Total Complaints
9 filings
FORD GT500 · model year
9 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2008FORDGT500 carries 9 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2008 GT500 is power train:manual transmission with 4 filings, followed by power train (3) and structure:body (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 177 investigation files overlapping the 2008 GT500, and 8 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
Total Complaints
9 filings
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION | 4 |
| POWER TRAIN | 3 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 1 |
| AIR BAGS | 1 |
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.
Mileage: 8,054
(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
Mileage: 11,865
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
Mileage: 4,300
2008 FORD SHELBY GT500 - CLUTCH ASSY (AR3Z-7B546-AD) BEGAN SLIPPING BADLY AND WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY AT 26793 MILES. VEHICLE CAME OUT OF WARRANTY SERVICE / REPLACEMENT WITH A VERY PRONOUNCED VIBRATION IN THE POWER-TRAIN. THE FORD DEALERSHIP SAID IT WAS "BREAK-IN" VIBRATIONS FOR THE NEW CLUTCH (SAME PART NUMBER). AT 43719 MILES (AFTER 16926 MILES OF UNABUSIVE AND NORMAL DRIVING / NORMAL WEAR & TARE), THE CLUTCH REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY HAS AGAIN FAILED INTERNALLY, WITH VERY MINIMAL WEAR (HOT SPOTS) EVIDENT ON THE EXTERNAL CLUTCH PLATE SURFACE. I ASKED TO SEE THE CLUTCH BEING REPLACED. AS I EXAMINED IT AND ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT PART NUMBERS, THE FORD SERVICE TECHNICIAN ADMITTED TO ME THAT FORD MOTOR COMPANY NO LONGER USES THIS SPECIFIC CLUTCH PART NUMBER, DUE TO A NOTED SERIES OF CHRONIC MANUFACTURE AND SAFETY ISSUES WITH THE CLUTCH, AND YET NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED TO DATE. THE FORD TECHNICIAN ALSO SAID THE CLUTCH WOULD BE REPLACED THIS TIME WITH A NEWER CLUTCH (7R3Z-7L596
Mileage: 26,793
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
Mileage: 16,000
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 DES
Mileage: 22,500
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
Mileage: 1,891
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
Mileage: 7,100
CAR EXPERIENCED A CLUTCH FAILURE WITH LESS THAN 19,000 MILES ON THE CAR. FAILURE OCCURRED WHEN TRYING TO MERGE WITH HIGH SPEED TRAFFIC. CLUTCH SIMPLY LOST ITS CONNECTION WITH THE REAR WHEELS AND THE ENGINE SPEED HAD NO EFFECT. RESULTING IN A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER AND ALMOST CAUSED ME TO BE REAR ENDED BY TRAFFIC. QUICK MANEUVERING BY ME ALLOWED ME TO ESCAPE AN ACCIDENT. *TR
Mileage: 18,690
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
Timing Belt Failure
Underbody shields detachment
B-Pillar Trim Detachment
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.