Ford Mustang Safety Investigation Dropped By NHTSA

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has closed their preliminary evaluation of the Getrag MT-82 6-speed manual transmission used in 2011 and future Ford Mustangs.

“There is no indication of loss of motive power or unreasonable safety risk associated with the alleged defect in the subject vehicles,” the NHTSA said in a press release.

The evaluation came after 364 unique reports of problems with difficult cold shifts, binding gears, difficulty engaging in gears and excessive noise and vibration. The complaints, fielded by both Ford and the Office of Defects Investigations, prompted Ford to address the problems individually.

The difficulty shifting in cold weather, the report said, is the result of overly viscous transmission fluid. Ford has since advised technicians that a lower-viscosity fluid is available to fix the problem for cold-climate customers.

Perhaps more concerning are the grinding noises and trouble with engaging gears. The latter, Ford said, is because of the “rotating inertia of clutch components” and that it depends on how long the driver keeps the engine above 4000 rpms. New clutch pedal parts have also been distributed to fix the issue.

Finally, grinding and poor shift feel is from the gradual loosening of clutch plate fastenerers after aggressive shifting. To address this, Ford has implemented a new fastener in production and made the part available through a special service message.

Click here to go to a story we published in early October featuring a video made by a Mustang owner experiencing these problems.

[Source: press release]