NHTSA Complaint #10242760 — 2007 FORD MUSTANG

APPROX. THE 10TH OF JUNE, 2 WEEKS BEFORE MY FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF HAVING PURCHASED MY 2007 FORD SHELBY GT-500 COBRA, I BEGAN NOTICING SOME SLIPPAGE IN THE TRANSMISSION DURING ACCELERATION FOR PASSING, ETC. I DIDN'T PAY MUCH ATTENTION TO IT TO BEGIN WITH, BUT THE SLIPPING STEADILY WORSENED. I ONLY WORK 3 MILES FROM HOME, SO MY OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPERIENCE THE REVVING AND THEN SLIPPAGE DIDN'T COME UP AS OFTEN AS ONE MAY PERCEIVE. I TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP ABOUT JUNE 23RD, AT WHICH TIME THEY CHECKED THINGS OUT AND CALLED ME BACK A FEW HOURS LATER. THE FIRST CALL FROM THE SERVICE REP. TOLD ME THAT THE "CLUTCH WAS ALMOST TOTALLY WORN-OUT, AND MUST BE REPLACED." HE SAID HE ALSO NEEDED TO CHECK ON THE TRANSMISSION/FLYWHEEL ASSEMBLY AND GET BACK TO ME SHORTLY. ABOUT AN HOUR LATER HIS SECOND "CALL OF DOOM" TOLD ME THAT THE FLYWHEEL AND TRANS. WOULD ALSO NEED REPLACING. I DIDN'T WORRY A WHOLE LOT, NOT UNTIL I CHECKED MY "PURCHASE DATE" AND DISCOVERED THAT MY TOP OF THE LINE, A-1, CAR OF THE YEAR HAD ELAPSED THE 12 MONTH MARK ABOUT ONE WEEK PRIOR TO THIS DISCOVERY! AT THIS TIME, MY TOP OF THE LINE SHELBY COBRA HAD EXACTLY 10,345 MILES ON IT!! I SPOKE WITH THE MGR. AND ASKED FOR A "WAIVER" SINCE THE PROBLEMS HAD ACTUALLY STARTED PRIOR TO THE EXPIRATION OF THE 12/12,000 WARRANTY. I WAS TOLD THAT...IN THIS CASE...THAT "WAIVER" OR "FREE PASS" ON MY HAVING GONE 6.5 DAYS PAST THE WARRANTY EXP. WOULDN'T MEAN ANYTHING ANYWAY! WHY? WELL, IT SEEMS, THE FLYWHEEL, TRANSMISSION, AND CLUTCH ALL FALL UNDER THE BROAD AND ALL ENCOMPASSING TERM OF "NORMAL WEAR AND USAGE", KIND OF LIKE TIRES, WIPER BLADES, ETC. MY QUESTION WAS (AND STILL IS) "PLEASE TELL ME WHY FORD'S TOP-OF-THE-LINE, CAR OF THE YEAR, ETC. HAS A FLYWHEEL/TRANS./CLUTCH ASSEMBLY THAT DOESN'T EVEN LAST ONE CALENDAR YEAR?" NOBODY HAS YET TO ANSWER THAT QUERY .BUT GUESS WHO HAD TO SHELL OUT $2850 IN REPAIR FEES?? ME! THE SAME FELLOW WHO WAS SO PROUD TO BE DRIVING THE LATEST, GREATEST FORD MUSTANG EVER PRODUCED/SOLD! *TR