Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| WHEELS | |||
| 01/07/2009 | 80000 | 1 | |
| Since 2003 i've had to replace numerous tires (5) and one wheel hub due to going over rough, but not usually hazardous road problems, such as a small/medium pothole. my car is in the shop, yet again, having a tire fixed. *tr | |||
| 12/18/2004 | 12000 | 1 | |
| 1. i've had problems with this tire holding air. it has given me problems ever since i purchased it. it was taken to the dealer all through warranty. i've been putting air in it which has cost me a surmountable amt of money ranging from 25 cents to whatever the market charged cost of putting air in it to the current date. it ruined a good tire after 12,000 miles of use; it was rotated all the necessary times; only the right passenger front side tire no matter how many times it was rotated; the same side is faulty; august 2008, a service center discovered the problem. i told them to examine that particular wheel and see if they could figure out what problem exists. they discovered that the wheel is bent in 4 different places. i've had to be towed from my workplace; my auto club has had to send a service shopout to change the tire or pump it up. sometimes this would happen in my driveway. after warranty it becomes the owner's problem. i believe the mfr and dealer were aware of the problem. an owner of a 2004, new at the time of purchase, also has a cracked wheel. unless this problem is corrected, it will continue to cost purchasers more monies and accidents if driven over 30-40 miles per hr. this is a mfr's defect. a vehicle in this condition should not be driven on long trips at a high rate of speed, such as on the expressways and interstates. it is dangerous regardless of speed. once air is put back into the tire, within a day's time, driven or not driven, it starts going down. basically, just being parked, it will go down anyway. with the ethics of the dealership in this area, they probably did the same thing as i've been doing., adding air to the tire and returning it back to me. thank you. *tr | |||
| 02/01/2007 | 55000 | 1 | 01/01/2003 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford focus. the contact stated that the left rear wheel began to fall off the vehicle. he stated that he had to have the bearings replaced. while researching the internet, he discovered that this failure was first noticed in 2000. ford advised him to call nhtsa since there were no recalls. the engine size and a valid vin were unknown. the current mileage is 57,500 and failure mileage was 55,000. | |||
| 08/09/2002 | 1 | 04/26/2002 | |
| Purchased car new may 2002. focus zts. in august took car to ontario canada on roadtrip from missouri. way back from trip, noticed vibrations from back of car at highway speed. didn't think much of it because of similar experience with escort. took car on trip to myrtle beach in may 2003 and the vibration was more then obvious at 55mph. when returned from trip took car in for service. driver side rear bushing on tire arm was worn. wheel was tilted and tire was wearing wrong. dealership replaced arm and tire. took car on another trip march 2004 noticed extreme vibration still coming from same side/back of car. shakes plastic bags in backseats. vibrates driver seat and steeringwheel. because most of my driving is on regular roads it's not something that becomes obvious right away. will be taking car in again asap. also had a problem right after purchasing the car with the passernger side front floor wet after huge rain. took it in for repair and i don't think there has been a noticeable problem since.*ak | |||
| 10/15/2003 | 34000 | ||
| The front driver's wheel bearing and hub went out at about 7,000. the car made a very loud noise. ford repaired this problem. car had to have brake pads at 28,000 miles. the wear on the driver's side front was much worst than the others. repair person said that the calipers were defective. cost 100. dollars. the front passenger's side wheel bearing and hub went out at 29,000. i paid for repair of wheel $150. i was told that the driver's side was going out again. there is obviously a problem with the front suspension of this car. i am now faced with repairs of the other side for a second time and the car is only 18 months old. i am worried that the wheels will come off. | |||
| 07/15/2003 | 0 | ||
| I have experienced problem after problem since purchasing my 2002 svt focus. random stalls, leaks, and noises. shift linkage failure, wheel bearing failure, power window problems. intake manifold failure, wrong idle speed, loss of electrical power. 35 days in the shop so far and counting, all within 11mo of purchase. don't buy a ford car, you'll regret it. | |||
| 07/15/2003 | 15000 | ||
| Ford focus 2002 zx5 with 16" alloy wheels and firestone tires seems to be susceptible to road hazard damage more than other cars i have had. one bubbled tire, and another punctured tire within weeks of each other. the focus alloy wheels are the worse problems. at least two have been bent to the point of causing steering and vibration problems on car. one wheel has two visible bumps, and one wheel has a massive bump from some surprise road holes. i have never had a car that had such weak rims. i am not replacing the wheels until i talk to either ford or a lawyer. | |||
| 10/15/2002 | 15002 | ||
