NHTSA Complaint #10498079 — 2009 FORD FOCUS

PURCHASED VEHICLE LESS THAN A YEAR AGO, FROM A DEALERSHIP. NEW TIRES WERE PUT ON AT THAT TIME. MILEAGE WHEN PURCHASED WAS 29000. WHILE DRIVING ON SNOW AND ICY ROADS IT WOULD WOBBLE AND GET SQUIRRELLY, WHICH I ATTRIBUTED IT TO THE LIGHTNESS OF THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS NO REASON FOR ME TO SUSPECT THE TIRES AS I HAVE THEM ROTATED ACCORDING TO MANUFACTURER SPECS, AND NO ABNORMALITIES HAVE BEEN MENTIONED TO ME BY THE DEALER. HOWEVER, LAST WEEK I HAD AN ACCIDENT AS A RESULT OF A WORN OUT TIRE BLOWING OUT ON A SNOWY ROAD. INSPECTION DETERMINED THAT ALL THE TIRES WERE UNEVENLY WORN, AND THAT THE CAUSE WAS THAT THE ARMS WHICH MAINTAIN TIRE ALIGNMENT WERE PHYSICALLY INCAPABLE OF DOING SO. THIS IS NOT A MANUFACTURING DEFECT, IT IS A *DESIGN FLAW*, WHICH RESULTED IN PERSONAL INJURY (BROKEN ARM, FACIAL CONTUSIONS). *TR