NHTSA Complaint #10981178 — 2013 FORD FOCUS

EXCESSIVE REAR TIRE WEAR: THE VEHICLE MADE A TRIP FROM GREENVILLE TX. TO LOUISVILLE KY AND BACK (APPROX. 1400 MILES) IN SEPTEMBER OF 2016 (WITH HIGH AMBIENT AND ROAD TEMPERATURE). THE INSIDE SHOULDER OF BOTH REAR TIRES WERE WORN DOWN TO THE CORDS. THE TIRES HAD ONLY AROUND 5000 MILES WHEN IT BEGAN THE TRIP. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALER HERE IN GREENVILLE, AND HAD THEM TO ASSESS THE PROBLEM. THEY SAID IT FALLS WITHIN FORD SPECIFICATIONS OF (-2.1 --+0.6 CAMBER.....TOE -0.01-+0.39). I CALLED FORD CONSUMER RELATIONS 800-392-3673 (CAS-10568914-W6X6B2 ON 9/16/16). TALKED TO JEAN (866-631-3788 EXT. 77727) EXPLAINED THE PROBLEM, AND SHE CALLED THE DEALERSHIP WHO ALSO TOLD HER THE PROBLEM WAS AS I HAD DESCRIBED. SHE DID CALL ME BACK AND SAID THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY BY MONTHS HOWEVER, THE MILEAGE WAS ONLY 27111 AND HAD NEVER BEEN ON A LONG ROAD TRIP WITH THESE CONDITIONS. JEAN SAID THE CAR WAS NO LONGER IN WARRANTY AND THAT I HAD A TIRE PROBLEM. I SAID, "NO, JEAN, I DO NOT HAVE A TIRE PROBLEM, BUT FORD HAS A ENGINEERING PROBLEM BECAUSE THE ALIGNMENT SETTINGS ARE FIXED (CAMBER AND TOE IS NOT ADJUSTABLE)". I THEN CALLED CLINT (CENTRAL REGION FOR FORD) AND EXPLAINED THE PROBLEM, BUT ALSO HAD THE SAME CONSENSUS. AFTER THIS, I ORDERED A PAIR OF ADJUSTABLE CONTROL ARMS AND DECREASED THE CAMBER BY 1.5 DEGREES NEGATIVE, AND TOOK OUT OF EACH SIDE 1/10TH TOE IN (BOTH ADJUSTMENT STILL WITHIN FORDS SPECIFICATION RANGE). I DOCUMENTED TIRE WEAR BEFORE IT MADE A ROUND TRIP TO DENVER, CO FROM GREENVILLE, TX (APPROX. 1,640 MILES). UPON ITS RETURN THE WEAR WAS EVEN ACROSS THE TREAD. I AM WRITING THIS MEMO TO REPORT THAT FORD HAS A SAFETY PROBLEM WITH THE EXCESSIVE REAR TIRE WEAR BECAUSE IN THIS CASE THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT HAVE MADE ANOTHER ROUND TRIP FROM GREENVILLE TO LOUISVILLE WITHOUT HAVING TIRE FAILURE.