Component

POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY:BELL HOUSING

44 NHTSA complaints about power train:clutch assembly:bell housing issues across 17 makes and 35 models.

The power train:clutch assembly:bell housing is one of the standardized component categories NHTSA uses to classify consumer safety complaints. Across the public complaint database, it accounts for 44 filings from 17 manufacturers and 35 distinct vehicle models, a footprint large enough that defect engineers can isolate part-family patterns across different platforms that share the same supplier or the same federal motor vehicle safety standard.

Among filings citing this component, owners have reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. The most complained-about vehicle in this category is the FREIGHTLINER COLUMBIA with 7 filings, followed by MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION and HYUNDAI TIBURON. These severity counters are what separates a nuisance complaint trend from a pattern NHTSA is likely to escalate into a Preliminary Evaluation.

Component-level analysis is how the Office of Defects Investigation spots cross-manufacturer supplier issues — the same airbag inflator, the same takata-style ignition switch, the same brake hose material — before they become industry-wide recalls. When you see a single component accumulating large complaint volume across several unrelated nameplates, that is usually a signature of a shared supplier or a shared federal standard being stressed by real-world conditions. Use the affected-vehicles table below to see whether the pattern is concentrated on a handful of models or distributed evenly, and cross-reference each model's full recall and investigation history before drawing conclusions about any one nameplate.

44
Complaints
35
Models Affected
1
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Deaths

Most Affected Vehicles

# Vehicle Complaints
1 FREIGHTLINER COLUMBIA 7
2 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION 2
3 HYUNDAI TIBURON 2
4 FORD AEROSTAR 2
5 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA 1
6 VOLKSWAGEN GTI 1
7 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE 1
8 TOYOTA TUNDRA 1
9 TOYOTA MATRIX 1
10 TOYOTA 4RUNNER 1
11 SUZUKI FORENZA 1
12 SUBARU WRX 1
13 SATURN VUE 1
14 SATURN SL 1
15 MITSUBISHI LANCER 1
16 MAZDA RX-8 1
17 MAZDA MAZDASPEED6 1
18 HONDA CMX250C 1
19 GEO METRO 1
20 FORD FUSION 1
21 FORD FOCUS SVT 1
22 FORD FOCUS 1
23 FORD F250 1
24 FORD F150 1
25 FORD F-550 SD 1
26 FORD F-150 1
27 DODGE STEALTH 1
28 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER CONVERTIBLE 1
29 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER 1
30 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1

Recent Complaints

2020 FORD FUSION

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle hesitated while responding. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehic

2007 ACURA TL

ACURA TL S TYPE 2007 CLUTCH FAILED WITH ONLY 20K MILES. I KNOW HOW TO DRIVE STICK SHIFT WELL. THE CLUTCH SHOULD NOT GO SO FAST. I HAD TO PAY FOR A NEW ONE ($1050) BECAUSE IT WAS "WEAR AND TEAR". *

2006 MAZDA MAZDASPEED6

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY AND GOING DOWN THE EXIT RAMP WHEN MY CLUTCH WENT OUT ON THE CAR. IT IS 2 YEARS OLD WITH 17000 MILES ON IT. IT IS A 2006 MAZDA MAZDASPEED6. I HAVE BEEN READING ON THE

1994 FORD AEROSTAR

FRONT COIL SPRINGS SNAPPED, HAD TO REPLACED WITH READING SPRING WORKS, THEY HAD TO SEND THE SPECKS TO CHICAGO. MY FORD AERO STAR 4 WHEEL DRIVE & 4.0 V6 IS NOT AVAILABLE FROM AFTER MARKET. THE ONLY OPT

2004 TOYOTA MATRIX

THE 2004 TOYOTA MATRIX XLS HAS ONLY 50,000 MILES ON IT. COMPLETE CLUTCH FAILURE ON INTERSTATE. *TR

2003 HYUNDAI TIBURON

2003 HYUNDAI TIBURON 4CYL CLUTCH PROBLEM. REPLACED AT 13,000 MILES AND IT IS GOING AGAIN AT 41,000. I BOUGHT THE CAR NEW AND I AM 44 YEARS OLD AND I DON'T ABUSE THE CAR. *TR

2005 CHEVROLET SILVERADO

10/28/06 DESPITE FULLY DEPRESSING THE CLUTCH TO SHIFT GEARS, THIS VEHICLE LOCKS IN A GEAR OR CANNOT BE SHIFTED INTO, OR OUT OF GEAR. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS IT LOCKED UP IN TRAFFIC WHILE THE TRUCK WAS

2006 AUDI S4

I LEASED ON BRAND NEW 2006 AUDI S4 ON JULY 29,2006. IN DECEMBER 14,2006 THIS CAR DEVELOPED A PROBLEM WITH THE POWER STEERING OF CAR. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS. THIS TOOK FOUR DAY

2003 VOLKSWAGEN GTI

I HAD A TOTAL LOSS OF CLUTCH HYDRAULIC PRESSURE ON 6 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION. THE PEDAL WAS STUCK TO THE FLOOR AND I HAD TO MOVE IT BACK UP WITH MY HAND. I THEN DEPRESSED IT AGAIN WITH MY FOOT AND T

