I have a 2007 Mustang V6 45000 Miles. I bought it brand new from the factory ten miles on the car. I have has three clutches replaced in the past 4 year. I have been told by the GM of the chain transmission shop that he has never seen a clutch go out so much and even if I didn’t know how to drive a stick i couldn’t go through so many clutches in 45000 miles. Unfortunate i cannot pursue a lemon law case as I bough the car in Georgia and they have a two year max on claims. Is this a common problem with this year? Could installing a all new transmission solve the problem. I don’t race the car I don’t drive it hard. At this point its cheaper to get a new clutch every year than it is to get a new car. I am at my wits end and no one seems able to help me.
Is the clutch being replaced because of wear or something else?
Going through this many clutches points to an installation fault or driving habits.
Installation faults might be:
Overlooking a burnt or warped flywheel.
Not enough free play in the clutch master cylinder pushrod.
Replacing the disc only and reusing the pressure plate.
Clutch master cylinder or slave cylinder hanging up. (This would be rare; just pointing it out.)
Clutch disc hanging on the input shaft splines. (Again, rare and just pointing it out.)
As to driving habits I have no idea on that but will say that it is entirely possible to knock out mulitple clutches by riding the clutch.
I think the GM of the chain transmission shop does not know beans about automobiles. A brand new clutch can be destroyed in as little as 15 minutes or less. I have to agree with @ok4450 when he mentions “driving habits.” That may not be the case here but I don’t think you have a “lemon law” case either. I think you need to drive with a knowledgable mechanic in the passenger seat and not one from a “chain shop.” If your driving habits are destroying the clutches then the mechanic should be able to spot the cause in short order.
Have someone check the clutch master cylinder. The master cylinder can be effected by engine heat where when the clutch pedal is depressed not enough hydraulic pressure is produced to completely release the clutch. This results in burning up the clutch.
Tester
if you are revving the engine up then releasing the clutch, you are causing excessive and premature wear. Go to an empty parking lot, practice putting the vehicle in motion without using the accelerator. When you maser this, your clutch problems WILL be over.
A poor installation job can result in a clutch that doesn’t last. Also, some bad driving habits can wear a clutch out fast. So, you really need to at both areas.
I’d recommend you find someone who has a good base of knowledge driving a manual shift car. Have this person ride along with you on several drives in all kinds of situations. If I was the observer the 1st thing I’d look for is what you do with your clutch leg and foot between upshifts. If the foot stays on the clutch petal, I’d correct you on that point. The clutch foot must come off the clutch petal completely between each shift. I’d want to see how you start from a stop on a hill. If you live in a very hilly area this can be important.
As for the clutch being properly installed, who is doing the clutch replacement? A Ford dealer, or the “national transmission” chain shop? I really believe many transmission shops do so little work on manual transmissions for a clutch replacement you need a good general mechanic shop, or the dealer. Replacing the transmission won’t do any good, the issue is not a transmission problem.
If it were my car, the first thing I’d do is ask my mechanic to rebleed the clutch hydraulics, then ask him to check that the linkages from the pedal freeplay all the way to the clutch release arm are adjusted to the manufacturer’s spec. If that doesn’t fix the problem, either it is the way you are using the clutch, or there’s something wrong internally and you’d need an expert to take it all apart and determine what is wrong.