How much to fix a cluth?

December 7, 2005 9:04 AM

What is a reasonable price to pay to get the clutch replaced in a Jetta?

It is a 1997 Jetta with a 2.0 engine size. My friend is hearing everything from $600-$1300, the last estimate coming from the shop we usually go to. The car is in Denton, Tx, if that matters.

posted by nadawi to travel & transportation (5 comments total)

When I had my 97 Jetta, I was quoted $500+ in Austin Texas. This was back in 2000 though. I ended up trading it in for a new car before doing any of the work so I don't know how far north of $500 it would have ended up.
posted by birdherder at 9:09 AM on December 7, 2005

I had a similar car a while back, (it was an 87 Golf, but similar motor/transaxle combination) and Boardwalk VW in Richardson quoted me $900 to do it back in 1996. I sold the car instead.

I would highly recommend that you call Bob over at Lord Of The Rings (yes, that's the name of his garage) in Addison and ask him. Not only is he the resident North Texas VW/Audi guru, but he's fair, cheaper than the dealers, does excellent work. I trust him implicitly. If you or your friends decide to do it yourselves, he's been known to offer technical advice. It's not hugely complicated procedure, but it's a time-consuming one.

Call Bob. Trust me on this.
posted by TeamBilly at 10:05 AM on December 7, 2005

There's a mechanic finder on cartalk.com but the $700 range is reasonable for a new clutch. $1300 is just nutso.
posted by phearlez at 11:34 AM on December 7, 2005

If you've let it go and now need a new flywheel assembly too then $1300 is right on the money though.
posted by fshgrl at 6:53 PM on December 7, 2005

you could try to search on forums.vwvortex.com to find a local shop (some were listed above) and also search for new/used parts in the classifieds.

typically a clutch replacement is around $500+ (just labor, parts can range depending on what you actually replace) in the d.c. metro area, because they do have to remove the transmission from the car in order to get to the clutch, pressure plate, throw out bearing, and flywheel.

if you have the money it would be adviseable to replace the clutch, pressure plate, and the throwout bearing. you might enjoy the quicker throttle response by replacing the flywheel with a lightened flywheel, but that will add to the price.

how many miles are on the car?

vwvortex south regional forum
posted by flipp at 8:10 PM on December 10, 2005