Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TIRES | |||||
| 15819 | 04/01/2002 | 637554 | Some vehicles equipped with 15 inch firestone tires may exhibit signs of diagnonal wear or cupping on the rear tires. *tt | 12/02/2002 | |
| 15762 | 03/01/2002 | 636410 | Some vehicles equipped with 15 inch firestone tires may exhibit signs of diagonal wear or cupping of the rear tires. *tt | 11/08/2002 | |
| 16043 | 07/01/2002 | 636241 | Some vehicles with 15 inch firestone tires may exhibit signs of diagonal wear or cupping on the rear tires. *tt | 11/06/2002 | |
| 15275 | 09/01/2001 | 625816 | Subject regarding premature tire wear. *jg | 12/03/2001 | |
| 15162 | 08/01/2001 | 624612 | Some vehicles may exhibit premature tire wear. *yh | 11/08/2001 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| TIRES | |||
| 05/13/2011 | |||
| The wal-mart store 4379 on bush river rd in columbia sc has failed to give/ fill out the tire registration cards for at least the last 7 months. they sell between 100 and 150 tires a week and absolutely no registration cards are being filled out. this can be proven by looking up the tire sales for any day and then watch the video recordings over the front counter and you will see that no cards are being handed out. i know what a safety issue this is and i have tried to handle it to the best of my ability and the store is refusing to start handing them out. i know that there is at least a five thousand dollar fine per card not handed out and by my calculation this walmart alone has around $3,250,000.00 in fines. i hate for walmart to be fined this much but i have done everything i can think of to get it fixed and they are just not fixing it and i am afraid that there is going to be a recall on tires and people who bought their tires there want know and might get hurt. for the date below i just put a random date because this issue has been going on for at least 7 months. the only thing that is going to make them start doing things right is a hefty fine. in my mind this is a huge safety issue and peoples lives could be at stake. i be leave that this issue has been going on for more than 7 months, but all i can speak for is the last 7 months. please please please take care of this problem before some gets hurt or killed because wal-mart is refusing to follow the regulations for being a tire retailer. if you look into it and the cards haven't been handed out in the last year and say they only sale 100 tires a week at 5000 dollar fine per tire then the fines add up to $26,000,000.00 please help me take care of this before some one gets hurt because of a tire recall like the firestone incident a few years back. i called to find out how to file a complainant and the man sent me this form but my complainant is for all tires they sale not just good year. its for all tires. | |||
| 10/06/2009 | 15000 | 1 | |
| Falken ziex ze-512, automobile tires, sidewall rubber badly cracking almost to the radials, noticed after 2.5 yrs and less than 17000 miles. all tires on the vehicle are equally affected/ damaged. no vin has been supplied as these tires were an aftermarket purchase, having nothing to do with ford. *tr | |||
| 04/11/2007 | 1 | ||
| 2000 ford focus. vehicle was westbound on the ohio turnpike in the left lane, driver attempted to change into the center lane when the vehicle went out off control and spun off the left side of the road striking the median wall. *mc (ohio traffic crash report) *tr | |||
| 05/16/2004 | 7 | ||
| 2000 focus tires were pulling. *ts ***nar*** the rims were bent as a result of the tires pulling. *jb | |||
| 03/14/2004 | 32079 | 3 | 07/12/2000 |
| Dt: the contact stated the ignition switch failed three times within a year and a half. the first time, she went to start the car, the ignition would not turn over. the car was towed and repaired. the second failure was approximately one year later and the same thing happened. the car was towed and repaired for the second time. the third failure happened this week, went to start the car and it would not start again. it is being repaired now. the dealership stated it could possibly be the starter along with the ignition switch. *ak in dec 2001 the consumer was involved in an accident due to a problem with the tires and the rear axle. the transmission cooler lines were replaced. the brake lights and heater did not work. the egr tube was replaced. the wiper arm was broken. the engine light stayed on all time. the driver side mirror had to be replaced. updated 01/11/06. *jb | |||
| 01/01/2005 | 4 | 06/13/2000 | |
| The vehicle's brakes had to be replaced about every three months. *nm the rear end was unable to be lined up, if so, the vehicle would fishtail back and forth and the consumer would unable to drive the vehicle. the tires were out of round and the vehicle would run rough, especially when going up hills. *sc *jb | |||
| 06/02/2003 | 1 | 04/26/2000 | |
| Consumer concerned about the amount of recalls on vehicle. *mr the consumer had to replace the cable shifter when the vehicle was only 2 years old. the alternator had to be replaced, the door lock actuators, tires, sun roof control. *jb | |||
| 03/13/2003 | 1 | 03/01/2000 | |
| Nar 04/07/2003 mr. while driving, the rear tire disconnected from the vehicle due to a failed wheel bearing.. the air condition repeatedly leaked water in the vehicle. the brakes were worn which required new rotors. *jb | |||
| 10/31/2004 | 45000 | 1 | 08/12/2000 |
