Dual Mass Flywheel - 2019 Berlingo

[Auracaria]

New member here: I hope this isn't already covered in the Forum. My daughter has a 2019 1199cc (petrol) Berlingo.

The garage has told us that the DMF needs to be replaced as a matter of urgency. I am pretty sure that the garage can be trusted and that a new flywheel really is required. They mentioned that if the flywheel actually fails, it can cause additional damage to the engine.

My question is this. The vehicle has had one owner and my daughter treats it quite carefully: she is usually transporting her two small-ish children. She isn't heavy on the clutch, and does very little stop-start driving. The mileage has only just reached 30,000. Is this a surprisingly short period to get a DMF failure? Am I likely to have any luck getting Citroen to contribute to the cost of replacing it?

I'll add that we are all in France, but I have no doubt that a Berlingo is a Berlingo wherever it is!

[GiveMeABreak]

Hi, as for a Citroen contribution, no, as the DMF along with any other component like the clutch is classified as a 'service' item or wear & tear.

DMFs can last upwards of 60k miles or as little as 20k or less. It depends on how the vehicle is driven, especially if being used to tow anything, or if the driver rests their foot on the clutch. Sharp acceleration, or using engine braking by changing gears down can also put additional stress on the DMF. City driving can also wear them out a lot more quickly.

As for damage, yes, if the DMF is falling apart, then it needs urgent replacement, and you may consider having the clutch done at the same time to save on labour. If the DMF breaks up it can hurl metal fragments about and damage surrounding components.