Failing Flywheel and Brake Discs After only 38000 miles

[It's A Grandlife X]

Hi,

We bought a 68 plate Elite Nav last August 2022. It's a 1.6 petrol turbo and has been driving just fine, until recently when I began hearing a metal clunk drop like sound when first setting off or pulling away at junctions.

My OH describes it as a grind but I've never heard that sound, to me it sounds as though something significant is about to fall off and hit the road.

One thing we do agree on is that it sounds gearbox related.

We booked a service and diagnostic for this 'noise' with local dealership and they have come back to us quoting a £2,000 repair to fix the flywheel; they also quoted £350 for 2 new rear brake discs and pads saying the pads were getting close - MOT due September.

From my research on Google flywheels are robust and generally last over 80,000 miles. Similar results were appearing for the brake discs too.

We're pretty sedate drivers and don't often motorway travel - 3 or 4 times maybe since last August.

Before buying our Elite we did have concerns that before agreeing a price with the car dealership (not vauxhall) they had let their mechanic use it for a fortnight's holiday in France.

Not so unusual maybe, but we had to barter paint repairs for quite a number of chips which seemed new since the first time we'd viewed it, and new tyres.

Again, not so unusual, but our main concern was that it had likely been driven hard and without much care for any part of it.

To explain, this car dealer specialises in flamboyant performance sports and prestige cars - beautiful cars I don't deny, but they are the kind usually driven hard, and every worker at this dealers has an avid 24 hr a day obsession with all things auto performance and prestige.

So, a few questions:
1. Could a fornights drive to France if driven hard and rally like have caused the flywheel and discs to wear prematurely?
2. If so, can I ask the car dealer to pay for the repairs?
3. Also, does £2,000 just for the flywheel - no clutch mentioned - sound reasonable? and
4. Should the clutch be replaced too, as I have read this is generally what's advisable when replacing a flywheel?

Tia for reading this far and considering a reply.

[Jw427]

Well, I would certainly ask them to contribute some % to the costs, as the car has quite rightly been driven to a few inches of its life and braked hard and pushed I would say. The mechanic driving it whilst on holiday without a care for it would have aided in the demise of the said parts. Dont, think them saying it was driven like miss daisy would be sufficient to say here.

And yes replace the clutch whilst the flywheel is being replaced as they are both in the same place as each other, so just parts needed as labour is in the accessing for them.

[It's A Grandlife X]

Thanks Jw427

[It's A Grandlife X]

Well, I would certainly ask them to contribute some % to the costs, as the car has quite rightly been driven to a few inches of its life and braked hard and pushed I would say. The mechanic driving it whilst on holiday without a care for it would have aided in the demise of the said parts. Dont, think them saying it was driven like miss daisy would be sufficient to say here.

And yes replace the clutch whilst the flywheel is being replaced as they are both in the same place as each other, so just parts needed as labour is in the accessing for them.

Thanks Jw427,
The dealer paid for the clutch flywheel and new locking wheel nuts (they'd also misplaced that). £3000 with tax.
That said, invoice for all parts etc says the dual flywheel is a 'Reconditioned' one - is that standard?

The garage who have carried out all repairs are getting back to us Monday with list of new parts, whether they were Vauxhall parts, and any warranties they come with.

Tia again, cheers IAGLX