| Many problems, the radio started shorting out almost immediately. i have to replace my tires at least once a year (10,000 miles.) at 37000 miles after the bumper to bumper ran out, my air conditioner and heater fan only worked on 4, 1, 2, and 3 did not. i took it to ford, the diagnosis was an open circuit which cost me $409.00. ( i think i was ripped off) last month i took a road trip and whenever i would climb steep inclines the car sputtered and eventually died. there was no indication of my car overheating. after about 5 minutes or so the car would start and continue to sputter up the hill. this made it extremely unsafe for me and my family resulting in a near collision with a truck. this week, my car wouldn't start at all, there was some corrosion on the battery terminals so i cleaned them w/a wire brush. i also noticed that the cables looked burned. the car started after we jumped it, but died after removing the cables. i have spent more money on this car than any other car i have ever owned. my last car was a ford escort, i still have it, it is 10 years old and has well over 100000 miles on it with no problems. i have 9 payments left on my focus and will be selling it after that. *jb | |||
| 09/10/2004 | 106445 | 3 | 10/01/2002 |
| 1) noise coming from right front 2) both front springs and struts had to be replaced because the right front spring had broken and cut the right front tire down the middle (which also had to be replaced). the spring also bent the strut.*ak 3) all old parts are available - see #2 for what was done to correct failure. repairs had to be made on an emergency basis. | |||
| 09/15/2003 | 107829 | ||
| I purchased my 2000 ford focus se from merlin motors in saskatoon. production date - may 2/2000, stock no. pp24941, r.o. no. 155631. i believe this car was previously owned by someone in british columbia. here is a chronological breakdown of repairs. april 17/01 - took car in because driver mirror vibrated badly when driving - so badly that i could not look into it, it was shaking that much. also, the trunk would not open from the release inside the car. parts were ordered at this time. vehicle kilometers- 32854. june 19/01 - they checked for driver mirror vibrating when driving and replaced driver side exterior mirror. the also checked for trunk not opening from the release inside the car, they replaced the trunk stop and adjusted. vehicle kilometers- 35222 june 20/01 - they checked for power steering leak and replaced steering rack and set toe. vehicle kilometers- 37782?? (this is obviously an error - i know i did not drive 2, 560 km in one day!) i also did not complain about the power steering and don't recall why my car was in there at the time. sept 21/01 - they repaired rattle in right front going over bumps, tightened all assemble bolts in front end, removed right caliper and rotor, lubed all bushing, adjusted front splash shields, found tie rod bolt loose and tightened. they also fixed molding on window belt, which was loose and checked inside rear view mirror and found it flawed - part on order. vehicle kilometers- 43170. nov 3/01 - we were driving in saskatoon when engine started to boil. we knew this because of steam coming from the hood, all gauges in the car read normal! we took car to merlin - they could find nothing wrong with the car after their checks, and told us to bring it back if it happened again! work order for this date states: customer saw steam coming from under hood, antifreeze pooled on engine, gauge read normal, steam coming from overflow tank - fill with a/freeze, pressure test for leaks, no leaks found. | |||
| 06/15/2002 | 13600 | ||
| Purchased ford focus se in may of 2002 with 13,260 miles. we did not buy the extended warranty because we could not afford. soon after bringing the car home, we noticed the tire was very wobbly, and the brakes were squeaking--took it to the ford dealer and they told us these cars are notorious for brake noise, as for the tire nothing is wrong-the service dept. test drove and didn't notice a thing. have taken it in several other times after that for wobbly tire-still same answer nothing is wrong. have taken the car in for several recalls. key was stuck in ignition and had to be towed to dealership-but the next time my teenaged daughter drove the car the steering wheel was stuck when she was turning at an intersection-had it towed again, there was a piece of material (from them fixing the ignition problem) that was stuck in the steering column. our latest episode with this car is our trip from wa-virginia. the car was fine on the way there, except for the wobble in the tire in which we had the tires rotated yet again. but on our way back we started experiencing sputtering and surging of the car, we would pull off the side of the road every 20 miles (thinking it was from the hot weather), we would get another 20 miles in and same thing until finally we drove through chicago, il and it was worse, so we pulled off the highway and on to an on ramp--walked across the highway to use a business's telephone to call for a tow truck. they found us a tow truck but unfortunately it wasn't a king cab, so our insurance co., called us a cab. the tow truck took us to the nearest ford dealer--the car however seemed to running fine, so we decided to drive some more. we got about 15 miles down the road and sputtering again, so we called for another tow--and in the meantime we called firestone, we drove it there, the serviceman drove the car and felt what it was doing and said he didn't need to hook it up to engine diagnostic that it was the transmission. | |||
| 03/15/2003 | 0 | ||
| I drive 25000 miles a year to and from work approximtly 115 miles a day and 70% of that is on open interstate hiway. stop and go is less than 20 miles a day. tires completely wore out at 41000 miles. tires started humming at 10 to 15000 miles. i constly complained about front end and tire noise. i put a set of goodyear aquatred tires on at 41476 miles. they also started humming, so the front end was lined up. this did not stop the tires from humming. now car has 80000 miles, tires are scarming go down the road fast or slow. frontend suspension has been making clanking or thud type noise. just recently turing left geting off interstate it felles like the right front is changing geomitry. car turns left vilently - must corect stering. this will happens without notice. this car is extmly dangeras. when driven on ice and snow, it will brake lose when going staright for no reason and start to spin out. brakes wore out at 45000 miles. $400 to fix front brakes only. i have never had to put brakes and tires on a car at less than 50000 miles. more like 65 to 75000 miles. | |||
