[thathazelkid]

Bought this M2 on 8/31/23 with 300 miles on it, dealership said it was previously titled by someone in Missouri. Original Monroney label says it hit lots around June/July, so I imagine one of the earliest in the new first model year.

Sometime in July 2024, clutch started slipping. 1-2 drives later, could barely get the car moving. Take it in for my oil change and dealership says clutch was 100% burned out, looked like it was at 80K-100K miles. Starter, clutch, everything covered in black debris.

I am a bit confused, because I had a 2014 Fiat 500L Manual when I was 18 that lasted to 110K miles, with dad and brother driving it before me.

It’s been undriveable since late July/early August. Oil change on 8/15 (scheduled before this issue started). Clutch assessed next day, recommended tear down on 8/16. Warranty claim 1 occurs 8/19-8/23, then I take 8/24-8/31 to call around other shops in different states (this is BMW of Des Moines, IA). I authorize clutch teardown on 8/31. With stop-sales and recalls, clutch is torn out on 9/24. New clutch is sitting next to the M2 as its in the bay, which is odd, as I only authorized the clutch tear-down, and going radio silent for 3 weeks tells me that they were waiting for the new part to arrive. This is also the third time I’ve taken the car in for issues with CarPlay, so I’m suspicious. If customer-facing electronics keep failing, what does that say about internals? No codes thrown, no check engine light, I even asked for the ECM/OBD2/Black Box readings, they said nothing. I call warranty on 9/25, they deny again.

Got the car back 9/27 and the clutch feels completely different than what it felt like when I bought it last year. Returned to dealership and shifted through the gears in the manual M2 on the showroom floor, and that clutch felt closer to the stock one in my M2 than the replacement one I was driving today. Service advisor was in my passenger seat shifting watching me shift through 1-5 today, said everything looked fine, I was shifting how I should shift. I’ve never drifted, car has never been tracked. 90% of its life was spent in sixth gear on a nearby interstate. No clutch dumping, street racing, red-lining-before-up-to-temp, etc. Service advisor looked like he saw a ghost when I came to pick it up and drive it. We hadn't even left the service bay and I looked at him and said the feel was totally different.

This new clutch has less rev hang, is much smoother with shifting through gears, and throttle response seems more responsive from my stock M2 clutch. Service advisor mentioned something about “synchros”?

Warranty case was denied twice—before clutch/transmission was taken out, and after it was taken out.

Most recent vehicle inspection passed with flying colors—no signs of abuse on breaks, no rubber on the wheel wells.

Is this thing a lemon? First model-year manufacturing mess-ups? This sounds like a heat-treatment issue, not an issue with my driving habits. I imagine it’s the same clutch used in the G80 and G82s, maybe shorter wheel-base issue with torque? Service manager went so far as to say “your driving habits are none of my concern” and "I don't think you are the problem", yet here I am, paying $8.6K for it. Also, this is an M, at the only BMW dealer in town, and I was treated like this? 30 day delay? No comms for 2 weeks? I understand that only one foreman in the shop may have the expertise to work on it, but this is far from a "premium" experience.

[SpaceGhost]

That really sucks. One of the reasons I would fear buying a used manual car.

A clutch replacement was $8,600?!?!?!

Has anyone else had a clutch replaced? Is this the common cost? Seems extraordinarily high.

OP, it sounds like the new clutch feels much better and is working which is good. However, it is so unfortunate you had to go through such an expensive and difficult process. I hope this is the last of you problems with your M2.

[Cupero]

Ouch! Sorry you had to go through that. I will reconsider my decision to buy a used manual car.

[mrdudley]

I think you’d have a hard time proving lemon for the clutch. Also sounds like it’s better?

Though I am confused why they denied warranty.

As for CarPlay, it can be a joke in a BMW. On my X3, every other software update broke CarPlay. Like would not work as all. I also had a bug where if anybody else connected a phone through CarPlay, my phone would no longer connect until I deleted all phones and repaired. The default maps behavior is also terrible on the M2 and recent update brought that behavior to my X3.

[two_three_two]

anyone else have access to your car? kids, siblings, friends, etc who might have been driving like a lunatic when you werent paying attention?

also possible that someone totally trashed your car in the 300 miles they owned it, and then threw the keys back at the dealer. which would also mean break in wasn't observed, which doesnt bode well long term for your car. my advice is get a blackstone analysis done stat, and then again on your next oil change, and if that looks bad consider offloading it on carmax. these things do and will get abused, see this thread here about someone buying an obvious ex drift car that was presented as a clean G87: https://g87.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=2068786

[Dave07997S]

The cost of the clutch can be had for under $800, wheredid the $7800 in labor come from? Something is amiss...

https://www.bmwpartsnow.com/oem-part...w2LWdhcw%3D%3D

To the OP, I would take the car somewhere else. I know people who put an aftermarket clutch in it as the tuned the car and had a clutch installed for under $3k.

[NJbaitshop]

Jeeze, sorry to hear about this ordeal.

I'm really curious about the bill, $8,600 seems unreal. Any chance you can post the invoice?

[rons e92]

Holy crap those are some serious heat marks on your clutch. That thing looks like it was misaligned and in constant contact.

Did you ever smell clutch when you got out after a long highway drive?

[///M TOWN]

If nothing else, other than the clutch was damaged, I would say they completely screwed you over no doubt about it

It’s unfortunate. I really don’t want to say that to you, but to be honest something doesn’t make sense and I’d seriously be talking to BMW regarding getting my money back there’s no reason you’ve been charged that kind of money

And I’d without question definitely never go back to that stealership

[BroDoze]

Holy cow that is insanity pricing on labor.

[thathazelkid]

Originally Posted by rons e92

Holy crap those are some serious heat marks on your clutch. That thing looks like it was misaligned and in constant contact.

Did you ever smell clutch when you got out after a long highway drive?

Yes- however, the garage I use in my apartment complex is on a small incline, so I thought whatever burning smell was coming from the car was from me feathering the clutch up a slight incline and around a very tight parking lot. Now I know I was wrong.

[thathazelkid]

Originally Posted by NJbaitshop

Jeeze, sorry to hear about this ordeal.

I'm really curious about the bill, $8,600 seems unreal. Any chance you can post the invoice?

I had the repair completed at the dealership on the possibility this vehicle is involved in a future recall. I did not want to do the repairs at a third market shop, on the off chance something else goes wrong with my M2. I was quoted for close to $4.5K at a nearby shop, but went with BMW, for the future warranty/recall/lawsuit option, incase they become possible. I have all the damaged parts.

[thathazelkid]

Originally Posted by two_three_two

anyone else have access to your car? kids, siblings, friends, etc who might have been driving like a lunatic when you werent paying attention?

also possible that someone totally trashed your car in the 300 miles they owned it, and then threw the keys back at the dealer. which would also mean break in wasn't observed, which doesnt bode well long term for your car. my advice is get a blackstone analysis done stat, and then again on your next oil change, and if that looks bad consider offloading it on carmax. these things do and will get abused, see this thread here about someone buying an obvious ex drift car that was presented as a clean G87: https://g87.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=2068786

nope-- every time the car was driven, it was either by me, or someone with me in the passenger seat.

[///M TOWN]

Originally Posted by BroDoze

Holy cow that is insanity pricing on labor.

💯

[RobM2]

Labor still seems insane but at least that's for the clutch and the flywheel.

[Bumpinjeep]

That seems like a lot of damage over the first 300 miles. I wonder if the clutch wasn't properly installed to begin with? Is there a way to see any logs from the car for the first 300 miles? Maybe that would explain what exactly happened prior to your ownership. If it was babied and you certainly didn't do anything crazy with the car, then I would imagine the clutch wasn't properly installed to begin with, making it a warranty issue. It's so hard to say though without that info.

