2013 GT with worn out clutch? Dealership taking advantage
07-10-2014, 10:27 AM
#1
3rd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2012
Location: DC
Posts: 642
2013 GT with worn out clutch? Dealership taking advantage
My 2013 GT Convertible is in the shop with a transmission issue, and a TPMS sensor is out.
The issue is that the car is very hard to shift, but there is no issue with the actual "holding" of the clutch. In previous cars I and my spouse have had our cars went 6+ years on the OEM clutches. Even my 2005 GTO went 85k on the original clutch and it had all bolt-ons, cam, headers, etc.
What I'm experiencing is that in order to shift cleanly, I'm having to pump up pressure, and that it's nearly impossible to shift still, I have to try with all my might to get it into gear, and the friction point is very low since it seemingly is never fully disengaging.
Holding power is there, I can freely slip in 1st thru 3rd while taking off and there is no slippage, when floored, the clutch never shows any signs of slippage. Instead what I'm seeing points directly at the throwout bearing, and possibly hydraulic, as it improves slightly when pumping the clutch.
Koon's Ford in Silver Spring, MD seemingly is trying to take advantage of me as the service adviser is trying to tell me that it's the clutch that is worn out. If the clutch were worn out, it would be slipping and the car would have issues moving under its own power as there wouldn't be a clutch surface to do it's job. Instead the issue I have is the opposite. It grips fine, but due to a bad slave cylinder or throwout bearing it's not releasing the clutch enough for me to shift it into gear easily.
Instead they just see dollar signs, and an opportunity to make a lot of money on a "silly stupid girl that doesn't know anything."
First of all, they want to charge me $1,800 in parts alone to replace the clutch. I looked online and I could buy all the parts required from that very same dealership for $611.23 instead of the $1800 they are asking. When I mean "buy all the parts" I mean going as far as replacing the slave cylinder, the pilot bearing and the clutch master cylinder. They say that the flywheel would be under warranty.
Second, they said they could get my TPMS sensor replaced partially under warranty. That I would be responsible for $300, and they would cover $40, bringing that total to $340. Again, I can get that sensor from their parts department for under $50, so something doesn't feel right. That is under the 3/36,000 warranty, but the car has 36,040 miles on it.
The reason i'm upset is that i feel that I'm being lied to and taken advantage of because I'm female. What they don't know is that I used to be ASE certified about a decade ago, and that I fully understand the issue with my car, and it is NOT the clutch, but rather the throwout bearing, which is less than a $150 part, but would be covered under the 5/60,000 warranty.
I have left PMs with Deysha on multiple Mustang Forums to see if they can intervene, but I feel like this is crap.
In the 36,000 miles on it, it hasn't been raced, modded or abused, heck it's on the original tires. I think anything nearing a burnout has happened once, and that was like taking off hard from a light on the first day.
Any other suggestions? I love this car.
The issue is that the car is very hard to shift, but there is no issue with the actual "holding" of the clutch. In previous cars I and my spouse have had our cars went 6+ years on the OEM clutches. Even my 2005 GTO went 85k on the original clutch and it had all bolt-ons, cam, headers, etc.
What I'm experiencing is that in order to shift cleanly, I'm having to pump up pressure, and that it's nearly impossible to shift still, I have to try with all my might to get it into gear, and the friction point is very low since it seemingly is never fully disengaging.
Holding power is there, I can freely slip in 1st thru 3rd while taking off and there is no slippage, when floored, the clutch never shows any signs of slippage. Instead what I'm seeing points directly at the throwout bearing, and possibly hydraulic, as it improves slightly when pumping the clutch.
Koon's Ford in Silver Spring, MD seemingly is trying to take advantage of me as the service adviser is trying to tell me that it's the clutch that is worn out. If the clutch were worn out, it would be slipping and the car would have issues moving under its own power as there wouldn't be a clutch surface to do it's job. Instead the issue I have is the opposite. It grips fine, but due to a bad slave cylinder or throwout bearing it's not releasing the clutch enough for me to shift it into gear easily.
Instead they just see dollar signs, and an opportunity to make a lot of money on a "silly stupid girl that doesn't know anything."
First of all, they want to charge me $1,800 in parts alone to replace the clutch. I looked online and I could buy all the parts required from that very same dealership for $611.23 instead of the $1800 they are asking. When I mean "buy all the parts" I mean going as far as replacing the slave cylinder, the pilot bearing and the clutch master cylinder. They say that the flywheel would be under warranty.
Second, they said they could get my TPMS sensor replaced partially under warranty. That I would be responsible for $300, and they would cover $40, bringing that total to $340. Again, I can get that sensor from their parts department for under $50, so something doesn't feel right. That is under the 3/36,000 warranty, but the car has 36,040 miles on it.