| 10/15/2002 | 35000 | ||
| Car is only 2yrs,8mo. have currently expended over $4000.00 on repairs. problem with seals allowing fumes in car from other vehicles running beside mine. the noise and wind shear level is very unsatisfactory. squeal noise and thumping feeling from pressing on brake pedal. hesitation on accelerating into traffic flow. poor quality on parts and workmanship from manufacturer | |||
| 01/15/2003 | 0 | ||
| Bad brakes, leaking transmission x 2 repairs, numerous electrical probs, one "accident", damage repaired at ford expense, bad tire, noise from front rt side, "surge" prob, car seemed to "stick" in a gear. i don't have my file with me but i know there is more. | |||
| 12/15/2002 | 0 | ||
| My complaint is all the problems we have had with the focus. we have had numerous recalls and work done from the drivers seat collapsing, wiring harness replaced, bearings in front, and rear, brake assembly, sway bar, and have had to replace 3 sets of tires, and line up 3 times because they will not make good and the car eats tires. now we have 52,000 miles on the car, and a pin has come loose and gone through the transmission, and case. altough the dealer has been very good, we bought a new car so we would not have this hassle, and that is all we have had. | |||
| 12/15/2002 | 65000 | ||
| The brake system is horrible. they make noises all the time. i have replaced the cylinders and the shoes and it still does not sound right. the suspension is bad and needs replacing, but i can not afford it. i am a teacher. cruise control has gone bad, because of a faulty wire. | |||
| 01/15/2003 | 38020 | ||
| I started to replace tires as early as 5,000 miles just about 7 times by now. replaced ignition 5/03 for $667.00 the key would go in and wouldn't turn. spring coil driver's side broke while in traffic replaced 4/03 for $158.50. now the transmission is completly gone the car would not back up. please help me, i just don't know what else to do. the customer service at paul clark is so poor that i would not go there anymore. | |||
| 02/12/2004 | 56000 | 1 | 03/28/2003 |
| It was difficult for the consumer to turn key in the ignition switch. on numerous occasions consumer was unable to start the vehicle. the dealership was notified, but was unable to resolve the problem. *ak problems with vehicle tires/ tires have cuts in tread.*mr | |||
| 11/12/2003 | 37521 | 3 | 03/08/2001 |
| I have replaced the ignition switch 3 times in least that 2 years and twice in three months. the dealership tells me to call ford and ford tells me it a dealership's problem call them the old run around. i also have replace all four brakes and tires with only 25000 miles on the car and they still squeeze and grind when applying the brake. i brought the car used so i do not know if anything was replace before i purchased it lovely vehicle. *la | |||
| 11/10/2003 | 1 | 07/27/2001 | |
| Numerous problems with focus. bought car in 2001. since the day that i drove off the lot i had squeaky brakes. took to servicer and was told dust on brakes & it was normal. after three attempts, they changed pads & rotors. now i hear the squeak again. car cut off while going up a hill. was told by the servicer that it happened because the weather had recently gotten hot and it shocked the car. key wouldn't enter the ignition. had to have the car towed to servicer. car shuts off if under half a tank. servicer told me keep the gas over half a tank. sometimes i smell something burning while heat on in car. on 2 occassions saw smoke coming from the vents while a/c on ( didn't take to servicer for these problems because they never occured again). today 11/10/03 the check engine light came on and the car started shaking and stalling eventually cutting off. took to the servicer and explained the problem, without even mentioning the make and model of my car the technician said, you must have a focus. no longer under factory warranty and can't afford to pay for these defects that ford is very much aware of. also, the car no longer has value. tried to trade it in before factory warranty ran out last year, and was told car only worth $4,000 while i still owed $10,000, which means i would have had to come up with the $6,000 difference to be free from the car. the car was only 2 yrs old when i tried to trade it in! so, i feel i got ripped off with a lemon that i can't even get rid of. i am seriously considering calling the finance company and voluntarily giving the car back, but then my credit will show a repossession, which is not fair being that the consumers were never told about the history of problems with the focus before we bought them.*ak | |||
| 01/27/2000 | 56600 | 10 | 01/21/2000 |
| 1st recall,6/2000 shop for a/c problem,9/2000 shop for 7 days for ac problem,1/2002 shop 7days for engine work,recalls x 4 or 5 not sure about dates there has been so many on this car,problems with not starting ,gas gauge, tire replacement 3 sets in less then 3 years, hesitation,poor gas milage,brakes squealing, trunk does not close properly,10/2003 has been in shop for 3 weeks for possible engine work. dealer can not seem to find or repair the problem, i am not happy with this car it has had serious problems from day one there are more to mention can not list them all i need help. *ak | |||
| 05/01/2000 | 2 | 10/16/2000 | |
| Consumer was on 7th set of tires at 60,000, an alignment with each set. radio had been replaced twice/ brakes had been completely replaced twice/ wheel bearings had been replaced,and ignition was replaced once after vehicle had been towed. low and behold, consumer's focus was sitting in driveway needed to be towed for the same problem again. car was getting horrible gas mileage, sometimes had brake failure which caused 2 accidents. also, lugs:nuts had been replaced. the car would sometimes stall for no apparent reason, and was in need of an alternator.*ak | |||
| 36000 | 1 | ||
| Consumer states while driving at 65 mph, the front left tire came completely off of the vehicle. consumer loss control hit a guard rail before coming to a stop on the shoulder. please provide any further information. *ph | |||
| 07/07/2003 | 75200 | 5 | 07/29/2000 |
| 2000 ford focus lx 4-door sedan - numerous complaints: 1) currently have 75,200 miles on car and have gone through 5 (yes five!) complete sets of tires.2) engine stalls at any speed with no warning lights or indications, car bucks and gas pedal can be depressed to floorboard and car will not move - barely avoided three accidents (two of which would have involved my two small children) 3) all four doors will stick - really need to pull to open - and once open, they will not close again (you need to try to close the doors repeatedly before they finally latch). they also popped opened while driving. afraid one day one of my children or a passenger or myself may be injured. they are manual door locks and latches. 4) same with trunk - often needs repeated tries to close and latch 5) leak in front passenger footwell - when it rains, or when going through carwash 6) front brakes have been replaced twice at my cost - horrendous, irritating, embarassing squealing is incessant - brake dust accumulates every day! in some instances, brakes need to be applied very firmly to stop vehicle (again, i do not feel safe with my children in car). 7) extremely foul smell when air conditioning use is attempted. 8) stereo was replaced - original factory installed would not work after 2 months of ownership. 9) paint is flaking off of skirts - i was informed by ford that this is sandblasting and that i must drive on dirt roads all of the time - i live on an asphalt street, drive on asphalt roads and asphalt highways - not dirt! 10) fuel pump was replaced once already - was told i must be buying dirty gas - if it is dirty gas, is that my fault? i don't exactly run the gas stations, and i don't buy fro one specific station - i fuel up when i'm low, wherever it is convenient. 11) i have had three alignments to try to stop the horrible shaking of the car - the steering wheel vibrates so badly that my arms are sore by the time i get to my destination. *ak | |||
| 03/02/2000 | 1 | ||
| Squeaking brake, extreme wear and tear of front tires, back tires with wear and tear issues, alignment issues on front tires and cruise control issues. *jb | |||
| 03/10/2001 | 28554 | 1 | |
| The vehicles tires needed to be continuously aligned and replaced. this was not from wear. cause unknown. *nlm | |||
| 04/29/2003 | 1 | 09/05/2000 | |
| 60000 miles on car, 4 sets of tires, 7 recalls, defect in gas tank cover filler, 2 sets of brakes, rear alignment not adjustable (advised by independent shop) and horrible shaking at highway speeds after all this. dealer has been no help with tire problem. never buying a ford again. *jb | |||
| 02/05/2003 | 30 | ||
| After about 10 days of buying my 2000 ford focus the problem. started and one year later the problems are still coming like clock work. first my breaks were squealing i called the dealer, he said not to worry about it until i had time to come in. 1 to 2 months later, after several calls asking if it was still okay to drive, i took my car in and the routers and breaks were bad, they sd i should have brought my car in sooner. well per there request i took my time. i had to pay the get this taken care of. it didn't stop there, my tires kept getting flats so i has to once again replace at my own expenses. now the real problems start, my cruise control was just out of control, my car would accelerate every time i would put in on cruise. the windshield wipers would not work and my radio kept turning off by itself. i had once again at my own expenses replace my windshield wipers calling the maintenance. dept. at meridian ford. they fixed the problem. with the cruise control and it was working fine for about 2 months it is now happening again! now i have problems with the key getting stuck and will not turn, the trunk will not shut, and my car will shut off when the car is in idle. it turns off if in park or drive after about one min. idle. this is very frustrating. and has caused so many financial and stress problems. i don't feel safe in this car and i feel cheated! i was sold a lemon! a list of what was wrong with my new car..bad breaks, bad routers, bad windshield wipers, bad cruise control, bad trunk, bad tires, the key gets stuck and will not turn, and now it turns off while in idle. all these things are still wrong with it and its costing me money, stress,time and it is costing me to be late on my car payments and other bills because i have to pay for all this crap to be fixed! why is this happening! do i need to get a lawyer or do you need to replace or fix my car at your expensive. i have lost so much and feel helpless. i hope this does not fall on deaf ears. *nlm | |||
| 02/01/2003 | 5 | 12/01/1999 | |
| There was an excessive vibration coming from the rear passenger tires, the dealer was unable to determine cause of vibration or excessive wear on tires.*jb | |||
| 01/31/2003 | 32000 | 2 | |
| The left rear tire separated from the rim.*jb | |||
| 03/01/2001 | 25000 | 10/20/2000 | |
| Ignition failed, had to be replaced, tires wear incredibly fast (4 sets of tires at 45000 miles), radio cut out, had to be replaced twice, brakes failed at least three times causing two accidents, dealership said they replaced them, but lied and never did, was forced to spend $500 having them replaced, trunk doesn't close, bad suspension, spun out on an exit ramp | |||
| 01/01/2000 | |||
| The key would not turn once in the ignition and was difficult to remove, the dealer replaced the ignition tumbler. the consumer has also replaced the brakes, tires and radiator deflector. *nlm | |||
| 11/12/2002 | 1 | 02/01/2001 | |
