2008 Ford GT500 Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2008 Ford GT500, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Transmission444.4%
- Powertrain (other)333.3%
- Airbags111.1%
- Body & structure111.1%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
GT500 TRANSMISSION WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO GET INTO 1ST, 2ND AND REVERSE. I OFTEN HAD TO SKIP 2ND GEAR BECAUSE IT WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR. CLUTCH CHATTER WHEN RELEASED CLUTCH PEDAL BECAME EXCESSIVE OVER TIME. CALLED FORD DEALERSHIP IN SUMMER OF 2010 AND TALKED TO SERVICE PERSONNEL ABOUT THE ISSUES AND WAS TOLD OTHER DRIVERS EXPERIENCING SAME SYMPTOMS AND THEY ARE NORMAL CHARACTERISTICS OF MY VEHICLE. WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY CLUTCH FAILED FORCING ME OFF THE ROAD. CLUTCH DIAGNOSED AS INOPERABLE AT 16,000 MILES. FORD REFUSED TO WARRANTY STATING IT'S A WEAR ITEM DESPITE ISSUING 4 TSB'S AND REPLACING THE OEM PARTS WITH NEW DESIGNS TO ADDRESS FLAWS. *TR
I OWN A 2008 FORD MUSTANG SHELBY GT500 WHICH I PAID $50,000 FOR. I HAVE 22,000 EASILY DRIVEN, WELL MAINTAINED, HIGHWAY MILES ON THE CAR. I HAVE DRIVEN EITHER 4 SPEED, 5 SPEED, OR 6 SPEED MUSTANGS FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS. I AM NO NOVICE AT DRIVING A MANUAL TRANSMISSION CAR, NOR AM I A NOVICE AT ALL THINGS MUSTANG. DRIVING TO WORK THIS MORNING, WHILE ENTERING THE HIGHWAY FROM AN ON RAMP, I DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR TO BLEND INTO TRAFFIC. IN DOING SO, THE CAR LOST SPEED AND THE RPMS WENT TO APPROX. 5000. I QUICKLY LET OFF THE ACCELERATOR AND WAS BARELY ABLE TO KEEP FROM GETTING RAN OVER IN THE FAR RIGHT HAND LANE. AFTER FEATHERING THE THROTTLE, I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR UP TO SPEED, BUT THE PROBLEM EXISTED THROUGHOUT MY 40 MILE DRIVE, ESPECIALLY EVIDENT WHEN I ENTERED THE CITY OF MY DESTINATION. IT WOULD NOT LAUNCH FROM A STANDSTILL WITHOUT MUCH EFFORT, CLUTCH PLAY AND THROTTLE PLAY. I HAVE LOST A CLUTCH BEFORE, AND THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT IT FELT LIKE TO ME. AFTER ARRIVING AT MY DESTINATION, I IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO RESEARCH THIS ISSUE WITH OTHER GT500 OWNERS BECAUSE THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING TO ME OR TO A CAR WITH 22,000 MILES. COME TO FIND OUT THERE ARE A TON OF 2007-09 GT500 OWNERS COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS. FORD ISSUED OR SOMEONE ISSUED A TSB 09-9-2 ON THIS AND ONE BEFORE IT. APPARENTLY IT IS AN INHERENT ISSUE WITH THE FLYWHEEL, PRESSURE PLATE, TRANSMISSION, OUTPUT SHAFT DESIGN MATED UP WITH THE DRIVESHAFT WHICH CAN CAUSE THE FLYWHEEL TO WARP AND EVERYTHING ELSE TO BE DESTROYED, IN SOME CASES, EVEN THE TRANSMISSION. NOT ONLY DO I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE AS ONE COULD BE RAN OVER IF THE CAR WILL NOT GO WHEN SUPPOSED TO AND EVERYONE ELSE DOES, BUT IT IS ALSO AN ISSUE THAT FORD OBVIOUSLY KNOWS ABOUT DUE TO THE FIXES THEY PUT IN THE 2010 MODEL CARS. I BELIEVE A RECALL TO FIX THE FLYWHEEL ISSUE IS VERY WARRANTED AND I BELIEVE IF THE TRANSMISSION IS BAD, THAT THE OLD ONE SHOULD BE FIXED AND RETURNED TO THE OWNER BECAUSE IT HAS THE VIN ON IT. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
MY TREMEC TR56 TRANSMISSION TEARS UP EVERY 600 MI. FORD AND TREMEC ARE AWARE OF PROBLEM WITH SYNCHRONIZERS BREAKING, THEN CAUSING OTHER PARTS TO BREAK BECAUSE OF METAL PIECES MOVING INSIDE TRANSMISSION. I DON'T DRIVE MY SHELBY EVERY DAY. IT ONLY HAS 8054 MILES ON SPEEDOMETER. IF I HAD DROVE MY SHELBY EVERY DAY FOR 30 MILES ( 8054 DIVIDED BY 30 MILES DRIVEN 7 DAYS A WEEK} THIS COMES UP TO 268 DAYS FOR TRANSMISSION TO TEAR UP 3 TIMES. THE FIRST REBUILD WAS AT 6851 MILES THE SECOND REBUILD WAS 511 MILES LATER AND THE THIRD BREAKDOWN WAS 511 MILES LATER. THIS TR6060 TRANSMISSION IS BREAKING DOWN IN G.M. VEHICLES ALSO.
