2003 Ford Focus Tires & Wheels Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD FOCUS EQUIPPED WITH FIRESTONE PRIMEWELL PZ900 TIRES, SIZE: P205/50Z/16 (NA). WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A ROAR AND FELT A VIBRATION FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. UPON EXAMINATION OF THE TIRE, THE CONTACT NOTICED A LARGE CRACK ON THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE AND REPLACED IT WITH THE SPARE TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER AND THE TIRES WERE NOT REPLACED. THE TIRES WERE REPLACEMENT TIRES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 124,000 AND THE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000.

SIDEWALL OF TIRE BLEW OUT. TIRES ARE NOT EVEN 2 MONTHS OLD. I HAVE SEEN OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE. DOUGLAS XTRA TRAC II 185/65/14. *TR

WHEEL STUD ON FRONT, DRIVERSIDE BROKE OFF WHILE CAR WAS IN MOTION. BECAUSE OF STUD FAILURE, WHEEL NUTS AND WHEEL FLEW OFF VEHICLE, CROSSING ONCOMING LANE. IF DEFECT OCCURS ON OTHER VEHICLES ON A HWY OR AT HIGHSPEEDS. SEVERE INJURY COULD OCCUR. FORTUNATELY THIS OCCURRED AT LOW SPEED AND ON AN EMPTY STREET. FORD REPORTED NO WAY OF CHECKING ITS DATABASES FOR SIMILAR DEFECTS. *TR

DRIVING TO WORK, NO RAIN, NO ICE ON ROAD, NORMAL BUT COLD CONDITIONS (30F) AND COULDN'T STOP MY VEHICLE WITH LOW ROLL RESISTANCE TIRES. WHEN I APPLIED BRAKES MY CAR IMMEDIATELY WENT INTO A SLIDE/SKID AND I HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE FROM BEHIND. WAS GOING AROUND 35 MPH AND SHOULD HAVE HAD PLENTY OF SPACE TO STOP. *TR

VALVE STEM FAILURE ON FORD FOCUS. *TR

MY 2003 FORD FOCUS ZTW HAS LUG NUT CAPS THAT DO NOT STAY ON. EVERY YEAR I LOSE SEVERAL CAPS AS THE TEMPERATURE CHANGES CAUSING THE METAL TO EXPAND MAKING THE CAPS LOSE. RECENTLY A CAP FLEW OFF AS MY I WAS DRIVING AND HIT THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW LUCKILY NOT BREAKING IT. THIS IS A DESIGN DEFECT THAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED IMMEDIATELY BEFORE CAUSING FURTHER DAMAGE. *TR

TIRE FIRST WENT FLAT WHEN THE TIRE WAS REFILLED WITH AIR A BUBBLE BEGAN TO FORM AND AFTER THAT THE TREAD BEGAN TO SEPARATE FROM THE TIRE. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 55MPH A GRINDING NOISE WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE WHEELS. UPON INSPECTION THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED ALL FOUR WHEELS WERE TURNED INWARD BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF ALIGNMENT. THERE WAS WEARING PRESENT ON THE TIRES. THE VEHICLE WAS EXCHANGED.

I HAVE PURCHASED 3- COOPER LIFE LINER TOURING SLE 205501687 H TIRES. 2 WERE ON THE REAR. 2 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE, THE RIGHT REAR TIRE WENT FLAT. I REPLACED IT. 2 WEEKS LATER THE LEFT REAR WENT FLAT. I FILLED IT AND THE VERY NEXT DAY THE RIGHT REAR WENT FLAT. I PUT A SPARE ON AND TOOK THEM WHERE I BOUGHT THEM. THEY RAN TESTS AND FOUND NOTHING TO BE WRONG WITH THE TIRE AND COULD NOT EXPLAIN WHY THEY JUST WENT FLAT. I REPLACED THE 2 REAR TIRES WITH A DIFFERENT BRAND AND HAVE YET TO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THEM. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING AT 60 MPH HEARD A LOUD POP AND THEN LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE CAR STARTED SPINNING AROUND AND HIT AN EXIT SIGN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. UPON IMPACT, BOTH AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. THE TIRE CAME COMPLETELY OFF THE RIM. BOTH INSURANCE AND POLICE REPORTS WERE TAKEN. THERE HAS BEEN NO CONTACT WITH GOODYEAR. THESE WERE THE ORIGINAL TIRES THAT CAME ON THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES.*AK

FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN A POTHOLE WAS STRUCK WITH THE RIGHT FRONT, CAUSING A BLISTER TO THE SIDEWALL AND A SLIGHT BEND TO THE RIM. UPON REVIEW OF THE SHALLOW DEPTH OF THE POTHOLE, I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT CAUSED A PROBLEM. ONE WEEK LATER, THE REAR TIRE ON THE SAME SIDE SHOWED A BLISTER. THE RIM WAS FINE AND HAVE NO RECALLECTION OF HITTING ANYTHING. ANOTHER WEEK AND ANOTHER POTHOLE. THIS TIME A FLAT, ON THE SAME FRONT. NOW A SEVERELY BENT RIM; ON THE INSIDE. THE RIM WAS REPAIRED AND THE TIRE REINSTALLED. HOWEVER, NO NEW BLISTER OCCURRED ON THE INSIDE WALL. I HAVE MADE THIS SAME COMMUTE FOR 10 YEARS WITH OTHER VEHICLES SHOD WITH OFF-BRAND TIRES, AND NEVER HAD AN INCIDENT OF ANY KIND.*AK

