Hello,

I have a Ford Fiesta 1.0 EcoBoost Titanium X 3dr 125, 15 plate, I bought it this year in January from a Ford dealership under their Ford Direct scheme, so 1 previous owner under their employment, had 5.2k miles and now just under 10k.

From when I owned it, from the first time I reversed, mainly uphill, when I would engage the clutch, it would make a whining/groaning/straining noise. It never happened on a none slope and never happened in first gear whether on a slope or not.

Never happens on initial bite, or when fully engage. I didn't think anything of the noise I've never owned a "new" car before or driven a such a small engine, minimum 1.6 so never felt a small engine like 1.0 or 1.2 struggle.

So I just assumed that because it's a 1.0L turbo, when the turbo is not spooled, it struggles uphill with just the clutch and no gas, particularly in reverse, maybe to do with the gear ratio. Basically I didn't think you could have a clutch problem on a new car like this, so I just shrugged it off, so all I thought I was hearing was the strain from the drive train from a small engine being asked to roll uphill without the turbo spooled in reverse.

Mind you it didn't sound like a healthy noise, so I shouldn't have just ignored it, but from then on I tried my best to give gas and engage clutch alot faster, but on really steep hills, you have to feed the clutch more gradually so it's un avoidable.

So the reason for me to make this post is that now I hear this noise going forward as well, but only up hill or trying to roll over a kerb. Basically where there is more strain during clutch engagement. But as I said before, it's not during initially bite or once fully engaged.

Therefore now I believe there actually is a problem, and for some reason I feel like it maybe the pressure plate?

I've not noticed the clutch slipping, even in 5th gear doing 120mph(not illegally), car launches fine, however sometimes if I by accidentally engage clutch too quickly without enough gas, it "skips/hops" and judders, and I don't mean the tyres, I've managed to spin the tyres on launch or have them on the edge of grip,i know what that feels and sounds like.

I'll also mention that I haven't smelt burning sound when I hear that whining/groaning/staining sound.

My previous car (Peugeot 206 1.6 16v xsi) 110bhp, I drove that car from 2nd hand at 50k miles to 100k miles, all with the same clutch from new, and ragged that thing, would do hard launches at lights etc, that car has very similar 0-60 time as this Fiesta, slower by 0.2 seconds. I understand it has alot less torque, I also rev match when downshifting, so what I'm trying to say is, I'd like to think if I made that clutch last that long, I'm decent at clutch use, especially since 50k of my own miles are all local streets miles +50k of previous owner.

My question is, and maybe I should have asked this before going into so much detail, is this normal or do I have a problem.

Secondly, what can I do about it?

Still under warranty but clutch comes under wear and tear?

Thank you in advance.