[86zccrx]

He has almost 12,000 miles on the car(not that a clutch should be worn that much in 12k miles if driving properly), but I would assume the original 300 that were on the car when he purchased are irrelevant if the car was functioning for 11k miles after.

[two_three_two]

Originally Posted by 86zccrx

He has almost 12,000 miles on the car(not that a clutch should be worn that much in 12k miles if driving properly), but I would assume the original 300 that were on the car when he purchased are irrelevant if the car was functioning for 11k miles after.

you're probably right but first 300 miles are gonna be really important to how a car wears and how the moving parts seat. if you're dedicated you can properly fuck up a car in 300 miles.

if OP claims no one else had access or drove without him in the car, theres really three options:
1) first owner went out of the dealership sideways with the car (and basically everywhere else). OP should have noted what lifetime MPG was on the car, plus if all the tires were original, brake pad condition, etc in order for this to make sense. would also need to be an element of OP driving the car a bit harder than he admits here.
2) something was wrong on the initial install of the clutch and transmission that caused an early death
3) OP is very inexperienced on a stick or has very poor driving habits which killed his clutch

not really sure how else you can roast a clutch in 12k miles. ive got a few HPDEs and i drive as aggressively as conditions allow and my clutch feels great at 15k miles.

[DrJLag420]

Happy to know that I know how to drive a manual car. Never had a problem like this. I’ll see my self out now….Happy Motoring!

[ednir98]

Originally Posted by DrJLag420

Happy to know that I know how to drive a manual car. Never had a problem like this. I’ll see my self out now….Happy Motoring!

What a pointless post. There is a non-zero chance that this was a mechanical defect of some sort. I don't understand typing a paragraph that you know will be of 0 help lmao.

[JABCAT]

It appears BMW determined the excessive clutch wear & subsequent failure was not a manufacturing defect, thus warranty was denied. If the only manual driving experience for OP was a 2014 Fiat 500L, that is quite a bit different than an M2. Having owned a 2012 Fiat 500 Sport, that was one of the easiest and effortless manuals I've ever owned.

It is very possible OP's driving style, and riding the clutch in/out of his garage every day as well as around his tight parking lot could've led to the excessive wear. My very first car was a manual Mitsubishi Eclipse. I learned how to drive manual on it, by myself (not very well). At 10k mi, driving up a hill, clutch went to the floor & car wouldn't move. After a tow to the dealership, yep burned the clutch up & it needed replaced. If I'm not mistaken the M2 has hill assist, so there shouldn't be any reason to "feather" the clutch into the garage or around the parking lot?

Also no reason to pay $8,600 in case of potential future issues. If an independent shop quoted you $4,500, and they have a good reputation, that's where you should've taken it.

[ajchoi]

Originally Posted by JABCAT

It appears BMW determined the excessive clutch wear & subsequent failure was not a manufacturing defect, thus warranty was denied. If the only manual driving experience for OP was a 2014 Fiat 500L, that is quite a bit different than an M2. Having owned a 2012 Fiat 500 Sport, that was one of the easiest and effortless manuals I've ever owned.

It is very possible OP's driving style, and riding the clutch in/out of his garage every day as well as around his tight parking lot could've led to the excessive wear. My very first car was a manual Mitsubishi Eclipse. I learned how to drive manual on it, by myself (not very well). At 10k mi, driving up a hill, clutch went to the floor & car wouldn't move. After a tow to the dealership, yep burned the clutch up & it needed replaced. If I'm not mistaken the M2 has hill assist, so there shouldn't be any reason to "feather" the clutch into the garage or around the parking lot?

Also no reason to pay $8,600 in case of potential future issues. If an independent shop quoted you $4,500, and they have a good reputation, that's where you should've taken it.

Would love a video including audio of the OP taking off in 1st with the new clutch. Hearing the takeoff will tell you a lot about how hard that clutch is being ridden.

Source: my dad’s been managing an independent euro car repair shop for 35 years and can diagnose this stuff over the phone with his customers lol