NHTSA Complaint #11397446 — 2015 FORD MUSTANG

THE CLUTCH PEDAL OF MY MUSTANG FAILED AT JUST OVER 90,000 MILES. I WAS DRIVING IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD WHEN THE PEDAL WAS NO LONGER ABLE TO BE OPERATED SAFELY AND REQUIRED TWISTING MY LEG IN ORDER TO PUSH THE PEDAL DOWN. AFTER LIMPING THE VEHICLE HOME, I INSPECTED THE PEDAL AND FOUND THAT WELD THAT JOINED ONE SIDE OF THE PEDAL ARM TO THE PIVOT BAR HAD BROKEN OFF COMPLETELY, AND THE OTHER SIDE HAD CRACKED. THIS ALLOWED SIGNIFICANT LATERAL MOVEMENT OF THE PEDAL, WHICH CAUSED IT TO HANG UP IN THE ASSEMBLY WHEN PUSHING IT IN. THERE WAS NO ABUSE LOADING OF THE PEDAL THROUGH THE LIFE OF THE CAR. AS A MECHANICAL ENGINEER, I CAN SAY WITH CONFIDENCE THAT THE WELD THAT BROKE OFF WAS BAD/COLD, AND THAT ONCE IT BROKE, SHIFTED ALL THE PEDAL LOADS TO THE OTHER SIDE, RESULTING IN ITS FAILURE. THIS DESIGN IS NOT ROBUST TO TYPICAL MANUFACTURING QUALITY VARIATIONS DUE TO THE WELDS BEING ONLY 90 DEG AROUND THE CIRCUMFERENCE. MY FAILURE IS ONLY ONE OF DOZENS THAT HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN MODEL SPECIFIC FORUMS AND ON SOCIAL MEDIA. I HAVE ENCOURAGED OTHERS WITH THIS ISSUE TO REPORT THEIRS.