| Problem i'm still having and was reported to dealership is car pulls to left, ( not corrected) back end of car or tires bounce on road and especially when hitting a bump, cannot stay on road in slush or snow, back end is all over road, ( nothing done) tires are completely groved in many spots on the tires, caused by rear end bouncing on road, firestone won't replace they say it is focas's rear end and it wears out the tires, dealer or ford won't do anything about rear end or tires, car vibrates badly, rear doors barley open are so stiff, looks like door locks are coroaded nothing was done by dealership even though they said they lubricated, nothing is on the locks to show lubrication of locks. | |||
| 01/15/2003 | 0 | ||
| On november 23 2002 i was in a accident where i broke my nose and had numerous burises. the reason i got into an accident was because my wheel and suspension broke & seem to come apart. i had complained to ford that my wheel had been shaking and that there was something wrong with it. i had taken it back 4 times to get fixed but everytime i got it back and it would shake just as bad. also when i got into the accident my airbags didnt deploy at all i received a broken nose from hitting my head on the steering wheel. the car was shaking really bad and it seem to pull me off the road then all of a sudden it was like a snap and it went the other direction. i flew sideways up in the air and hit two oak trees luckly i didn't die from this accident if you would see the pictures you would think how did she survive. if the car would have hit the oak trees two feet closer to my door i wouldn't be here to tell you this. the car split in half & was totaled. | |||
| 01/31/2004 | 12225 | 1 | 07/08/2002 |
| In attempting to remove the right rear wheel and tire assembly from my car, i found this to be impossible-apparently ,the cast wheel metal had corroded to the hub. this made an impossibly difficult and potentially dangerous problem of a normally routine one. *jb | |||
| 11/20/2003 | 16300 | 1 | 10/21/2002 |
| 16 inch diameter front alloy wheel with 205-50/r16 tire on 2002 ford focus zts was damaged and caused rapid tire deflation due to low speed , 35 mph, impact with pothole. 50 series tire is too thin for street use on the ford focus!*ak | |||
| 07/15/2003 | 15000 | 1 | |
| Consumer stated that after hitting a pothole the tire on the right came apart from the wheel. after carefull inspection consumer found all of the wheels on vehicle were bent. *ak | |||
| 1 | 07/30/2000 | ||
| Vehicle experienced problems with the tires and the wheels, no specific information given. *slc | |||
| 08/03/2002 | |||
| While backing out of the driveway heard a bump. visually inspected vehicle, and did not see any damage. consumer than began driving and heard a loud noise. consumer again inspected vehicle, and saw that wheel assembly had buckled, and the rear passenger's tire was rubbing against firewall.*ak | |||
| 06/09/2002 | |||
| While driving wheels on passenger's side buckled underneath vehicle. please provide any further information.*ak | |||
| WHEELS - CAP/COVER/HUB | |||
| 02/02/2005 | 1 | ||
| 2002 ford focus zx5- one of the center caps on the 16 wheels fell off while driving the vehicle. the caps are defective since the tabs that hold it onto the wheel seem to just break off (cheap). the cap covers the lug nuts. *tr | |||
| 12/26/2005 | 54429 | 1 | 01/11/2005 |
| I purchased my 2002 ford focus in january of 2005. i love my car, have found out about of things that could go wrong later. right now i am having trouble with my front wheels. i have put six used tires on the front since i purchased the focus. in november i had two brand new tires put on plus in may i have had a wheel alignment done. the car still shakes very bad. found out i need my wheel hub bearing replace, plus i found out there may be a recall on the rear bearing which i have not received anything. i should not have to pay for these things to be done. *jb | |||
| 05/17/2004 | 1 | 11/01/2002 | |
| The cap which presses on over the lug nut on the wheel was just pressed on, and came off easily. consumer stated there 3 caps were lost while driving the vehicle. *ak | |||
| WHEELS - CENTER SECTION | |||
| 01/20/2003 | 10000 | 1 | 02/02/2002 |
| 2002 focus zx3 - with 16 wheels - wheel center caps are defective. one has fallen off, and upon inspection, the other three have tabs that are breaking off, that will lead to the center caps falling off. | |||
| WHEELS - LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS | |||
| 03/18/2005 | 42000 | 1 | 06/09/2003 |
| I kept hearing noises in the front passenger side of my car so i called the dealer and told them this problem along with faulty windhield wipers , noises in the transmission and a radio that plays when it wants. i brought the car in for repairs . they did the repairs on the windshield under the warranty, and said the radio was not defective and the faceplate was broken (it is not), and the noise that i am hearing in the front of the car was due to me replacing a flat tire (in the rear of the car) with a tire not the same as the other three. well i was driving the car for about 300 miles after being at the dealer and went to make a left turn at a traffic light. the right front wheel( not the tire) went rolling into the highway and myself and 2 toddlers went to the left and into a business parking lot. after being towed to the dealer, the told me that they do not recall telling me about the noise i heard , and due to the fact that the tech that worked on the car did not write the results on it that they were not resposible for the wheel falling off and to get my car off their lot before they have it towed off.in the event of the wheel falling off it also caused $1000.00 damage to the front quartepanel and door. i had to have the car towed to grand sport auto for repair and i have to pay for the damages that my insurance will not ccover, along with a rental car. | |||
| 1 | 11/27/2001 | ||
