NHTSA Complaint #10957081 — 2011 FORD FUSION

LUG NUT AND STUD FAILURE. LEARNED OF PROBLEM AFTER A DEALER REPAIR. CAR STATIONARY AT HOME WHEN PROBLEM DISCOVERED. AFTER DEALER SAFETY RECALL REPAIR OF FRONT STEERING RACK, WHICH INCLUDED TIRE ROTATION, MEANING ALL 4 TIRES REMOVED AND RETURNED TO VEHICLE BY THE DEALER. I WAS REPLACING THE FRONT BRAKE PADS, EASY REPAIR, AND I LEARNED THE FOLLOWING: LUG NUTS WERE TIGHTENED SO TIGHT THAT THE WRENCH PROVIDED BY THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT LOOSEN THEM BY HAND. TRIED TO USE STAR WRENCH, WHICH WAS LARGER, AND STILL TOO TIGHT. DECIDED TO USE MANUFACTURER WRENCH FROM TRUNK WITH A 5 FOOT PIECE OF EMT THIN WALL TUBING TO ADD TORQUE, HAD TO TAP LUG WRENCH ONTO ONE BOLT DUE TO SWELLING OF OUTER BOLT COVERING (CORROSION BETWEEN BOLT AND DECORATIVE COVERING). LEARNED DEALER HAD STRIPPED ONE BOLT ON DRIVER FRONT WHEEL. AFTER REPLACING PADS ON DRIVERS SIDE, STARTED REPAIR ON PASSENGER SIDE. 2 STUDS BROKE OFF WHILE REMOVING. USING A HAND WRENCH THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED IN 45 YEARS OF REPAIRING CARS. I BELIEVE FORD SHOULD CONSIDER REPLACING ALL LUG NUTS AND STUDS ON THEIR VEHICLES AS THIS "DEFECT" COULD CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. LUG NUTS SHOULD NOT SWELL NOR SHOULD THEY BE REPEATEDLY OVER TIGHTENED DURING THE TIRE ROTATION PROCESS USED BY ALL FORD DEALERS IN THEIR (ROUGHLY) $30.00 SERVICE PACKAGE THAT INCLUDES OIL CHANGE, BRAKE INSPECTION, AND TIRE ROTATION. THIS PACKAGE HAS RESULTED IN MY TIRES BEING ROTATED AND RETIGHTENED SEVERAL TIMES, MEANING EACH TIME OF OVER TIGHTENING FURTHER WEAKENS THE STRENGTH OF THE LUG STUD. NOT SURE IF THE STUD IS DEFECTIVE OR THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY PRACTICE OF OVER TIGHTENING LUG NUTS IS THE CAUSE OF THESE BOLTS BEING WEAK ENOUGH THAT THEY SNAPPED WITH HAND REMOVAL. THANK YOU. [XXX] *DL INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).*JB