There are 16 owner-reported tires & wheels complaints for the 2008 Ford Focusin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
Steering began to wobble and vehicle pulling hard to the right. Took car to Tires Plus for alignment and inspection. Technician advised the drivers side front tire has advanced tread separation and the front passenger side tire is beginning to separate and is cupping. My daughter drives this car. 205/50R/16 87H, passenger tire is dot [XXX], drivers side is [XXX] . Tires rated for 65k, they only have 34k miles of wear on them. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
GOING THROUGH REAR TIRES. CAUSING IT TO ACT LIKE REAR WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLE ON WET PAVEMENT. HAD AN ALIGNMENT DINE ABOUT 1 MONTH AGO AND HAD GOOD TIRES ON IT, THEY ARE NOW BALD. ALSO BACK END SLIDES WHEN HITTING EVEN SMALL BUMPS. FIRST TIME WAS ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO, GOT IT ALIGNED AND NEW TIRES WAS FINE TILE ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO. GOT DECENT TIRES AND AN ALIGNMENT ITS ALREADY DOING ITVAGAIN.
THE NHTSA BY TELLING TIRE DEALERS THAT THEY CAN NOT INSTALL MY MOUNTED SNOW TIRE BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE TPMS SENSORS HAVE MADE DRIVING IN THE WINTER MORE DANGEROUS AND UNSAFE FOR ME. THE SYSTEM IN MY SUMMER TIRES HAS BEEN INOPERABLE FOR 2 YEARS AND YOU KNOW WHAT HAS HAPPENED... ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. THE COST OF THE SENSORS IS VERY HIGH AND IF YOU GUYS WANT ME TO HAVE THEM SO BADLY, THEN PAY FOR THEM YOURSELVES. THIS IS JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF NANNY STATE GOVERNMENT TRYING TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE THEY ARE DOING SOMETHING TO JUSTIFY THEIR PATHETIC EXISTENCE. SO IN SUMMARY YOU ARE ACTUALLY MAKING THINGS MORE DANGEROUS FOR DRIVERS BY DENYING TIRE RETAILERS FROM INSTALLING SNOW TIRES ON MY VEHICLE BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE A WORTHLESS SENSOR THAT DOESN'T DO ANYTHING TO MAKE DRIVING SAFER FOR ME. I HOPE YOU GUYS ARE HAPPY WITH YOURSELVES . *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD FOCUS EQUIPPED WITH A SET OF UNIROYAL TIGERPAW TIRES, SIZE 205/50/R16. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE BLEW WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE OF THE TIRE WAS 500. THE FAILURE MILEAGE OF THE VEHICLE WAS 80,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE DOT NUMBER WAS UNAVAILABLE.
FACTORY PIRELLI TIRES TREAD DEPTH AFTER ONLY 15191 MILES ON NEW 2008 FORD FOCUS SES---2 TIRES @ 2/32 AND 2 TIRES @ 3/32. DEALER AND PIRELLI WON'T ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY. (CAR DRIVEN IN LOCAL SMALL TOWN). NOT HAPPY! *TR
AT 60,000 MILES THE CAR STARTED CHEWING UP TIRES AND STILL IS. THE FIRST SET IT DID THIS TO WERE WORN TO THE WIRE UNDER THE RUBBER BEFORE IT WAS NOTICED. IT HAS CHEWED UP TWO MORE SETS SINCE THEN ALL IN UNDER 10,000 MILES AND THE TIRES ARE RATED FOR APPROX. 50,000 MILES. *TR
BOUGHT MY 2008 FORD FOCUS MARCH 14, 2009 WITH 15,000 MILES AS A FLEET RETURN. AT 36,000 MILES THE HANKOOK OPTIMO H725 ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT TIRES ARE WORN OUT AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. JUST AVERAGE DRIVING ON THE TIRES. THESE TIRES ARE SUPPOSED TO HAVE A 80,000 MILE TREAD LIFE GUARANTEE. HANKOOK'S WARRANTY DOES NOT APPLY TO ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT TIRES. TO SAY I AM DISAPPOINTED AND PERTURBED BY THE POOR PERFORMANCE OF THESE TIRES IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT. DIDN'T EVEN MAKE IT TO THE HALF WAY POINT OF THEIR TREAD LIFE. *KB
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD FOCUS EQUIPPED WITH HANKOOK 395 TIRES, SIZE P195/60/R15, DOT BJCFPDFH3207. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER SINCE HE NOTICED EXCESSIVE WEAR ON THE TIRES. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE INSIDE OF THE TIRES WERE WEARING EXCESSIVELY BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT TO PURCHASE A TIRE THAT SHOULD LAST UP TO 80,000 MILES; HOWEVER, INFORMED HIM THAT THE TIRES WOULD ONLY LAST 40,000 MILES AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE FAILURE. NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 32,000. UPDATED 08/24/11 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE TIRE FAILURE HAPPENED ON THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT AND REAR. UPDATED 11/28/11*JB
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD FOCUS EQUIPPED WITH THE ORIGINAL PIRELLI TIRES, LINE SIZE 205/50/R16. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALL FOUR TIRES WERE WEARING PREMATURELY AND WOULD ONLY LAST FOR 25,000 OF THE 50,000 MILE LIFESPAN OF THE TIRES. THE TIRES WERE REPLACED WITH KUMHO TIRES AND THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED WHO ADVISED THE CONTACT TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN FOR INSPECTION. THE MANUFACTURER OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE DOT NUMBER WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 28,000.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD FOCUS. THE VEHICLE HAS PIRELLI P6 TIRES, SIZE P205/50/R16. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE SEATS BEGAN VIBRATING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT BOTH REAR TIRES WERE CUFFING AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE TIRES WERE NOT REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 18000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 20000.