The reason i'm upset is that i feel that I'm being lied to and taken advantage of because I'm female. What they don't know is that I used to be ASE certified about a decade ago, and that I fully understand the issue with my car, and it is NOT the clutch, but rather the throwout bearing, which is less than a $150 part, but would be covered under the 5/60,000 warranty.
I have left PMs with Deysha on multiple Mustang Forums to see if they can intervene, but I feel like this is crap.
In the 36,000 miles on it, it hasn't been raced, modded or abused, heck it's on the original tires. I think anything nearing a burnout has happened once, and that was like taking off hard from a light on the first day.
Any other suggestions? I love this car.
07-10-2014, 11:01 AM
#2
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: AR
Posts: 236
It does seem strange. You might call another stealership to just get price quotes for comparison sake.
Also local mechanic shop would be less than 1/2 price. If you end up paying for it yourself consider going with a better aftermarket parts as well. Even just a throwout bearing can be a lot better aftermarket to improve clutch dis-engagement.
Have you tried calling ford customer care? For a car with only 40 miles over the warranty maybe they'll warranty it for you. Surely it was occurring before 36k miles as well would be your argument to them. Maybe you live > 40 miles from stealership?
Sure would have been easier if you had taken it to them 41 miles ago, but I'm sure you had your reasons.
I paid for a new Tourqe Converter on a SC F150 once for 80 miles over as I thought it was something minor and waited so I've been there.
Also local mechanic shop would be less than 1/2 price. If you end up paying for it yourself consider going with a better aftermarket parts as well. Even just a throwout bearing can be a lot better aftermarket to improve clutch dis-engagement.
Have you tried calling ford customer care? For a car with only 40 miles over the warranty maybe they'll warranty it for you. Surely it was occurring before 36k miles as well would be your argument to them. Maybe you live > 40 miles from stealership?
Sure would have been easier if you had taken it to them 41 miles ago, but I'm sure you had your reasons.
I paid for a new Tourqe Converter on a SC F150 once for 80 miles over as I thought it was something minor and waited so I've been there.
Last edited by BlindGUYnAR; 07-10-2014 at 11:05 AM.
07-10-2014, 04:10 PM
#4
are you the original owner of the car? if so exactly how many miles were on the car when you bought it? cause if it had more than the 40 then you are still covered under warranty because the warranty doesnt start until it is put in service/sold.
07-10-2014, 04:14 PM
#5
3rd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2012
Location: DC
Posts: 642
oooh you're right... it was delivered to me with something like 50-75 miles on it. We were impatient and had the dealership get it while it sat for like a week in the regional distribution center. That would cover the TPMS..
07-10-2014, 04:56 PM
#6
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: AR
Posts: 236
In that case I would think it would cover the entire thing clutch, throw-out bearing, and all. Not just the TPMS.
07-11-2014, 10:24 AM
#9
My 2013 GT Convertible is in the shop with a transmission issue, and a TPMS sensor is out.
The issue is that the car is very hard to shift, but there is no issue with the actual "holding" of the clutch. In previous cars I and my spouse have had our cars went 6+ years on the OEM clutches. Even my 2005 GTO went 85k on the original clutch and it had all bolt-ons, cam, headers, etc.
What I'm experiencing is that in order to shift cleanly, I'm having to pump up pressure, and that it's nearly impossible to shift still, I have to try with all my might to get it into gear, and the friction point is very low since it seemingly is never fully disengaging.
Holding power is there, I can freely slip in 1st thru 3rd while taking off and there is no slippage, when floored, the clutch never shows any signs of slippage. Instead what I'm seeing points directly at the throwout bearing, and possibly hydraulic, as it improves slightly when pumping the clutch.
Koon's Ford in Silver Spring, MD seemingly is trying to take advantage of me as the service adviser is trying to tell me that it's the clutch that is worn out. If the clutch were worn out, it would be slipping and the car would have issues moving under its own power as there wouldn't be a clutch surface to do it's job. Instead the issue I have is the opposite. It grips fine, but due to a bad slave cylinder or throwout bearing it's not releasing the clutch enough for me to shift it into gear easily.
Instead they just see dollar signs, and an opportunity to make a lot of money on a "silly stupid girl that doesn't know anything."
First of all, they want to charge me $1,800 in parts alone to replace the clutch. I looked online and I could buy all the parts required from that very same dealership for $611.23 instead of the $1800 they are asking. When I mean "buy all the parts" I mean going as far as replacing the slave cylinder, the pilot bearing and the clutch master cylinder. They say that the flywheel would be under warranty.
Second, they said they could get my TPMS sensor replaced partially under warranty. That I would be responsible for $300, and they would cover $40, bringing that total to $340. Again, I can get that sensor from their parts department for under $50, so something doesn't feel right. That is under the 3/36,000 warranty, but the car has 36,040 miles on it.