| Consumer was exiting a parking garage and placed vehicle in reverse. without warning, car suddenly accelerated and rear tail spun around 2 times then hit a parked vehicle. consumer did apply brakes with no success. ph insurance company informed dealership that there were two recalls that dealt with a defective throttle and speed control which was not performed on the vehicle prior to the accident. other problems included weezing noise while turning. power steering racked failed and replaced. lack of power steering in steering wheel. rear brake pad replacement. rear wheel bearing noise. defective wheel bearings replaced. tire punctured and replaced. hesitation on acceleration. fuel pump and gasket replaced. tires rotted out. key stuck in ignition. replaced malfunctioned shifter assembly. trunk lid wouldn't latch. latch replaced. *tt | |||
| 12/03/2000 | 3 | 09/01/2000 | |
| I've had to have my tires and brakes replaced several times and i still feel and hear the noise my brakes or rotars or making. dt | |||
| 1 | 08/01/2000 | ||
| The vehicle experienced a low speed tire blow out. *yh | |||
| 09/27/2002 | 8 | 09/18/2001 | |
| Vehicle starts giving a rocking motion. this failure was due to the tire becoming detached. the dealership replaced tires but the problem still occured causing an accident. please describe details. mr | |||
| 05/02/2002 | 61000 | 4 | 08/01/2000 |
| While driving the vehicle at any speed, strong chemical fumes spread through out the vehicle. the dealer has been made aware of the problem. nlm the tire rod has loosened, the battery had blown, and the engine light had stayed illuminated. scc | |||
| 09/19/2002 | 1 | 07/01/2000 | |
| While driving the left rear tire locked up causing the rear of the car to break loose. inspection revealed ~1/8 of lateral movement in the left rear wheel/hub assembly. dealership determined that the left rear wheel bearing had failed. the failure caused destructive damage to both rear tires, the left rear tire has a significan flat spot wile the right rear has a bulge in the sidewall. dealership refused to replace the tires under warranty claiming that the problem was related to the firestone tire warranty despite the fact that the destruction of the tires was a direct result of the wheel bearing failure and not in any tire failure. *ak | |||
| 1 | 04/01/2000 | ||
| Consumer states that the goodyear tires needed replaced after only 14000 miles, no other specific tire information given. *slc | |||
| 10/01/2001 | 1 | ||
| When consumer went to have her 30,000 maintenance service performed, she was informed that new tires were needed in order to correct the wobbling nosie that was felt and heard in the rear wheel, consumer believes that new tires are possibly needed due to a previous recall on the rear axle, secondly when consumer brought the vehicle in for tire rotation she could never get documentation stating that the work was performed, consumer now has doubts that the tire rotation was ever done.*jb | |||
| 04/01/2001 | 3 | 02/01/2001 | |
| I have had 3 sets of brakes,3 sets of tires and my rotors shaved(that helped for about 2 months). seventy percent of my mileage is interstate driving,therefore,not using the brakes that much.the only way to stop the vibration of the wheels is to replace the rotors, which happens to be wearing out my tires with there 50,000 mile warrenty. in otherwords, the brakes and rotares on this car are of the poorest quality i have ever seen. so much for american pride, i'm going back to my honda!*ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| While the consumer was traveling the left rear tire blew out and the vehicle swerved all over the road also, the right rear tire was badly worn out, consumer was informed that the tires wore out due to a default in the vehicle which also meant that brakes were needed to this default.*yh | |||
| 03/21/2001 | |||
| When my car goes 60+ my steering wheel shakes extremely bad. took it back to dealer and they said i need 4 new tires. what gets me is i have 2 other friends with the same car, and the same problem. sounds weird. we have all had nothing but problems with the focus since we bought it! nlm | |||
| 12/01/1999 | |||
| This car has had so many problems it makes me sick. a quick list: air conditioning leaked all over my interior, one tire replaced, one windshield replaced, now need new brakes, had transmission replaced on friday, is always having strange little problems, cd player skips after 45 minutes of use, brakes have always squeaked unbelievably loud. i want to get rid of this car but i can't afford it because i owe more than it is worth. (tiresize: 15) | |||
| 01/25/2001 | 1 | 11/01/1999 | |
| Tires/ shocks/ wheel bearings/ transmission struts, and rotors all bad and worn out. dealer unresponsive and so is ford long file on this car. dealer refuses to lemon the car out. totally frustrated by lack of communication with dealer and ford am considering law suit against both (tiresize: 195r7015) | |||
| 02/02/2002 | |||
| Vehicle has a knocking noise coming from rear wheel. dealership is aware of problem.*ak | |||
| 12/19/2001 | 5 | 01/01/2001 | |
| While driving on a main interstate in the rain, (the vehicle only has around 24000 miles), the rear of the car began to hydroplan. upon discussing with service advisor, he stated the tires were not new anymore and did not have groves to channel the water out like some of the new tires on the market. he recommended replacing the tires with new ones that have water channels. he stated this was a problem with the car being as light as it is in the rear end.*ak | |||
| 11/26/2001 | 03/01/2000 | ||
