[ST/Mustang]

So as the title says I am looking at a 2013 ST3 with 45,000 miles. It is at a local chain dealer here. I took it out for about an 1hr yesterday and found a couple issues I am hoping to get some feedback on.

1. Strong clutch or brake smell. I noticed this when sitting at a stop with windows down or when getting out of the car. (I told dealer this is why I couldn't buy yesterday. They of course said noting wrong, but they would have their shop check into it. Turns out clutch needs replacement and they are doing that now and said would be ready next business day... Seems fast for a non Ford dealer, but who knows. They kept pressuring me to proceed with purchase and I told them I needed to see it fixed and think about it... Seemed to drive normal other than strong smell so still slightly interested, but I just don't know with the below.)

2. Hissing sound coming from sounds like passenger side. When driving and when sitting still. When sitting if you tap the gas it hisses more with RPM's increasing. I have read this in a couple places online, but haven't really come across an answer to what it is.

3. At idle at say a stop light the RPM's seem to sit still, but the car has a slight shake. Is this normal?

4. Lots of rattles and squeaks in the car. Heard a odd one when accelerating from a stop that I think is in the dash, but not sure. Lots all around inside so I am guessing in car. Is this common or sign of rough previous owner?

What I know about the car is very little, but I do see mud flaps all around and calipers painted yellow, but that is about it for aftermarket evidence from what I can see.

Any info and feedback would be greatly appreciated. If there is a must look at and watch out for that isn't listed I would love to hear.

Thanks in advacne and if I get one I plan to be a very active member as I am on the Mustang site I am a member of.

 

[Unfitproduct]

Manual cars make noises, thats what they do.
Any mods done to the vehicle? Motor mounts? How long have they had the car, seems like they weren't going to fix any issues until someone drove it and brought these malfunctions to the surface. (red flag)
My opinion, do not go near that ST.

 

[ST/Mustang]

Manual cars make noises, thats what they do.
Any mods done to the vehicle? Motor mounts? How long have they had the car, seems like they weren't going to fix any issues until someone drove it and brought these malfunctions to the surface. (red flag)
My opinion, do not go near that ST.

Manual cars make noises like I described? I have to say in my own opinion not the many manual cars I have had all my life. Granted they have been mostly 1 type of car, Mustangs, but maybe some cars. This didn't really have to do with noises from the trans or clutch really. The hissing noise was from the motor and the more heard with slight revs parked in N.

The shaking part really makes me worried it has been modded and tuned and maybe put back to stock all or partial and the factory tune or something isn't working right anymore. IDK.

It is stock from what I can tell. I haven't looked under yet. Didn't get that far once I got back from the drive the clutch needing to be replaced kinda haunted my interest. They have had the car just over a month it looks like by the Carfax entries. They have dropped the price from 18K down to 16,500 in that time frame.

Staying away from the car is probably the best idea, but it is in the back of my head that hey at least I know the clutch will be good as they are replacing that and that is always a big concern of mine when purchasing a manual car is hmmm how long with the clutch last and did they treat the clutch nice...

 

[Unfitproduct]

I hope you find what you're looking for, good luck to you. :smile:

 

[ST/Mustang]

Well passing on this car as now they say the clutch smell is normal for a Focus ST and they aren't in need of replacing it... They went with something like the clutch assembly is a sealed off area in this car and if driven hard it traps and releases smells for a while... I told them okkkk whatever you have to tell yourself, but good luck selling to some other sucker if you can find somebody to believe that story...

I have read the hissing sound is fairly common on St's and even base Focuses of this year so that one didn't worry me to much, but the clutch is a deal breaker as I read on another thread about the clutch issues.

 

[Unfitproduct]

Well passing on this car as now they say the clutch smell is normal for a Focus ST and they aren't in need of replacing it... They went with something like the clutch assembly is a sealed off area in this car and if driven hard it traps and releases smells for a while... I told them okkkk whatever you have to tell yourself, but good luck selling to some other sucker if you can find somebody to believe that story...

I have read the hissing sound is fairly common on St's and even base Focuses of this year so that one didn't worry me to much, but the clutch is a deal breaker as I read on another thread about the clutch issues.

Best of luck to you in finding a reliable vehicle.

 

[ST/Mustang]

Best of luck to you in finding a reliable vehicle.

Thanks.

