford to replace the flywheel every 40k. I feel bummed and have lost a lot of enthusiasm for the Jeep Brand.

Nate

rob_engineer

40K is certainly low. Did the dealer that refused the flywheel claim elaborate on why they determined it was operator error? My 2012 has 63,000 trouble free miles. I've even pulled a 5,000 toy hauler in excess of 5,000 miles. Clutch feels as good as new.

archibald

Yes the dealer said it was due to overheating which was my fault. I read up on causes for flywheel breakage and overheating was 1 of 3 potential reasons. Seems like a cop out.

Machoo

When I purchased my used 2010 I shopped around and found that most warranties do not cover the clutch. I was shocked but really wanted a manual so I purchased it anyway. In talking with people I gathered it is because it is something that can be destroyed by an individual's driving habits fairly quickly so they aren't covered. Not saying you were driving poorly at all. Just saying I found out it was common to be omitted by any warranty. Really kind of a bummer because it is an expensive repair and could fail totally unrelated to ones driving habits but your still stuck with the bill....

tjkamp

62,000 on my 2013 no issues, aside from a squeaky salve cylinder and in intermittent rattle that is "within spec" according to the dealer.

If I remember correctly from my warranty paperwork, Jeep only covers the clutch for the first 12,000. From what I saw online that is standard, or even better than standard.

I don't know about the clutch for the 3.6 motor tranny combo, but from what I have read about on the 3.8, and several friends who have 4.0 TJ's, they generally go for around 100,000 or more before needing replacement due to standard ware. I have read about a couple of different people with 3.6's having to have them replaced much sooner: 30,000 - 60,000. but from what I have read and know about older Jeeps, and what I have dealt with in other manual tranny vehicles (mostly Fords) a manual clutch should generally hold out to around 100,000 - 120,000.

If they aren't going to cover it under warranty, I would price out getting it done somewhere else with an aftermarket clutch assembly from Centerforce or someone like that. I personally have not been impressed with the stock clutch, and am looking forward to replacing it with something more beefy. Not looking forward to paying for the upgrade though, I think the Centerforce setup is currently running around $800 for parts, plus install.

Hope this helps.

Happy Jeeping.

InfoJunkie

A big part of the $2000 quote is likely labor and for me that is a lot to shell out for this repair. I have found instructional videos online and dropping the transmission and working on replacing the clutch assembly, flywheel, and throwout bearing doesn't look like rocket science.

To me it looks like a DIY mechanic with garage could knock this out with a few hours of online research, perhaps the purchase of a few project-specific tools and great aftermarket parts and a day (at the most) of work. I don't know too many people that earn $1000 per day... and if you do this on a day off your own labor won't cost a thing.

I just figure, you got a Jeep. They are the easiest vehicles to work on... so why not take care of this yourself?

tjkamp

This is a good point. And very true that at least half of the $2000 is labor. I have helped replace clutches on other vehicles. It is not rocket science, but there are a few things to keep in mind. One being the size of the transmission, the weight of the transfer case hanging off the back of it, and getting the Jeep up high enough to drop the transmission enough to be able to maneuver it out if the way. Some special tools will be required, and a good torque wrench is a must.

I will likely attempt to get some friends together and do it myself when mine goes out, but I will defiantly be setting aside a whole weekend for it. These types of projects always take longer than expected, and I definitely will not attempt it alone, even if you have, or rent, a transmission jack, that tyranny is very heavy, oddly shaped, and awkward.

I'm not saying don't attempt it, it is always better to work on your own vehicle when you can, that way you get to know more about it, and can diagnose further issues in the future easier, and can more easily have confidence in the quality of the work performed. I am saying I wouldn't do it if I didn't have some experience working on vehicles, and that I definitely would not attempt it by myself.

Happy Jeeping!

Mark Doiron

Go to another mechanic. I don't believe this dealership. How did they even determine that the flywheel or clutch are bad sight unseen? Surely they did not pull your transmission to troubleshoot it, and the access plate gives virtually no access to view those parts. Take it to a real mechanic. FAST!

goaterguy

+eleventybillion

Francis1989

Damn my clutch went out at close to 30k also. Took it to the dealership and they said the cause was a leaking/clogged slave cylinder. Don't know how that happened. The clutch went out gradually over a four mile drive. Slowly lost pressure in the clutch peddle. Luckily the dealership replaced on warranty. Sorry mine is a 2012 also. I would try a different dealership. Some have cool wrangler people and some are assholes.

Good luck