MajorCommonTransmission

Kia Picanto: Clutch judder and short clutch life (shared with Hyundai i10)

Clutch judder and short clutch life (shared with Hyundai i10) is a common transmission fault on the Kia Picanto on the 2011 onward cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $900 to $1,600 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 11 documented faults on the Kia Picanto.

Vehicle: Kia Picanto
Years: 2011 onward
Fuel: petrol
Gearbox: manual
System: Transmission

This page covers the Kia Picanto as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Kia Picanto faults11 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

No photograph available

We do not hold a verified photograph of the Clutch yet. We would rather show none than show a picture of a different part.

What goes wrong

Manual Picantos - especially the 1.25, and including near-new third-generation cars - have a documented clutch judder problem shared with the mechanically identical Hyundai i10. The car shudders pulling away, particularly on hills or when cold, and the bite point sits high. Kia acknowledged judder on a small number of cars but has been reluctant to cover clutches under warranty, arguing wear and tear. Some clutches need replacing well under 60,000 km.

What you would notice

Shudder through the car when pulling away
High biting point near the top of pedal travel
Slipping revs under load in higher gears

How to check it

Where to look. Clutch between engine and transaxle; felt through the pedal and floor on take-off

Do a hill start on the test drive and pull away gently several times from cold - judder is worst then. Check the bite point height. In a high gear at low revs, floor the throttle and watch for revs rising without matching acceleration (slip). Ask if the clutch was ever replaced and at what mileage.

Parts involved: Clutch.

What it costs to put right

$900 to $1,600 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

Ask the seller

“Has the clutch ever been replaced, and at what km?”
“Does it judder on hill starts?”

Now check the Kia Picanto you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.

Not sure what you would be paying for? See what a full KickTyres check includes.

Where this comes from

The failure described above is documented in the sources below. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them.

Kia Owners Club Forum - Clutch judder on brand new 1.25 Picanto GT-Line thread
What Car? - Used Kia Picanto 2011-2017 reliability (i10 clutch judder note)

Kia Picanto buyer questions

Is clutch judder and short clutch life (shared with hyundai i10) serious on a Kia Picanto?

We rate it major and common on the Kia Picanto. Manual Picantos - especially the 1.25, and including near-new third-generation cars - have a documented clutch judder problem shared with the mechanically identical Hyundai i10. The car shudders pulling away, particularly on hills or when cold, and the bite point sits high. Kia acknowledged judder on a small number of cars but has been reluctant to cover clutches under warranty, arguing wear and tear. Some clutches need replacing well under 60,000 km.

How much does it cost to fix on a Kia Picanto?

$900 to $1,600 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Kia Picanto years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 2011 onward Kia Picanto. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.