Seeming to be more difficult than I thought for a ST. Easier said than done is what I am learning. I figured this would be easier than my past searches for Mustangs over the years, but proving to be equally as difficult. haha

 

[brian60]

Well passing on this car as now they say the clutch smell is normal for a Focus ST and they aren't in need of replacing it... They went with something like the clutch assembly is a sealed off area in this car and if driven hard it traps and releases smells for a while... I told them okkkk whatever you have to tell yourself, but good luck selling to some other sucker if you can find somebody to believe that story...

I have read the hissing sound is fairly common on St's and even base Focuses of this year so that one didn't worry me to much, but the clutch is a deal breaker as I read on another thread about the clutch issues.

The hissing sound on the passenger side is "possibly" the AC compressor or something like that I've heard, not sure.

The clutch smell bullsh**... is exactly that. Bullsh**. Done deal, I'd be out the door without the keys after that nonsense. Sorry you got a bad one :\

 

[ST/Mustang]

The hissing sound on the passenger side is "possibly" the AC compressor or something like that I've heard, not sure.

The clutch smell bullsh**... is exactly that. Bullsh**. Done deal, I'd be out the door without the keys after that nonsense. Sorry you got a bad one :\

Yeah the hissing sound I couldn't trace down in the short time I was demoing the car. Yeah the clutch explanation was just crazy.... I couldn't believe they were going that low to try to sell a car. It is at a big chain dealer and NOT some shady small one off dealer... Glad I didn't buy the car that day with the agreement of replacement like they were trying to push me to do as they would have more than likely bailed on that agreement. That is exactly why I don't do such deals like that...

 

[LockeLamora33]

Yeah the hissing sound I couldn't trace down in the short time I was demoing the car. Yeah the clutch explanation was just crazy.... I couldn't believe they were going that low to try to sell a car. It is at a big chain dealer and NOT some shady small one off dealer... Glad I didn't buy the car that day with the agreement of replacement like they were trying to push me to do as they would have more than likely bailed on that agreement. That is exactly why I don't do such deals like that...

maybe see if they will add some type of warranty to cover your concerns if you are willing to go ahead. The extra shaking and stuff could be an aftermarket RMM that is stiffer than stock, a lot of people get strong vibrations from certain versions. A BOV would be right next to the passenger side wheel and hissing nicely, could be a 50/50 and isn't too loud, check if they replaced that.

 

[shineboy]

Go drive a couple whether you are going to buy them or not, new ones too... get a feel for normal.

 

[ST/Mustang]

maybe see if they will add some type of warranty to cover your concerns if you are willing to go ahead. The extra shaking and stuff could be an aftermarket RMM that is stiffer than stock, a lot of people get strong vibrations from certain versions. A BOV would be right next to the passenger side wheel and hissing nicely, could be a 50/50 and isn't too loud, check if they replaced that.

Yeah honestly with the way this dealership has treated the situation and all about me signing for the car even with the issues that day promising the clutch would be fixed and now they are saying it is fine. That makes anything they say questionable and if they write a warranty it wouldn't be worth the paper it was written on in my opinion.

What is RMM?

I listend closely for a BOV, but never heard one, but forgot to look.

Go drive a couple whether you are going to buy them or not, new ones too... get a feel for normal.

This is a good idea and I plan to drive at least 2 before I buy just to get a feel for normal and not normal. I just wish you could test drive a car without wasting over 1hr with them trying everything they can to sell it to you... These days it is sell sell sell sell... haha

 

[LockeLamora33]

Rear Motor Mount. It keeps the engine from hopping around when you accelerate quickly.

 

[ST/Mustang]

Rear Motor Mount. It keeps the engine from hopping around when you accelerate quickly.

That is what I was thinking, but wasn't sure.

It was a small shake/vibration only at idle. If I lightly move rpm's up just a hair it doesn't have it. Would this be something that could be related to RMM?

 

[LockeLamora33]

That is what I was thinking, but wasn't sure.

It was a small shake/vibration only at idle. If I lightly move rpm's up just a hair it doesn't have it. Would this be something that could be related to RMM?

It can be yes, people also have complained about it shaking more when turning the a/c on also when idling. You might want to turn that on while in idle just to see if it makes it worse. I'm not the best person to answer this question though, hopefully someone with more experience would chime in here. I am sort of surprised someone hasn't.