Poor Commercial Product Quality & Support

I bought 3 x Ford Transit vehicles for my fleet of 7 vehicles. The 1st Transit was bought brand new in Nov 2015 for my company driver to collect post and to do general run around duties. The driver was employed 26 years ago and had several vehicles before this Transit, driving these vehicles for over 150,000 km each without having to replace clutches or pressure plates at all. The 2nd Transit was bought brand new in Mar 2016 for the Directors driver. He was employed 14 years ago and also drove several vehicles for more than 100,000 km each without having to replace gearboxes or clutches at all.

The 1st Ford Transit was sent to Ford Fury with approximately 35,000 km on the odometer, because the revs started increasing without increasing power. Ford inspected the vehicle and said the clutch and pressure plate needs to be replaced due to wear and tear. I asked Ford to reconsider charging me R27,000 to do the repairs. Ford maintained it was wear and tear and the cost is not covered under warranty. I accepted.

Then the 2nd Ford Transit gave the same problem on 31,900 km, and we couldn't get it in gear. We towed it in to Ford Fury William Nicol who inspected it and said the pressure plate collapsed and had to be replaced. I requested Ford Fury again to reconsider the cost as this is not acceptable for a clutch and pressure plate to have such wear and tear with only 31,900 km on the Odometer and that it is the second Transit we have the same problem with. Ford again refused to negotiate and demanded I pay for the repairs of R24,879.

I cannot accept that a clutch and pressure plate would break after so little km's. I believe Ford products are of poor quality or these vehicles had a factory fault and does not deserve to be classified as commercial vehicles if this is the wear and tear after 32,000 km. I find it unacceptable that customers cannot rely on Ford to take some responsibility for obvious poor product quality. I am in the process to replace some of our older fleet vehicles, and I was happy to purchase Transits again until now, and I will not support Ford if this is the attitude of Ford.