NHTSA Complaint #10256169 — 2005 FORD FOCUS

WE PURCHASED OUR 2005 FORD FOCUS ZX4 SES BRAND NEW IN FEBRUARY 2005. SINCE THE DATE OF PURCHASE WE HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE REAR TIRES 5 TIMES, TWO OF THE 5 TIMES WE REPLACED THE WHOLE SET. THE ORIGINAL FACTORY TIRES ON THE REAR OF VEHICLE (YOKOHAMA 205/50/ZR16) WERE BALD AT 11,000 MILES. AT THAT TIME WE REPLACED THEM WITH 4 NEW YOKOHAMA TIRES. SIX MONTHS LATER, WE HAD TO BUY ANOTHER COMPLETE SET OF TIRES (MICHELIN/205/55/R16) BECAUSE THE TIRES IN THE REAR WERE CUPPING AND WEARING IN A DIAGONAL CROSS PATTERN. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO FORD BOTH TIMES AND THEY DENIED THAT THERE WAS ANY FACTORY DEFECTS ON THE VEHICLE. FORD CLAIMED IT MUST BE AN ALIGNMENT ISSUE, WE PAID $79.99 FOR A 4 WHEEL ALIGNMENT, AND EVEN HAD THE FRONT END CHECKED, AS WELL AS SHOCKS AND STRUTS, AND FORD CLAIMED THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. SINCE THEN, WE HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE TIRES 3 MORE TIMES, JUST LAST WEEK BUYING TWO NEW TIRES FOR THE REAR. WE REPLACED TIRES ON 7/13/2006 (16,463 MILES), THEN ON 7/6/2007 (25,926 MILES), THEN ON 1/16/2009 (43, 556 MILES). ALL OF THE TIRES PURCHASED HAD 80,000-85,000 MILE WARRANTIES ON THEM. FORD REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES, AND CLEARLY OUR VEHICLE IS NOT THE ONLY ONE TO EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM. REFERENCE OIB-NHTSA, TSB #19064. FORD SHOULD BE FORCED TO FIX THE DEFECTS WITH THESE VEHICLES, AT NO COST TO THE CONSUMERS WHO PURCHASED THEM IN GOOD FAITH. WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO INVEST $3,000 IN COSTS FOR TIRES IN 3.25 YEARS. *TR