'Who Pays?:' Woman Test Drives Toyota Corolla. Then She Smells Burning

"Clutch is completely burned."

Woman test-drives Toyota Corolla. Then she smells burning

Photo by: textomar & taylor Annis

Stacy Fernandez

By: Stacy Fernandez

Sep 21, 2025 at 5:00am ET

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A dealership seems to have given a customer a problematic car to test drive. Now they’re saying the person may owe them money for what’s wrong with the car.

Sure, if a person gets into a car accident while test driving a car there’s understandably a gray area around who is responsible to cover damages.

But commenters seem to agree that in this situation, the dealership is at fault.

Test Drive Gone Wrong

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In a video with more than 50,000 views, content creator and car salesman Omar (@textomar) says that a test drive at his dealership ended in unexpected mechanical trouble.

In the video Omar explains that the customer was test driving a 2022 Toyota Corolla with 44,000 miles on it when she noticed two serious problems.

“She said she smelled a burning smell and the car wouldn’t go into gear,” he explains.

The Corolla ended up needing to be brought back to the dealership on a tow truck.

“Let’s take a look together,” Omar says as he gets into the car and turns it on.

Turns out the customer was right. “Clutch is completely burned,” he says.

“Who should pay for the repair though? The dealership or the customer?” Omar asks.

In a text message, he told Motor1 that he does think it’s on the dealership to pay for the clutch.
“It’s the cost of doing business,” he said.

What Should You Do If Your Clutch Smells Like It’s Burning?

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A burning smell from the clutch can point to several issues, according to Chloe’s Auto Repair, an auto shop that regularly handles clutch problems.

One common cause is clutch slippage, when the friction disc doesn’t fully engage with the flywheel, preventing power from transferring to the wheels. This can lead to overheating and a strong burning odor.

Other possible causes include overheating of the clutch lining material, poor driving techniques like resting a foot on the clutch or coasting in neutral, overloading the vehicle, or seal leaks that let transmission fluid escape.

Warning signs of clutch trouble often include difficulty shifting gears, weak acceleration, low transmission fluid, a sticky clutch pedal, or an engine that revs without corresponding movement.

Auto experts recommend getting the vehicle checked as soon as these signs appear.

“The longer you leave the problem unaddressed, the more damage you’ll have to deal with over time,” Chloe’s Auto Repair advises.

But Who Should Pay?

Most people in the comments agree that the woman isn’t to blame.

“Can't burn up a clutch on a test drive,” a top comment reads.

“The dealership, it’s the dealership’s car,” another person said.

What do you think?

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Comments

“You can't prove she did it. Someone from your establishment should have gone on the test drive with her,” a third pointed out.

“Dealer should pay, since they likely bought from auction that way,” another agreed.