Your Buick clutch should last more than 80,000 miles, thanks to improvements in technology that have improved the lifespans of manual transmissions. However, a clutch is a part that is subjected to huge amounts of pressure and heat, so eventually the friction will wear down the individual components of your Buick clutch. In addition, driving conditions (lots of hills) and driving habits (are you hard on those gears?) can age a Buick clutch faster than the normal rate. Some of the signs that you will notice when your Buick clutch begins to deteriorate: poor gas mileage. When you go up hills, you need to downshift more often. When you accelerate or start moving from a stop, the engine sounds like it is revving up. There's no more pedal 'free play' when you adjust the clutch, and the clutch pedal feels stiff and is harder to press down. The most common clutch problems show up when the clutch 'chatters and grabs', the clutch squeaks, drags, vibrates or creates other hideous noises. When clutter chatter occurs, it can usually be traced to the flywheel needing machining, worn facings, oil on facings or glazed facings. If the flywheel is cracked, you may have to replace it. If inspection shows that the flywheel's surface is worn out, you can remove the flywheel and resurface it, and your Buick clutch will return to running in smooth silence.