The reason i'm upset is that i feel that I'm being lied to and taken advantage of because I'm female. What they don't know is that I used to be ASE certified about a decade ago, and that I fully understand the issue with my car, and it is NOT the clutch, but rather the throwout bearing, which is less than a $150 part, but would be covered under the 5/60,000 warranty.
I have left PMs with Deysha on multiple Mustang Forums to see if they can intervene, but I feel like this is crap.
In the 36,000 miles on it, it hasn't been raced, modded or abused, heck it's on the original tires. I think anything nearing a burnout has happened once, and that was like taking off hard from a light on the first day.
Any other suggestions? I love this car.
The issue is that the car is very hard to shift, but there is no issue with the actual "holding" of the clutch. In previous cars I and my spouse have had our cars went 6+ years on the OEM clutches. Even my 2005 GTO went 85k on the original clutch and it had all bolt-ons, cam, headers, etc.
What I'm experiencing is that in order to shift cleanly, I'm having to pump up pressure, and that it's nearly impossible to shift still, I have to try with all my might to get it into gear, and the friction point is very low since it seemingly is never fully disengaging.
Holding power is there, I can freely slip in 1st thru 3rd while taking off and there is no slippage, when floored, the clutch never shows any signs of slippage. Instead what I'm seeing points directly at the throwout bearing, and possibly hydraulic, as it improves slightly when pumping the clutch.
Koon's Ford in Silver Spring, MD seemingly is trying to take advantage of me as the service adviser is trying to tell me that it's the clutch that is worn out. If the clutch were worn out, it would be slipping and the car would have issues moving under its own power as there wouldn't be a clutch surface to do it's job. Instead the issue I have is the opposite. It grips fine, but due to a bad slave cylinder or throwout bearing it's not releasing the clutch enough for me to shift it into gear easily.
Instead they just see dollar signs, and an opportunity to make a lot of money on a "silly stupid girl that doesn't know anything."
First of all, they want to charge me $1,800 in parts alone to replace the clutch. I looked online and I could buy all the parts required from that very same dealership for $611.23 instead of the $1800 they are asking. When I mean "buy all the parts" I mean going as far as replacing the slave cylinder, the pilot bearing and the clutch master cylinder. They say that the flywheel would be under warranty.
Second, they said they could get my TPMS sensor replaced partially under warranty. That I would be responsible for $300, and they would cover $40, bringing that total to $340. Again, I can get that sensor from their parts department for under $50, so something doesn't feel right. That is under the 3/36,000 warranty, but the car has 36,040 miles on it.
The reason i'm upset is that i feel that I'm being lied to and taken advantage of because I'm female. What they don't know is that I used to be ASE certified about a decade ago, and that I fully understand the issue with my car, and it is NOT the clutch, but rather the throwout bearing, which is less than a $150 part, but would be covered under the 5/60,000 warranty.
I have left PMs with Deysha on multiple Mustang Forums to see if they can intervene, but I feel like this is crap.
In the 36,000 miles on it, it hasn't been raced, modded or abused, heck it's on the original tires. I think anything nearing a burnout has happened once, and that was like taking off hard from a light on the first day.
Any other suggestions? I love this car.
Deysha
07-11-2014, 10:55 AM
#10
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Utah
Posts: 223
Check and see if there are any TSB's out for your car regarding any clutch or related issues. I had similar issues with my 09 Shelby. My clutch went out with 15,000 on my brand new car that I drive like a baby and my stealership tried to blame it all me "Riding my clutch". They where going to jam me with a $5000 repair bill 1 month after my 3 year warranty expired and they didn't even seem to care. I had purchased 3 new cars from them in the past, they preformed all my maintenance so they know how I baby my cars.
The only way I found about some issues was some one on this forum told me about all the issues with the clutch, there where 4 TSB's relating to my cars clutch and related parts. I even took the matter all the way up Fords chain of command and they refused to acknowledge there where a million issues with that weak and problematic clutch in my year of car. After I took all the copies of the TSB's I had found after 2 weeks of research to my dealer and remembered the complaint about clutch chatter I mentioned right when I got the car they finally agreed to preform the repair and everything related at no cost.
I swore after all those issues I was NEVER going to buy another Ford.... then what to I do, but a '14. I sure hope I don't end up regretting it.
The only way I found about some issues was some one on this forum told me about all the issues with the clutch, there where 4 TSB's relating to my cars clutch and related parts. I even took the matter all the way up Fords chain of command and they refused to acknowledge there where a million issues with that weak and problematic clutch in my year of car. After I took all the copies of the TSB's I had found after 2 weeks of research to my dealer and remembered the complaint about clutch chatter I mentioned right when I got the car they finally agreed to preform the repair and everything related at no cost.
I swore after all those issues I was NEVER going to buy another Ford.... then what to I do, but a '14. I sure hope I don't end up regretting it.