| I was driving on the freeway and 1 mile from where i was supposed to get off the highway my car started to swerve from behind. i turned my side mirror to see if i could see what was going on and what i saw frieghtened me. my tire was wobbling inside the wheel well and began to make a metal on metal grinding sound. the car has had 2 recalls dealing with the back tire, and everyone at the dealership seems to think that this is just a coincidence. my car was swerving from behind and the entire wheel well was filled with smoke 'till i slowed down. this is obviously a defective part of the car, especially after seeing the other complaints filed on the site. *ak | |||
| 11/23/2001 | 5 | 09/01/2000 | |
| Left rear, and right front and rear have lost both air and sidewall chunks in spectacular fashion. tires are brand new and deployed in normal driving use. *ak (dot number: 260 tiresize: 195/60r15) | |||
| 1 | |||
| While the consumer was traveling the left rear tire blew out and the vehicle swerved all over the road also, the right rear tire was badly worn out, consumer was informed that the tires wore out due to a default in the vehicle which also meant that brakes were needed to this default.*yh | |||
| 03/01/2001 | 2 | ||
| Tires were worn out/ pitted and caused vibration in vehicle. also, made terrible noises. vehicle was test driven at dealership. mechanic indicated nothing was wrong. 2 rear tires were replaced, but problem still exists. firestone, firehawk, 87t/gta 87h, p195/60r15. *ak *tt | |||
| 09/01/2001 | 0 | ||
| Consumer heard a rattling noise coming from front tire. dealership replaced wheel bearing. dealership was aware of problem.*ak | |||
| 07/04/2001 | 3 | 09/01/2000 | |
| We were on vacation and 75mph on i-80, in big springs ne, our rear left tire blew out. our car swerved all over the road but lucky for us it was 2:30pm on july 4th and traffic was light. after getting control of the car we pulled up the nearby exit ramp to a truck stop. the truck service technician changed our tire and put on the spare. the closest goodyear tire retailer open on 4th of july, was walmart 150 miles away. we had to drive under 50mph on a 70mph highway for that 150 miles, finally arriving in kearney nebraska at 7:30pm. it seemed impossible that we would need tires so soon. also, know the tires have been rotated at a ford dealer every 5000 miles (as per my warranty) the tire technician at walmart informed us that the tires were damaged by a default in the car. he said that ford tweeks the alignment on their cars to improve handling and that sometimes that tweeking causes unusual tire wear. also, he informed us they are 65,000 mile tires and should not be worn through in 20,000 miles. he also pointed out wear on the inside of the other back tire and told us we would not make it home driving on that tire. faced with few choices, we purchased 2 new tires so we could drive home to st. louis. the total cost for this was $177.10. upon return to st. louis i immediately took the car into mcmahon ford and after 3 days, doug sucher informed me that the camber was at 9 which was dangerously near an unsafe reading. he also told me there was no repair available for this problem. i was told the vehicle also needs new brakes due to this defect. furthermore, he said he contacted the engineers at ford and they are aware of the problem but have no solution at this time. he did confirm that the wear on the tires was caused by the improper camber setting and we would continue to go thru tires and brakes at an unusual rate. he also said this is a problem on all focus models and they are doing tire replacements only on the 2001 models.*ak | |||
| 09/16/2001 | |||
| Tires on vehicle is wearing down. rear wheel bearing went bad and had to replace them. tires had been replaced twice. contacted dealer, and dealer stated never heard of problem before.*ak | |||
| 1 | 03/01/2001 | ||
| Tire formed bubble only after a few months of ownership. took car to firestone dealer and dealer ship. both say the front right rim is bent that why the tire formed a bubble. they say the bubble was in a certain spot which tells them that i had to of hit a pothole. the tire was replaced with a new one. the old tire was sent to firestone for testing.*ak | |||
| 07/24/2000 | 05/01/2000 | ||
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak (tiresize: 19560r15) | |||
| 04/01/2001 | 3 | 03/12/2000 | |
| While consumer was driving gas tank cover blew off the tank and gas was spilling every where.*ak consumer states vehicle has experienced problems with the sending unit and gas gauge. wheel bearings on the left rear failed. transmission fluid leaks, consumer states this is causing slippage and shifting problems. vehicle experiences a burning oil smell. wiring harness failure. light failure (consumer did not specify). gas leaks. failed suspension parts (consumer did not specify). tires wear prematurely (consumer did not give tire information). splash shields broke. brocking wires in central locking system. *slc | |||
| 02/26/2000 | 7 | 02/01/2000 | |
| 7 new stereos, 2 ignition cylinders, a few trunk latches, transmission trouble(dealer cannot duplicate), 20,000 miles i have to replace 4 tires and 4 brake pads, horrible grinding noise when stopping, shakes on the freeway when braking, misassembled interior rails, and many others. i am completely dissatisfied with this vehicle, i will never, ever buy another ford vehicle and i will certainly never reccomend a ford to anyone. | |||
| 1 | |||
| The goodyear tires were worn on the inside. nlm | |||
| 05/15/2001 | 1 | 02/10/2000 | |
| Consumer was traveling home and noticed a clunking or rattling noise. when her husband pulled passenger's rear tire there was a cap, and a screw fell out. dealership was aware of problem. *ak consumer stated that vehicle was in for a recall on left back tire, the part that was suppose to have been replaced had fallen out.*jb | |||
| 04/01/2001 | 2 | ||
| Front driver's side tire blewout at end of tread and sidewall with size about 3 inches. also, on may 8, 2001, rear driver's side tire blewout. dealer advised that tires blewout due to aluminum rims.*ak *jb | |||
| 03/19/2001 | 1 | 05/01/2000 | |
