Ford do not make clutches. An OEM manufacturer will make the part on behalf of Ford.
When the clutch and DMF needed replacing on my Golf, I could have paid £800 for a Sachs kit (stamped on the metal surfaces) in a VW Genuine Parts box, or £300 (using a handily timed voucher deal) for the same Sachs kit in a generic Sachs box from a reputable national parts supplier. There was NO difference in the parts. They come from the same production line, and are made to identical specifications.
The VW tech who fitted the clutch for me said there was no difference at all between the original clutch that came off, and the new one that went on, apart from a DMF that wasn't seized solid, and friction material that didn't have 125,000 miles of wear and tear on it. Same detail finish on the metal parts, same manufacturer part stamp in the same place as the original one. It fitted like a glove, and 6 months on, the new parts are performing superbly, as expected.
There are very some very dodgy quality pattern parts out there, but you do not need to go to a main dealer to get OEM parts, or good quality pattern parts from a respected manufacturer (who probably OEM's for other manufacturers). People like Unipart were supplying BL and Austin Rover production lines for decades, but you could buy parts from them for almost any car on the road, made to the same quality control standards and in the same factories.
For every tale of woe like the OP's, there are tens of thousands of people fitting OEM or good quality pattern parts independently of the franchised dealer network who have no issues whatsoever. Of course, it's a case of caveat emptor, but apply a little intelligence and common sense, and you can save an absolute fortune without compromising your vehicle in any measurable way.
Last edited by: DP on Wed 20 Jun 12 at 11:28
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