I JUST HIT THE 100,000 MILE MARK ON MY 2008 FOCUS, I BOUGHT THE CAR NEW, AFTER A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AT 20,000 MILES I HAD TO REPLACE MY TIRES, MY CAR WAS SHAKING REALLY BAD AND MAKING ALOT OF ROAD NOISE. THEN AT 84,000 MILES I HAD TO PUT ON MY 4TH SET OF TIRES. MY MILES ARE ALL HIGHWAY MILES, I ROTATE EVERY 6000 MILES, THEY ALWAYS TELL ME THE ALIGNMENT IS WITHIN FACTORY SETTINGS. THEN AT 98000 MILES MY CAR STARTED DOING IT AGAIN, THEY SAID MY REAR TIRES ARE BAD, THEY BLAMED IT ON A BAD TRAILING ARM AND THEY HAD TO RESET MY CHANBER TOES IN THE REAR END, AGAIN, THEY SAID MY ALIGNMENT IS FINE. ALL OF THIS WAS DONE AT THE FORD DEALERSHIP THAT I ORIGINALLY PURCHASED THE CAR. SO NOW AT 100,000 MILES, I AM GETTING READY TO PUT ON MY 5TH SET OF TIRES. THIS IS INSANE. I'M AFRAID AT SOME POINT SOMEBODY IS GOING TO HAVE A TIRE BLOWOUT OR SOMETHING AND SOMEBODY IS GOING TO GET HURT. PLEASE HELP TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. *TR
MY WIFE TOOK OUR 2008 FORD FOCUS IN FOR A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE AND TIRE ROTATION. THE DEALER STATED THEY COULD NOT ROTATE THE TIRES BECAUSE THE REAR TIRES WERE BAD. THE "CORDS" IN THE REAR TIRES HAD BROKEN INSIDE THE TIRE AND NOW THEY ARE OUT OF ROUND. THEY SAID THEY ARE NOT UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE THE DEALER DID NOT HAVE RECORD OF ROTATING THE WHEELS (BECAUSE I HAD DONE IT AT HOME FOR FREE). I HAVE BEEN ON MANY INTERNET TIRE WEB SITES AND THE PIRELLI TIRES ARE KNOWN FOR THIS HAPPENING ON SMALLER VEHICLES. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD FOCUS. THE DRIVER STATED THAT HIS VEHICLE BEGAN TO MAKE EXCESSIVE NOISES IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE AT APPROXIMATELY 10,000 MILES. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE TIRES ON HIS VEHICLE WHERE DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DRIVER REPLACED THE TIRES WITH GOODYEAR TIRES AND AROUND 13,000 MILES THE VEHICLE STARTED TO HAVE THE IDENTICAL FAILURE. THE DRIVER TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER TOLD HIM THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON HIS VEHICLE AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO TO ASSIST HIM. THE DRIVER HAS NOW REPLACED THE TIRES THREE TIMES. THE NOISE OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING MORE THAN 60 MPH. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 24,100.
ON 4/9/09 I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AND I NOTICED SLIGHT VIBRATION COMING FROM THE LEFT REAR PIRELLI P6 TIRE ON MY 2008 FORD FOCUS. I CHECKED THE TIRE AND DID NOT NOTICE ANY VISIBLE SIGN OF DAMAGE. ON THE WAY HOME THE VIBRATION GOT MORE SEVERE. ON ARRIVING HOME I CHECKED THE TIRE AND FOUND ONE SPOT THAT WAS COMPLETELY BALD. FROM WHEN I CHECKED THE TIRE AT WORK TO WHEN I ARRIVED AT HOME I HAD DRIVEN A TOTAL OF LESS THAN 90 MILES FOR THE TIRE TO GO COMPLETELY BALD IN THAT SPOT. BOTH PIRELLI AND 2 FORD DEALERS CLAIM THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS WITH THE TIRE, THAT THE DAMAGE WAS DUE TO A IMPROPER USE OF THE EMERGENCY BRAKE, IMPROPER ALIGNMENT OF THE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE, THE TIRE NOT BEING BALANCED OR FAILURE TO ROTATE THE TIRES. I HAD THE TIRES REPLACED BY A LOCAL MECHANIC. *TR
TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM FAILED TO WARN OF LOW PRESSURE IN RIGHT REAR TIRE CAUSING THE TIRE TO FAIL, RESULTING IN INABILITY TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. THE AUTO HAS NO SPARE, ONLY AN INFLATION SYSTEM, WHICH DID NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD FOCUS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH A SPARE TIRE, JACK, AND/OR LUG WRENCH AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLES DO NOT COME WITH SPARE TIRES, JACKS OR LUG WRENCHES. THE DEALER ATTEMPTED TO LOCATE A JACK, SPARE TIRE, AND WRENCH, BUT THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT DESIGN A SPARE TIRE OR JACK FOR THE TWO DOOR FORD FOCUS. THERE HAD BEEN NO FAILURE TO DATE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 104. UPDATED 07/07/08. *LJ UPDATED
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026