| Consumer has had to replace all 4 (firehawk gta 195r6015) tires due no tread being left, tires also began to wobble and would cause vehicle to dart back and forth, consumer did try having tires rotated and rebalanced but still did not solve wobbling problem. *jb | |||
| 04/29/2001 | 5 | 11/01/1999 | |
| Rear tires have been replaced four times with 60000 mile tires and it is eating the tires in less than 20000 miles. the rear of the car is vibrating and bouncing at all speeds but is worst at 55 to 65 mph. i have tried to get it fixed several times and the dealerships keep saying it is the alignment. alignment has been corrected and verified several times with no result. all recall work to date has been completed by dealerships.*ak | |||
| 02/09/2001 | |||
| Brake system has had shoes/bearings/ drums replaced due to overheating of wheel. rear drive's side tire is becoming too hot to touch after normal operation of vehicle. please provide any additional information/attachments.*ak | |||
| 02/14/2000 | 1 | 10/20/1999 | |
| The rear passenger side tire blew out while driving causing damage to the vehicle (firestone tire). nlm | |||
| Tire went flat. consumer took it to dealer, and dealer could not find hole. they replaced front tires 4 months later, another hole in tires, was flat and couldnt find leak. dealer blamed problem on brakes. consumer went to indepentent shop found out tires were warped. consumer went back to dealer, and removed tires. took care of warping problem. please provide further information.*ak | |||
| 04/09/2001 | 4 | 11/01/1999 | |
| Tires wore out and started to separate at this milage, dealer won't help , also wheel bearing replaced due to failures. dealer and ford accept no responsiblity for defective equip. bearing noise noticed at 7k miles dealer finally replaced bearings at 23750 miles. cust is going thru arbitration to lemon the car. running into probs with this also ford won't take it back . 8 recalls is enough (tiresize: p19570r15)( dot number: tire size: p19570r15 ) | |||
| 04/04/2001 | 1 | 08/31/2000 | |
| Original tires on a ford, focus 2000, p20550r16 86h, dot # 0211314e4. consumer took car in for a routine inspection, and they said that front passenger's tire had a big bubble. consumer felt tire may separate.*ak the dealer indicated the bubble was caused by pothole, but replaced it because it was unsafe to drive the vehicle under that condition. *yh | |||
| 03/06/2001 | 1 | 10/01/2000 | |
| T304579 cgw 74mmc e13 027430, where lettering rsa appears, 8 inches to left as looking at tire, and 4 inches to right before beginning of the word goodyear where area of wording goodyear is imprinted, down to almost area where tire strikes the ground, a bubble has appeared outwards, approximate size is 2 1/2 inches, outside is area of 1/4 top of golf ball size protrusion. area is visible with no apparent damage to rim nor tire. definite defect in this tire! if protrusion continues, it will grow outwards from the tire, and soon will be in an area underneath where tire strikes the ground! *ak (dot number: ??????? tiresize: p195 60r15) | |||
| 04/01/1999 | 1 | 10/11/1999 | |
| Rear tires (no brand or size) are chopped, poor valve assembly. *slc | |||
| 3 | |||
| Vehicle pulls to the right and is making noise, the consumer feels it isn't the tires due to having rotations and alignments done, the problems could possibly be a suspension problem, tires replaced however the make/model of the tires were not provided. *slc | |||
| 10/04/2000 | 1 | 01/28/2000 | |
| Firestone firehawk tires (p195 60 r15) failed. *slc | |||
| TIRES - BEAD | |||
| 08/23/2001 | |||
| My motor mounts went out while i was driving down the highway making the engine hop. my seatbelts are locking up so that you can not get the seat belts on. and my tires cord broke making the tire wavy and the steel belt was showing through.*ak (dot number: e13 027430 tiresize: p195/60r15) | |||
| TIRES - SIDEWALL | |||
| 05/01/2006 | 4 | ||
| Tire separation/cracking linglong l688 tires 205 40 zr 17. *nm | |||
| 05/30/2004 | 44313 | 1 | 07/22/2000 |
| My son was almost killed along with drivers on the freeway below the overpass he was on when a 2 week old tire blew and he instantly lost control of the vehicle. in viewing this tire, i found it to look as if it has dry rot all around it. little tiny holes underneath the treads all around as if eaten away by termites or something. for a new tire it is older looking than the other 6 month old tires. i know no one who would lab test the material, but in my gut something is very wrong with it. it blew from underneath a thick new tread that has no punctures on top. it is a firestone/firehawk p205/50r16, dot# w2w11tb0804. my car is a total loss, but my son made it through ok thank god. i took it to the dealer mgr i purchased it from and he outright disagreed and started to take the tire from me saying he would have thier lab test it, but i have little trust for thier lab. i need help in reviewing this. i have no car and i feel it is because of an accident caused by a defective tire. insurance does not pay comprable to the vehicle you had. i had only one last payment to go. my son and many other people could have been killed. buying tires is like a game of russian roulette with life and death. it seems we all just accept that fact.*ak | |||
| 04/02/2001 | 2 | 04/01/2000 | |
| This spring my daughter had two tires blow with sidewall problems. the first time, she hit a pothole going about 25 mph and the sidewall went out. she replaced this tire. then about one month later, she was driving on an interstate highway. she had passed two trucks and went back into her lane when something did not feel right. by the time she could slow down and stop, the tread of the tire came off in a large circle and dented the side of her car. the wheel was also damaged. she claims that she did not hit anything. there is no damage to the tread of the tire to indicate that she did. however, the sidewall was shredded. now we are concerned about the tires. i did not see the first tire, however, she said that the sidewall had a huge hole in and the tire could not be repaired. have there been other reports of problems with these tires? on the other hand, after seeing the damage done to the tire, we feel that the ford focus handled very well, allowing her to get off the road safely and avoid an accident.*ak( dot number: ) | |||
