NHTSA Complaint #766190 — 2001 FORD FOCUS

FROM THE SUMMER OF 2001 THROUGH DEC. 11, 2001, MY REAR TIRES ON MY 2001 FORD FOCUS STARTING WEARING ODDLY ACROSS AND AROUND THE TIRE SHOWING HIGH AND LOW SPOT TREAD WEAR PLUS CUPPING THAT WENT UNDETECTED UNTIL 12/01. DURING 12/01, BIG "O" TIRE COMPANY DID AN ALIGNMENT CHECK AND TIRE ROTATION, BUT DIDN'T NOTICE THE TIRE PROBLEM. I LEFT ON A SHORT TRIP AFTERWARDS. THE REAR TIRES THAT HAD BEEN MOVED FORWARD, CHATTERED LOUDLY, ESPECIALLY, THE LEFT SIDE BUT DIDN'T BEFORE ROTATION. THE INSPECTION SHOWED THE LEFT FRONT TIRE THAT HAD BEEN ROTATED FROM THE REAR HAD SERIOUS TREAD WEAR DAMAGE, CUPPING, AND FLAT SPOTS, SOME HIGH AND LOW. THE LEFT FRONT THAT HAD BEEN ROTATED TO THE REAR WAS ALSO DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR. THE TIRE CO. FELT THEY HAD MISSED SOMETHING DURING ALIGNMENT AND ROTATION, SO THEY PAID FOR ONE OF MY FIRESTONE TIRES AND I PAID FOR THE OTHER TO BE REPLACED WITH NEW FULDA TIRES. FIRESTONE WOULD NOT HAVE GIVEN MUCH CREDIT DO TO ODD WEARING PATTERNS. ALSO, THE RIGHT TIRES HAD THE SAME PROBLEM BUT NOT NEARLY AS BAD. I CONTACTED THE FORD DEALERSHIP ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND THEY SAID CONTACT THE TIRE MANUFACTURER, THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. YET, NOTHING IS WRONG WITH MY FOCUS BUT ON 12/11/01 THEY REPLACED MY REAR WHEEL AXLE BEARINGS DUE TO A RECALL . FORD CHECKED THE ALIGNMENT AND SAID THE TIRES (FIRESTONE) MUST BE DEFECTIVE AND I BELIEVED THAT. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE WHEEL BEARINGS WERE REPLACED THE REAR TIRES WERE TOO. THE NEW TIRES MADE THE VEHICLE MORE STABLE AND EASIER TO CONTROL. THE FIRESTONE TIRES REPLACED WERE BADLY WORN AND I THOUGHT THEY CAUSED THE CAR TO SHIMMY FROM SIDE TO SIDE DURING RAIN OR SNOW AS IT WAS HARD TO CONTROL AND MAKING ME AFRAID TO DRIVE. IN 3/02, THE LAST TWO FIRESTONES WERE REPLACED WITH THE FULDA TIRES. I THOUGHT THE TIRE PROBLEM WAS SOLVED. AS OF AUGUST 2002, THE NEW REAR FULDAS' ARE DOING THE SAME THING. NOW I KNOW THERE IS A REAR SUSPENSION DEFECT WITH THE FOCUS AND NOT TIRES. AFTER MANY CALLS, FORD STILL SAYS NO DEFECT FOUND