(AFFECTED PARTS: MANUAL TRANSMISSION, FLY WHEEL, CLUTCH) TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE AT 75MPH IN FAST LANE DURING HEAVY TRAFFIC SEVERAL VEHICLES AHEAD THERE WAS A SUDDEN ACCIDENT SLAMMMED ON BRAKES DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH ROOM TO STOP TRANSFER TRUCK BEHIND ME LOCKED DOWN BRAKES TO AVOID BEING SANDWICHED ATTEMPTED TO CHANGE LANES PRESSED GAS RPMS INCREASED TO REDLINE VEHICLE DID NOT MOVE CLUTCH BEGAN SLIPPING ON FLYWHEEL HAD TO DOWN SHIFT AND FEATHER THE CLUTCH AND GAS TO GET VEHICLE MOVING WAS STUCK SIDE WAYS IN TWO LANES WITH APPROACHING TRAFFIC AT HIGH SPEEDS TSB ON VEHICLE FOR SAME ISSUE DEALER REFUSED TO REPAIR DUE TO BEING OUT OF WARRANTY RANGE(36MO/36000MI) THIS IS AN EXTREEMLY COMMON PROBLEM IN THESE VEHICLES FORD REFUSES TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE NOR ISSUE A RECALL COULD HAVE LOST THE LIFE OF MYSELF AND LOVED ONES
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
I OWN A 2008 FORD GT500 I HAVE BEEN HAVING ISSUES WITH THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG SENSOR NOT SENDING THE PROPER SIGNAL TO ACTIVATE THE AIRBAG FOR DEPLOYMENT I CONTACTED THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY TO DISCUSS HAVING THEM MEET A KNOWN RECALL WITH THIS AIRBAG SYSTEM THERE WAS A REPAIR MADE IN 2010 TO THE UNIT HOW EVER THE PROBLEM CONTINUES TO BE AN ISSUE AFTER THE INITIAL REQUEST TO CORRECT THE KNOWN PROBLEM THE SUPERVISOR I SPOKE WITH STATED FORDS FINAL DECISION WOULD BE THAT THEY KNEW THE PROBLEM EXISTED BUT WERE ONLY REQUIRED TO INITIATE A REPAIR ONCE AND EVEN THOUGH THE ISSUE WITH THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG STILL EXISTED THEY WERE NOT OBLIGATED AND WOULD NOT MAKE THE REPAIR OR CONTINUE TO DISCUSS CORRECTING THE ISSUE I REQUESTED TO SPEAK WITH SUPERVISORS SUPERIOR AN WERE REFUSED ANY FURTHER ANSWERS OR HELP AND WAS THEN HUNG UP ON THE KNOWN AIRBAG ISSUE INCREASES THE CHANCE OF NECK INJURIES DURING DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIRBAG SHOULD THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOY AT ALL OBVIOUSLY FORD MOTOR COMPANY HAS NO CONCERN FOR CONTINUING TO PUT PEOPLE'S LIVES IN DANGER BY REFUSING TO REPAIR A KNOWN ISSUE WITH ITS PRODUCT. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
CAR HAS BEEN LEAKING WATER INSIDE SINCE I PURCHASED IT. I JUST TOOK IT BACK FOR THE THIRD TIME TO BE FIXED. THEY CALLED IN AN OUTSIDE COMPANY TO FIX MY LEAKS. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .