At 17k I think it is highly unlikely the clutch is going to fail anytime soon. It is not likely but not impossible. poor clutch control, heavy towing and driving in stop start conditions will reduce a clutch's life.
The usual way a clutch fails is by the driven plate wearing out, this has a friction material on its faces that does eventually become worn down. The symptoms of this is a very high clutch pedal bite and the clutch will actually slip allowing the engine to rev higher for the gear and speed selected. (like an automatic). This slipping is not usually accompanied by noise unless the plate is worn down to the rivets which will make it grate.
An abused clutch can overheat and slip causing an extreme heat build up in that area and this can have a detrimental effect on the springs in the Dual Mass clutch causing a sloppiness (snatching) in the driveline. This would have an effect on the engines performance (inc. fuel consumption) as well, as the crankshaft position sensor takes its signal from the flywheel.
The cover plate of the clutch has springs and spring fingers that can groan and creak this is not necessarily an indication of imminent failure.
The release arm and slave cylinder can creak as the pedal is depressed, (this would happen with the engine off as well). This can be investigated to a certain degree without going into a stripdown of the clutch itself.
The release bearing is the final piece of the puzzle that can cause noise and is the most likely culprit. When the pedal is depressed this pushes against the (rotating) driven plate fingers. If the bearing is drying out and wearing it can squeal and groan. This should last the same lifetime as the rest of the clutch but can be subject to undue wear if the driver constantly rests his/her foot on the pedal.
The upshot of all this is, get a second opinion on the noise, it is probably nothing to worry about. Mine when cold moo's like a cow when it's cold. :shock:
The problem with the clutch is that at least half the cost of replacement is labour as it is a very big job.
This video shows how the clutch works;
[youtube:16bp33ga]pqF-aBtTBnY[/youtube:16bp33ga]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqF-aBtTBnY