2002 FORD FOCUS SVT

1. THIS HAPPENED UNDER MODERATE ACCELERATION TO GET ON THE FREEWAY AND WITH NO PRECURSORS OR INDICATORS. 2. THE VEHICLE MADE A LOUD POP. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE POP THE ENGINE STALLED, AND WHITE SMOKE E

2005 SATURN VUE

ON JULY 23, 2005, I HAD THE OIL SEAL REPLACED. THE VUE HAD BEEN LEAKING OIL IN MY GARAGE AND OTHER PLACES WHEN I PARKED. I HAD TO REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH ON TWO OCCASIONS AND WAS ALMOST UNABLE T

2005 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER CONVERTIBLE

WITH ONLY 21,000 MILES MY 2005 PT CRUISER CONVERTIBLE BASE MODEL EXPERIENCED A FAILURE OF THE MANUAL CLUTCH ASSEMBLY. I HAD DRIVEN ABOUT 100 MILES OF OPEN HIGHWAY AND WAS ENTERING A MORE URBAN SETTING

2003 HYUNDAI TIBURON

I BOUGHT A 2003 TIBURON 6/15/05, FOR $14,000 8/27/05 STARTED MAKING GRINDING NOISES, SMOKING,SOUNDED LIKE ENGINE BLEW UP. TOWED TO ROMERO MOTORS, ONTARIO, CLOSEST HYUNDAI DEALER. I HAD ORIGINAL WA

2005 FREIGHTLINER COLUMBIA

CLUTCH EXPLODED GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND LOCKED TRUCK IN GEAR AND FRAGMENTS STAYED IN BELLHOUSING THIS TIME,REMOVE CLUTCH AND REPLACED CLUTCH ASSY.

2005 FREIGHTLINER COLUMBIA

TRUCK WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR, SENT WRECKER HAD TOWED TO SHOP SHOP CHECK AND FOUND CLUCTH HAD EXPLODED, FRAGMENT WENT TRU, BELL HOUSING. RUNIED HOUSING AND CLUTCH.FRAGMENTS HAD HAVE HIT HIGHWAY. REMO

2005 FREIGHTLINER COLUMBIA

CLUTCH EXPLODED GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND LOCKED TRUCK IN GEAR AND FRAGMENTS WENT THOUGHT THE BELL HOUSING.ALSO THIS BROKE THE REAR ENGINE BELL HOUSING. COULD HAVE HIT OTHER AUTOS ON HGHWAY OR COULD

2005 FREIGHTLINER COLUMBIA

CLUTCH EXPLODE GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND LOCKED TRUCK IN GEAR AND FRAGMENTS WENT THOUGHT THE BELL HOUSING. COULD HAVE HIT OTHER AUTOS ON HGHWAY OR COULD HAVE SENT FRAGMENT INTO CAB OF TRUCK AND INJU

2005 FREIGHTLINER COLUMBIA

CLUTCH WOULD NOT RELEASE, AND THEN MADE LOUD POPING SOUND, THEN IT STARTING WORKING, GOT INTO OUR SHOP CHECK OUT FOUND IT HAD BLEW A HOLE IN CLUTCH HOUSING, PARTS OF CLUTCH DISC, CAME APART.R&R CLUCTH

2005 FREIGHTLINER COLUMBIA

CLUCTH MAKING ALOT OF NOISE HARD TO GET INTO GEAR, CHECK, AND FOUND THE PIECE IN CLUCTH DISC PART WAY STUCK OUT OF DISC. REPLACE CLUTCH ASSY, CAUGHT THIS ONE BEFORE DISC CAME APART

2005 FREIGHTLINER COLUMBIA

CLUCTH MAKING ALOT OF NOISE.AND HARD TO GET INTO GEAR, CHECK AND FOUND THE PIECE IN CLUTCH DISC PART WAY STUCK OUT OF DISC. REPLACED CLUTCH ASSY.CAUGHT THIS ONE BEFORE IT CAME APART.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints involve power train:clutch assembly:bell housing issues?
The NHTSA has received 44 complaints about power train:clutch assembly:bell housing problems across 35 vehicle models from 17 manufacturers.
How dangerous are power train:clutch assembly:bell housing defects?
POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY:BELL HOUSING issues have been linked to 1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths according to NHTSA complaint data.
Which vehicles have the most power train:clutch assembly:bell housing problems?
The most complained-about vehicle for power train:clutch assembly:bell housing issues is the FREIGHTLINER COLUMBIA with 7 complaints.
Where does PlainCars get its safety data?
All vehicle safety data comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints database, which collects reports from vehicle owners about safety-related defects.

Data Sources

Vehicle complaint data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints database. Includes consumer-reported safety issues filed with NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Severity counts cross-reference NHTSA FARS (Fatality Analysis Reporting System) for fatal incidents where a corresponding FARS record exists.

Component categories are standardized by NHTSA. Crash-test ratings where shown are drawn from the NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). Complaint counts, crash reports, fire reports, and fatality data reflect consumer-submitted reports and may not represent all incidents.

Disclaimer: This data is for informational purposes only and should not be used as the sole basis for vehicle purchase decisions. NHTSA complaint data is self-reported by consumers and has not been verified or investigated. A high complaint count does not necessarily indicate a defect. Always consult a qualified mechanic and check official NHTSA recall notices before making safety-related decisions.

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