Gears grind when shifting into first or reverse unless you push extremely hard on the pedal. How many floor mats are between the pedal and the actual floor? Cars are not designed to allow for shag carpet or thick rubber mats and there are no adjustments that can make up the difference of pedal travel required.

So the clutch in the car has worn out prematurely and there is no mechanical cause. Have you checked the NUT BEHIND THE WHEEL? In no particular order here are some of the top reasons for clutch failure that are caused by this loose nut.

Just because you can move the gear shifter into first gear, don't put the gear shifter into first gear when you are still moving! Modern transmission synchronizers can engage two wildly different shaft speeds with ease. With these smooth transmissions it is possible to move the shifter into first gear at 40MPH, there is a problem, a transmission's gears work in reverse when this is done. A clutch disk spins at the same speed as the engine, 5000 rpm on the tachometer is 5000 rpm on the clutch when engaged. With the clutch pedal depressed the clutch disk spins at the same speed as the input shaft of the transmission. In nuetral the input shaft will be effectivley ZERO rpm. Q: What happens when you shift into first gear with the clutch pedal depressed? A: Lets assume that the car has a 4 to 1 gear ratio in first gear. Lets also assume that the car will do 10 mph on the speedometer at 5000 rpm on the tachometer. One mph on the speedometer will get multiplied by the reversed first gear of 1 to 4 gear ratio of first gear and the input will be spinning at 4 rpm. If the speedometer is showing 40 mph, the transmission with multiply the gearing in reverse and the result will be that the clutch will be spinning with the input shaft of the transmission at 20,000 rpm! How well do you think that you can hold yourself together when you are being spun at 20,000 rpm? The clutch disk won't survive either. On a side note, even if the clutch disk does hold together. Q: What happens when you shift into first gear at 40 mph and release the clutch? A: Pieces of the motor, spinning at 20,000 rpm, will fly out of the hood.

The clutch pedal is not a footrest! In this age of zero slack clutch hydraulics the slightest pressure on the pedal results in loss of clutch engagement pressure and increases slippage and wear.

Clutch is worn out in a month. One or two of the fairly new tires are worn out. Teenage owner wearing a "THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS" t-shirt. Race car style stickers covering 10% of the paintwork. You know the signs here, because you probably do it yourself. BUT WAIT! Don't blame the kids all of the time What would you say to the adult owner of a light duty 1/2 ton pickup truck, with a 5th wheel hitch in the bed, Colorado bumpers stickers, a worn out clutch and worn out brakes? How about a 2" hitch ball on the bumper of a tiny FWD car with a 4 cylinder engine? How about a full pickup size truck with 44" tall tires, stock axle gears and 500 lbs of mud caked to the frame rails? Is the vehicle part of a company's fleet? How many times a day do you think that those US Mail trucks get thier clutches used?