Clutch appears to be slipping when carrying heavy loads (ie 7 people in car) and accelerating out of 3rd gear. The car, a Ford S-MAX, is only two years old, 22,000 miles.

Ford dealership giving speech about wear and tear but cannot believe I am facing a £1000+ bill for repair under such circumstances. We live in the country, no city driving, the car has done 40% of its mileage on motorway, no towing ever, and can truly say I am a considerate-on-the-clutch driver. In over 20 years of driving, this is the first clutch to fail and happens to be on the most expensive car purchased and youngest car ever possessed.

Wish I hadn't spent £19K on this car to be faced with such a huge bill so soon after purchase and no guarantee that I won't be in the same position in two years' time after this repair.

Surely Ford must accept responsibility for wear and tear on a part that clearly does not last against the overall cost of the product.