NHTSA Complaint #11689231 — 2021 FORD MUSTANG MACH E

In mid-November 2023, the authorized Ford dealership Hutchinson Ford of Forsyth, located in Forsyth, Georgia, sold and installed four Toyo A23 tires (size 225/55R19 99V) on my 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E. After approximately 23,000 miles, the tires experienced catastrophic premature wear. Upon investigation, I discovered the dealership had installed tires with a load index of 99. The manufacturer's required specification for my vehicle is a minimum load index of 103. This incorrect fitment created an 880-pound deficit in the vehicle's total load-carrying capacity, posing a severe and constant risk of tire failure, especially at highway speeds. This is a critical safety issue for a heavy electric vehicle. The dealership's management has acknowledged the danger. When I raised this issue, the service manager stated they were "glad something bad did not happen." Despite this admission of the risk they created, they have refused to correct the safety issue, claiming the premature failure is normal wear as the tires are "nearing end of life." This constitutes a dangerous service practice by an authorized Ford dealer, which knowingly left a customer's vehicle in an unsafe condition. I am filing this complaint to document this safety issue and the dealership's refusal to rectify it.