| The cap which just presses on over the lug nut on the tire is just pressed on, and comes off easily, leaving just the lug nut which the tire wrench is to large to remove just the nut. *ts | |||
| WHEELS - RIM | |||
| 01/01/2003 | 6000 | 4 | 09/01/2002 |
| 2002 ford focus - firestone tire failures. bubbles in tires, eventually blow (2) or need to be replaced. have purchased 5 tires. no problems. also rims are dented. no pot holes encountered to cause this. no accidents to cause this. first bubble in rear driver's side tire at 6,000 miles. replaced tire with another firestone. tire blew at 18,000 miles. replaced tire again with non firestones (2). bubble in two remaining firestones occurred. replaced again with non-firestones. no problem. ford denies problem. firestone denies problem. i have a problem with both. am purchasing 2006 monte carlo in september, ba bye. | |||
| 03/09/2004 | 46600 | 1 | 09/16/2002 |
| While driving 35 mph right tire collapsed inward. consumer drove the vehicle home. vehicle was taken to the dealer, and dealer informed consumer that right rim hit something and caused the tire to be bent inward.*ak | |||
| 03/04/2004 | 1 | 3 | 08/08/2002 |
| Ford focus rims. the car has less then 25,000 miles. we took it to be looked at due to a shake in the steering wheel. we were informed that it has three bent rims. also was informed that the dealer nor the manufacture was going to do anything about it. the car is driven only by a stay at home mother and has never been in a accident. nor has it come into contact with large pot holes.*ak | |||
| 12/12/2003 | 3452 | 2 | 03/29/2002 |
| 2002 ford focus zx5 hatchback model was purchased new from lafres ford. the check engine light keeps coming on and stays on. various electrical problems have occurred and various parts have been replaced (documented on all service reports) the check engine light has been a problem from day one and i have experienced other parts burned and replaced in the past, ie cooling fan harness and resistor burnt, burn smell when a/c is in use or the heator, replacement of battery. (car is still under warranty) i continually take the car back and forth to the dealer to have the check engine light corrected. (no reimbursement of toll/bridges and days off from work to have this car properly serviced, no reimbursement of rental cars) when i get the car back the check engine light is off and two days later it is back on again. i periodically call my service advisor at the service department telling him that i just picked up the car and within 24 hours the check engine light came on again. my service advisor tells me that the check engine light does not mean anything and i could drive around with the light onindefinetly althought the light is a nuisance. on 12/11/03 while driving, the check engine light which was already on, the battery light indicator came on, i immediately called the dealer service department and explained to my service advisor of the problem, it was late friday afternoon, he stated that was not a good sign and advised me to seek service at a ford service station. took car to universal ford. the car began to emit a burning smell i arrived at the dealer service stations and was told that my alternator was no good and that the harness hand burned and all the wires had melted. that is truly an unsafe car, this problem could have caused the car catch on fire and i could have been seriously injured, or become a fatality or others could have gotten hurt. the car is currently at the universal ford dealer service station.*ak | |||
| 03/07/2003 | 8000 | 2 | 10/17/2002 |
| The tires and wheels on my 2002 ford focus are very poor in quality. the rims bend and tires deflate upon hiting a chug hole in the road way causing loss of car control. while always avoiding holes when possible, this is a fact on may roads and hiways. i have never had this happen on any other car. the car is equiped with 205-50-16 firestone tires and alum. wheels. the car handles poorly and has been aligned two times in past year. i feel cars equiped like this from the factory are an acident waiting to happen. | |||
| 06/01/2003 | 1 | ||
| Tire sidewall too soft to protect wheel rim at recommended mfg. pressure. rim bent just driving over common drive way curbs. had to replace alloy wheel .*ak | |||
| 07/02/2003 | 10000 | 2 | 09/01/2002 |
| Ford focus 2003 zx5 with 16 alloy wheels and firestone tires seems to be susceptible to road hazard damage more than other cars i have had. one bubbled tire, and another punctured tire within weeks of each other.*ak the focus alloy wheels are the worse problems. at least two have been bent to the point of causing steering and vibration problems on car. one wheel has two visible bumps, and one wheel has a massive bump from some unknown road holes. i have never had a car that had such weak rims. i am not replacing the wheels until i talk to either ford or a lawyer. | |||
| 05/24/2003 | 1 | ||
| Consumer states that left front rim is cracked in center of rim. *ak | |||
| 7000 | 2 | 08/01/2002 | |
| Consumer had problems with the tires and trims on the vehicle. while driving at more then 40 mph the tires would explode and the rims would bend. manufacturer was contacted, and told consumer that this was the way the vehicle was made.*ak | |||
| 02/20/2003 | 1 | ||
| The rim was defective, which caused the tire to lose air.*jb | |||
| 11/10/2002 | |||
| While getting a front tire replace, the technician informed that the front rims were bending. consumer states the vehicle was never involved in an accident or hit any thing hard enough to cause the rims to bend. dealer and the manufacturer have been notified. feel free to provide any further information. mr | |||