Renault Clio’s clutch broke in the middle of parking practice

Woman rented a small car for about a month in the summer of 2023, but soon there was an argument about the car’s unexpected breakdown.

The Consumer Disputes Board was asked to weigh the different positions of the renter and the rental company.

Then it dawned on me what had been done to the car.

All started when a woman rented a brand new manual transmission Renault Clio – a passenger car that had been driven about 28,000 kilometers. The chain of events that followed is explained in the board’s decision.

The woman’s message to the board is that she drove carefully with her father for only 70 kilometers in a few hours. Then the car’s clutch broke.

The rental company sent a full invoice for the clutch repair. According to the rental company, the car had been used incorrectly. The board’s documents do not reveal the amount of the total bill.

The woman demanded that the rental company refrain from collecting compensation for the part exceeding 500 euros. The amount is the deductible in the terms of the rental agreement.

In the woman’s opinion, it is unreasonable to claim that the wear of the clutch could have been caused by such a short drive. The rental company denied the claim.

What then there was an alleged misuse? The father told the rental company that the car had been practiced parking.

According to the rental company, there was nothing unusual in the clutch beforehand, and the woman had been able to drive 70 kilometers without any problems. According to the documents, the drive was followed by parking practice in an empty parking lot.

“Therefore, the clutch overheated and melted during the parking exercise in question,” the rental company said.

It relies on the auto repair shop’s receipt, which states that the clutch is “completely exhausted, melted, and the dual-mass flywheel is also damaged.” The latter is a part located between the engine and the gearbox, which reduces vibration and protects the gearbox.

During the repair work, no manufacturing defect was detected. According to the rental company, the car’s low mileage does not affect the matter. It states that no clutch can withstand prolonged slippage, where, for example, the foot is resting on the clutch pedal while driving.

In the rental company’s opinion, the renter is obliged to compensate for damages without a deductible limit.

Consumer Council recommends that the rental company refrains from collecting compensation for the part exceeding 500 euros. At the same time, however, it considers it shown that the car was damaged due to the consumer’s operating error.

This end result is reached through insurance. The board states that usually valuable business assets, such as a car, are insured.

The rental company did not submit the decision of the insurance company to the board, which would show that the compensation was rejected. Technically, the rental company should therefore not “benefit” from the breakup of Renault in such a way that it would receive full compensation from both the woman and the insurance company.

“Even the mere right to compensation from another party, for example from an insurance company, limits the right of the injured party to compensation from the person who caused the damage,” states the board.

The board issues recommendations, i.e. its decisions are not legally binding.

HS wrote about the risks associated with the switch and gave tips for use in the summer in this article.