I bought a new 2008 Ford Mustang last August, and since then I have put 2,800 miles on the car. The past few times I’ve taken the car out the gears would grind whenever shifting into 3rd gear. I brought it back to the dealer and they offered to install a new transmission. A NEW TRANSMISSION IN A CAR WITH LESS THAN 3,000 MILES!? This is the first car I have ever bought as the Army taught me how to walk everywhere I go with everything I need strapped to my back. Should I settle for the new transmission or demand a replacement vehicle?
Quality of ford stands out once again.
I see no benefit to demanding a new vehicle. If the transmission is the problem, replacing it (a pretty straightforward operation) should fix it.
Thanks for the advice, it rings true with a lot of feedback I am getting.
At least they’re offering a new transmission.
Things like this happen to ALL vehicles…Ford, GM, Toyota, Nissan, Mercedes…Sometimes things need to be replaced on brand new vehicles.
They won’t give you a new car. Take the transmission and enjoy the new car. These things happen now and then. At lease they are offering to make it right and you don’t have to argue about it.
Thanks again everyone. Sounds like I was overreacting. I’m sure the guy in the service area would appreciate all the grief he WON’T be getting from me as a result from everyone’s input.
When you pick up the car, ask them to explain WHY the gears ground while sifting into third.
It sounds as though a synchronizer has gone out in the transmission. The car should be as good as new with a new replacement transmission. My Dad bought a new Studebaker in 1963 and it would grind going into second gear. The service department removed the transmission, opened it up, and replaced the synchronizer. The car shifted better than ever. In your case, they are replacing the whole transmisison. Ford replaced an entire engine for me on an Aerostar that was under warranty. The Aerostar was fine when I got it back.
While it’s possible there could have been a manufacturing glitch of some sort it’s also possible that your driving habits could have contributed to it.
If someone is in the habit of driving with the seat adjusted back a bit too far it is possible to put undue wear on the synchronizer assembly for the 3rd gear set due to the clutch pedal not being completely depressed and 3rd gear being a bit of stretch if you want to call it that.
Don’t get mad at me; just a valid theory being thrown out there.
Last puzzler. Why in the world is it being claimed the entire transmission unit is being replaced over a simply synchronizer problem?
The way warranty works is that it will pay to repair a warrantable problem (e.g., take the transmission apart and repair the 3rd gear synchronizer problem) but will not pay for an entire new unit.
The same would apply with a head gasket problem scenario. The head gasket will be repaired but you would not get a new engine.
That being said, a new transmission unit is nothing to worry about and you should take it without question IF the entire unit is being replaced. Still don’t understand the logic behind it though.
ok4450 -No offense taken I appreciate the input. So far you are all right on and it is a synchronizer issue. The car is very new with very little mileage and because of that they are replacing the entire transmission rather than just the part. According to the Mechanic if there had been more mileage (he threw 25,000 miles out there) then they would wait for the new part and replace that, but because it’s so new they just want to replace the whole transmission.
The first time I ever drove a manual was the day I came screeching out of the dealer’s lot with this car so I have no doubt that driving habits could attribute to the problem. When the grinding started I considered exactly what you mentioned above as a possibility and took extra care to ensure the clutch was firmly pressed to the floor before shifting. I am on the tall side and I did find pushing the seat up a little made driving a bit more comfortable, but the gear grinding did continue.
Thanks for all of the input everyone!