REAR TIRES WEAR OUT PREMATURELY ON 2000, 2001 AND 2003 FORD FOCUS. ALL HAVE NEW TIRES INSTALLED BECAUSE OF REAR TIRE WEAR AND MISALIGNMENT. *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE REAR TIRES BEGAN THUMPING AND THE TREAD WALL STARTED CUPPING. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT HE HAS HAD THREE VEHICLES OF THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. *TC THE CONSUMER NO LONGER OWNS THE 2000 AND 2001 FORD FOCUS ONLY THE 2003. *JB

THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING OVER A ROCK THE SIZE OF A TOMATO AND THE WHEEL RIM HAS A TEAR STRAIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THE RIM. THE PRESSURE OF THE AIR BLEW THE TIRE TOWARD THE INSIDE OF THE RIM. THE RIM SHATTERED AND THE TIRE WAS LEFT INTACT. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, WHO STATED THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. THE VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH LOW PROFILE TIRES. *AK *SC

CONTINUOUS FRONT END VIBRATION. 1 TIRE BLOWOUT AT 5,000 MILES, ANOTHER BLEW A BELT AT 14,000 MILES. FIRESTONE FIREHAWK 205, 50 R16. *AK

BOUGHT 2003 FORD FOCUS AUGUST 2003; MARCH-APRIL 2004 HEARD THUMPING NOISE OFF REAR TIRES. (PLEASE NOTE: I PUT ON 3,000 MILES MONTHLY AND CHANGE MY OIL MONTHLY AS WELL AS ROTATE MY TIRES EVERY OTHER OIL CHANGE.) TREADS ARE WEARING IN COASTER SIZE SPOTS, BUT UNDER 25%. GOODYEAR IS REPLACING ONLY ONE TIRE UNDER THE "WARRANTY" "NUISANCE" CLAUSE. WILL MONITOR ALL TIRES. THE OLD TIRE IS WAVY, UNLIKE THE OTHERS, WHICH ARE FINE THUS FAR. GY SUGGESTED POSSIBLE SUSPENSION, BUT DOUBTED DUE TO THE YOUTH OF THE CAR AND TIRES AND ALSO SUGGESTED ALIGNMENT. HAD THE NEW TIRE PUT ON...FREE..AND HAD A "FREE" ALIGNMENT ANALYSIS PERFORMED. *AK

I HAVE HAD BULGES DEVELOP IN THE SIDEWALL OF TWO FIRESTONE FIREHAWK GTA 02 TIRES THAT CAME AS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON A 2003 FOCUS ZX3 HATCHBACK. THE FIRST TIRE BULGED AT 3800 MILES AND THE DEALER RELUCTANTLY REPLACED THAT TIRE. NOW AT 11,500 MILES A SECOND TIRE HAS A BULGE IN THE SIDEWALL. THE FIRST BULGE I ATTRIBUTED TO A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. NOW THAT THE SECOND TIRE HAS BULGED, AND MANY OTHERS REPORT SIMILAR PROBLEMS, I THINK FIRESTONE HAS ANOTHER BIG PROBLEM DEVELOPING. FORD/FIRESTONE SHOULD BE MADE TO REPLACE ALL OF THESE TIRES AT NO COST.

FRONT WHEEL ALOY RIM IS BENT DUE TO FAULTY FIRESTONE FIREHAWK GTA 02 205/50R16 TIRES WITH WEAK SIDEWALLS. TIRE HAS BUBBLE ON SIDEWALL DEALER STATED FIRESTONE PROBLEM NOT FORD PROBLEM. THE DEALER REFUSED TO REPLACED THE TIRE AND RIM UNDER THE WARRANTY BECAUSE THEY BELIEVED THE DENTED RIM CAME FROM THE VEHICLE HITTING A ROCK OR POTHOLE. THE BENT RIM CAUSED THE TIRE TO HAVE BUBBLE ON IT. THE DEALER ULTIMATELY REPLACED THE TIRE BUT NOT THE RIM. THE NEW TIRE WAS GOOD FOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS AND WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE IT PUNCTURED AND DESTROYED. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT THE FIREHAWK TIRES HAVE DESIGN FLAWS AND SHOULD BE RECALLED.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS HIGHWAY SPEEDS VEHICLE VIBRATED. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION. CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE PROBLEMS PERTAINED TO THE TIRE AND RIM. SHE HAD TO REPLACE THE SAME TIRE AFTER 18,000 MILES/30,000 MILES, AND 46,000 MILES DUE TO MUD ACCUMULATING INSIDE THE TIRE RIM. THIS THREW THE BALANCE OFF, AND VEHICLE CONTROL WAS AFFECTED. IT PERFORMED ERRATICALLY. CONSUMER ALSO CALLED THE MANUFACTURER. *AK

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 60 MPH THE LEFT FRONT TIRE ON MY CAR SUDDENLY BLEW OUT. IT WAS A FAILURE OF THE SIDEWALL. THE TIRE WAS A GOODYEAR INTEGRITY SIZE P185/65/R-14. THE SUDDEN BLOWOUT CAUSED 900 DOLLARS DAMAGE TO MY CAR AND THE DEALER AND TIRE MANUFACTURER REFUSED TO PAY. *LA

REAR DRIVE WHEEL RIM IS BENT AND DAMAGED THE TIRE. DEALER STATED PROBABLY CONSUMER HIT A POTHOLE OR A CURB AND BENT THE WHEEL.*AK THE DEALER REFUSED TO REPLACED THE RIM UNDER THE WARRANTY BECAUSE THEY BELIEVED THE DENTED RIM CAME FROM THE VEHICLE HITTING A ROCK OR POTHOLE. THE BENT RIM CAUSED THE TIRE TO HAVE BUMPS ON IT. *PH *NLM