| TIRES - TREAD/BELT | |||
| 05/30/2004 | 44313 | 1 | 07/22/2000 |
| My son was almost killed along with drivers on the freeway below the overpass he was on when a 2 week old tire blew and he instantly lost control of the vehicle. in viewing this tire, i found it to look as if it has dry rot all around it. little tiny holes underneath the treads all around as if eaten away by termites or something. for a new tire it is older looking than the other 6 month old tires. i know no one who would lab test the material, but in my gut something is very wrong with it. it blew from underneath a thick new tread that has no punctures on top. it is a firestone/firehawk p205/50r16, dot# w2w11tb0804. my car is a total loss, but my son made it through ok thank god. i took it to the dealer mgr i purchased it from and he outright disagreed and started to take the tire from me saying he would have thier lab test it, but i have little trust for thier lab. i need help in reviewing this. i have no car and i feel it is because of an accident caused by a defective tire. insurance does not pay comprable to the vehicle you had. i had only one last payment to go. my son and many other people could have been killed. buying tires is like a game of russian roulette with life and death. it seems we all just accept that fact.*ak | |||
| 05/13/2002 | 16000 | ||
| There is a vibration felt in steering wheel when driving at freeway speeds. i have had the car aligned 2 times, replaced the tires 3-times, replaced the brakes 3-times and had the tires rotated and re-balanced 6 times, in two years. i have had all of the recalls completed. the vibration still exists and the dealer cannot fix it. the dealer just keeps telling me to get the tires re-balanced, or get new tires again. *nlm | |||
| 03/01/2001 | 25000 | 10/20/2000 | |
| Ignition failed, had to be replaced, tires wear incredibly fast (4 sets of tires at 45000 miles), radio cut out, had to be replaced twice, brakes failed at least three times causing two accidents, dealership said they replaced them, but lied and never did, was forced to spend $500 having them replaced, trunk doesn't close, bad suspension, spun out on an exit ramp | |||
| 12 | |||
| The consumer has experienced the following: the replacement of the left dash board cluster (temperature gauge inop from the time of purchase), reattachment of rubber seal around driver door window, reattachment of fuel pump, reattachment of headliner in rear of vehicle, uncrimping of fuel line, lubrication driver door handle(sticking), lubrication of catch on rear passenger side door(had come open while vehicle was in motion), replacement the turn signal switch in steering column-had to be turned off manually, persistent noises/vibrations in the front end of vehicle starting at 36k miles and was told that the tires had tread that was too narrow/were high performance which wasn't needed/was also told that the vibration was caused by improper tire care and tire cupping, the left rear shock needed replacement, and the radio goes out-sometimes goes out when the heat is turned up high. scc | |||
| 02/24/2002 | |||
| Rear front tire tread separted from a check up. firestore, p19560r15. dealership is aware of problem. *ak | |||
| 10/03/2001 | 1 | 06/01/2000 | |
| Rear tires had cupping wear around the tread. ford dealer said it was because i did not rotate the tires (front tires are ok). firestone dealer used alignment instruments that showed the rear was out of alignment. firestone, as do i, believe the car was not properly aligned coming off the assembly line. firestone said that they had seen many focus models with premature rear tire wear problems.*ak (tiresize: p195/60tr1) | |||
| 09/18/2001 | 1 | 06/01/2000 | |
| Complete tread separation - i have the tread. *ak (tiresize: p195/60tr1) | |||
| While entering freeway at about 45mph front driver's side tire tread separated, causing damage to fender. tire did not deflate. firestone wants to have the tire.*ak | |||
| 10/22/1999 | 1 | 10/01/1999 | |
| Consumer was in an automobile accident, car was towed into dealership where she was advised that tires did not cause accident and there was nothing wrong with the brakes, two weeks later consumer went to another mechanic and was told that tires were bald and there was metal coming out of them, also rotors were cracked and had pieces missing out of them, so rotors and all brake pads had to be replaced. *jb | |||
| 09/29/2000 | 1 | 11/26/1999 | |
| Pe00020, original equipment on 2000 ford focus, tire size p19560r15 and dot # v6v91rr859. front passenger's tire tread came off completely which may have caused a crash. firestone was not willing to assist consumer because itwas not part of the recall. * ak the customer replaced all 4 tires at own expense. *yh | |||
| 09/22/2000 | 1 | 03/25/2000 | |
| Pe00020, tire tread separation: while driving about 45 mph tread on the driver's front firestone firehawk tire came off. driver was able to control vehicle. tire size p19560r15. original tire equipment on a 2000, ford, focus. tire mileage 9,000. firestone and ford was contact about the tire. please provide any further information.*ak *slc | |||
| 09/22/2000 | 1 | 08/01/2000 | |
| I have had the car for 2 months, it had 55 miles on it when i purchased it. i was going 25 miles down southern parkway and the tire blew out. what i mean to say is that the tire literally fell apart. i have pictures of this, it is something that needs to be seen to be believed.( dot number: de559p tire size: p125/60r15 ) | |||
| TIRES - VALVE | |||
| 04/01/1999 | 1 | 10/11/1999 | |
| Rear tires (no brand or size) are chopped, poor valve assembly. *slc | |||