NHTSA Complaint #11124319 — 2012 FORD FUSION

WHILE DRIVING ONE OF MY VEHICLE'S TIRES WENT FLAT. I ATTEMPTED TO REMOVE THE TIRE AND REPLACE IT WITH MY SPARE, BUT THE LUG WRENCH SUPPLIED WITH THE CAR DID NOT FIT THE LUG NUTS. SO I CALLED AAA ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND A TECH ARRIVED. AFTER SPENDING A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME TRYING TO FIND A WRENCH TO FIT THE LUG NUTS, THE TECH ADVISED THAT I SHOULD CALL A TOW TRUCK TO TOW THE VEHICLE. I THEN CALLED FOR A TOW TRUCK AND HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE NEAREST REPAIR FACILITY. THE REPAIR FACILITY CALLED ME AND ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE HAS A SYNDROME THAT IS WELL KNOWN TO FORD CALLED "SWOLLEN LUG NUT SYNDROME," WHICH AFFECTS THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF THEIR VEHICLES. THE LUG NUTS SWELL OVER TIME DUE TO MOISTURE AND WILL NOT COME OFF OF THE TIRES. RATHER, THEY NEED TO BE CUT OFF AND THEN REPLACED WITH NEW LUG NUTS. I HAD NO IDEA THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN TO MY CAR. THAT I COULD BE STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF A MAJOR HIGHWAY AT NIGHT ALONE ON LABOR DAY WITHOUT ANY WAY TO CHANGE MY TIRE. HAD I KNOWN, I CERTAINLY WOULD NOT HAVE WAITED UNTIL I HAD A FLAT TIRE THAT NEEDED TO BE CHANGED. THE COST TO FIX THE PROBLEM IS NOMINAL - $150 ($7.50 EACH WITH 20 LUG NUTS), WHICH I AM NOW PAYING OUT OF POCKET TO MAKE SURE THIS NEVER HAPPENS TO ME AGAIN. I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED OR INJURED TRYING TO CHANGE THE TIRE ON MY CAR. FORD IS WELL AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AS EVIDENCED BY THE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS AND LAWSUITS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ABOUT WHICH I HAD NO IDEA UNTIL I RESEARCHED IT. I FIND IT UNCONSCIONABLE THAT FORD WAS WELL AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND NEVER BOTHERED TO SEND A LETTER OR NOTIFICATION TO ITS CUSTOMERS THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY A SAFETY ISSUE AND A LETTER SHOULD BE SENT TO EVERY SINGLE FORD VEHICLE OWNER SO THAT THEY ARE NOT STUCK STANDING BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD ATTEMPTING TO REMOVE A TIRE THAT WILL NEVER COME OFF.