2017 FORD F-150 Wheels Problems

12/31/2025 NHTSA, I am writing to formally report a serious safety issue involving my Ford F-150. On [XXX] in rural Alaska, my Ford F-150 experienced a flat tire in extreme winter conditions (approximately –15°F). I was traveling with my [XXX] child. When we attempted to change the tire, the lug nuts could not be removed using the factory tools provided with the vehicle. A tow truck was dispatched from the only available service on a holiday evening, which was 45 minutes away. The tow operator was then unable to remove the lug nuts with any of his professional equipment. We were subsequently informed that this is a known issue with Ford’s chrome-capped, two-piece lug nuts swelling or deforming, making them incompatible with standard sockets. As a result, what should have been a routine roadside tire change became a prolonged and dangerous situation for my child and me in life-threatening cold....

Purchased CPO Ford F150 in 2000 to replace Explorer in MA. Used 4 wheel drive in winter the past two seasons to learn after spending over $1000 and driving a vehicle with reduced MPG due to a known TSP 24-2188 that this is a defect that affects fuel efficiency by close to six miles per gallon. Called Balise Ford after learning updated TSB requires flashing of the onboard TCCM. They would not touch it without charging me. Why can a manufacturer design a flawed system that affects the MPG without providing a free fix? So now I drive a vehicle with a defect grinding metal to metal reducing fuel efficiency by 30% that will require all new parts to replace the parts I replaced in January 2025 for almost $1000 when and if I can ever afford to bring to a FORD dealership to have the TSB corrected at my...

This is a MAJOR issue with Ford F150s. I am not sure how this was never a recall. Ford issues a TSB for this but NOTHING is the TSB fixes the issue. There is a major fault in the IWE system that causes the 4x4 to engage randomly causing the truck to have major steering issues. It causes grinding, like metal on metal grinding, the steering wheel locks in place at times and I personally almost dies several times from this.The locking steering wheel caused me to crash into a ditch because I could not bring the steering wheel back to center. This has randomly happened to me several times while driving, The TSB claims the issue to be intermittent, which it is due to the fault in this IWE system. FOrd needs to literally cover and replace the entire IWE system before someone gets hurt. Please look this up,...

Lug nuts swollen and unable to remove with provided equipment

My 2017 F150 is 7 years old with 80K mileage. Engine problem: Cold start ticking/tapping/rattle noise. Ford claimed it sent a letter in 2021 but I never received. Googled and found there are large amount of the same complaints on 2017-2020 F150 with 3.5L EcoBoost engine. The Cam Phaser / VCT Units will fail. Vehicles may not restart after auto-start-stop. Ford issued Customer Satisfaction Program 21N03 and Technical Service Bulletin TSB23-2143. Those measures are not enough. Ford should recall all 2017-2020 F150 with 3.5L Ecoboost built before Nov 30, 2019. Lug nuts at wheels: Ford used cheap two-piece nuts. All the nuts were swollen in Dec 2024 and could not be removed by myself. I had to drive my F150 to Quick Lane and paid $140 to get all the nuts replaced with one-piece nuts. An employee of Quick Lane told me Ford used cheap two-piece nuts for long time,...

My 2017 Ford F150 crew cab listed has chrome wheels on it. Just replaced the original tires on the chrome wheels and the chrome chips off. According to the tire company and the Ford dealer, these wheels are defective and Ford knows about it. The dealer said that Ford has replaced these wheels because of the chrome coming off which makes the wheels weak. I contact Ford customer service and they did not see a recall. Ford recommended a contact national Highway traffic safety association. File a case.

Went to my honest Big O tire shop for tire rotation. Informed that lug nuts on wheels were very hard to remove. Recommended it replace them next oil change. Why wouldn't this be a Ford problem and a recall issue? Seems to me to be dangerous and a real problem with a flat tire changed on the road.

F150 lug nuts have a cap that is prone to "swelling" after many tire rotations, especially if mechanic uses a pneumatic wrench with poor sockets. "Swollen lug nuts" make them extremely difficult to remove to change tires. Fortunately, I caught this in time on my truck and with much difficulty, replaced them with better lug nuts. If I had a flat tire with swollen lug nuts, I would probably would now have the right tools to remove the tire causing a possible safety hazard on the road.

I HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH MY BRAKES ON MY F150 2017... ACTUALLY I WAS AMAZED HOW LONG I WENT WITH OUT BRAKES BEFORE GETTING THEM FIXED. MY PROBLEMS BEGAN WHEN I DECIDED TO GET NEW BRAKES. I ASKED FOR THE BRAKES THAT WERE ON THE CAR ORIGANALLY WHEN I FIRST BOUGHT THEM. WELL I DON'T THINK THE NEW BRAKES ON THE CAR LASTED NO MORE THAT 3 - 6 WEEKS UNTIL I HAD TO BRING THE TRUCK BACK TO HAVE THEM FIX THE BUMPTYBUMP EXPERIENCE THAT I HAVE WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES WHEN COMING DOWN THE HILL. SO EVERYTIME I'M COMING DOWN THE HILL I GET NERVOUS BECAUSE I FEEL THE BRAKES WILL GIVE OUT COMPLETELY ONE DAY.

2/29/2024 driver side tire was flat 3/1/24: I wanted to put the spare so that I could take the fire for repair. But the factory issue lug nut wrench does not fit. How can you do this to people? This is ridiculous 3/2/24 I went to the store to buy a nut remover This should not be allowed to happen and you get away without giving the customer a proper tool

On Sunday, October 8th 2023, my wife and I were returning home on a remote stretch of US Highway 24, 15 miles east of Buena Vista, Colorado, when we got a flat rear passenger tire. I pulled over at a safe location to change the tire. While attempting to remove the flat tire, I was unable to get the factory supplied lug wrench on any of the 6 lug nuts. Because of the remote location we had very limited cell service and were having challenges contacting a towing service. I eventually found a rock and was able to pound the lug wrench socket onto several of the lug nuts and managed to remove 4 of 6 lug nuts. The final 2 nuts became stripped and I could not remove them. Meanwhile, my wife contacted a tow service and 3 hours later, they arrived. The tow truck drive used a large...

Steel Wheel cracked at bead area approximately 6" Immediate loss of air . No apparent impact or damage to wheel, part of crack appears old (rusty). was on front of sheriff vehicle and is used at high speeds. Failure at speed would be catastrophic.

FRONT WHEEL BEARING DRIVER SIDE STARTED FAILING (BUT I DID NOT KNOW IT) SHORTLY AFTER 5OK MILES. HAD IT REPLACED WHEN NOISE BECAME VERY PRONOUNCED AT 56K MILES. DEALER HAS NOT CONFIRMED THE PROBLEM. HOWEVER DEALER’S PARTS MAN RECOGNIZED THE PART NUMBER BY SITE, AND HINTED THAT THE PROBLEM IS NOT UNCOMMON, ALTHOUGH USUALLY AT HIGHER MILEAGE. DEALER WAS (AND STILL IS) UNABLE TO OBTAIN THE REPLACEMENT PART. REPAIR WAS PERFORMED BY A 3RD PARTY GARAGE USING AFTERMARKET PART. WARNINGS: THE TPMS MONITOR STARTED ALERTING THAT IT WAS NOT RECIEVING THE TIRE PRESSURE FROM THE AFFECTED WHEEL, WHEN DRIVING LONG DISTANCES ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS HAS NOT OCCURRED SINCE THE BEARING WAS REPLACED.

My 2017 Ford F150 with 40k miles was in dealership for tire rotation. Mechanic says my truck has swollen lug nuts. I reside in Ga and road salt not typically used in winter. Cost me $130 for something poorly engineered.

Dec. 29, 2022: I was advised that the lug nuts are warped and the tires could not be rotated without replacing the lug nuts. Was advised if I did not replace them, I may not be able to remove them if I had a flat tire or worse, they might not get tightened properly causing a wheel to come off while driving. Vehicle is still at Ford Dealership service dept.

Koons Ford, Woodbridge, VA could not rotate my tires due to swollen lug nuts that cost almost 400.00 to replace. They also informed me that if I were to have a flat tire I could not change it with the standard jack supplied by ford.

SWOLLEN LUG NUTS HAD TO BE REPLACED BEFORE THEY CAUSED A SAFETY ISSUE

I brought my ford in to have tires rotated and they were unable to do because ford installed factory lug nuts are distorted. I brought my truck to a reputable tire shop and they told me it is a common problem on Ford F-150 from 2016 to present. I ordered replacement lug nuts to remedy the problem. I am saving the old lug nuts in case I have to take them to small claims.

What compontent: The lug nuts on my Truck swelled and are distorted so at risk of cracking. I couldn't get them off when i had a flat tire. It is available for inpsection. Safety: Safety put at risk 1. i couldn't change my flat, and couldn't tightne them correctly when i DID force it and 2. they are at risk of cracking, they ahve deterioated so wheels at risk of failing. Inependent verification: Costco changed my tires and noticed the issue, having to use other size sockets bc they were swelled so much. Warnings: No warnings or anything as purely mechanical/steel parts. You only know when you try to take ethe tires off, you think the jack is the wrong size. Its messed up how big they got. its ALL OF THEM. These SUCK. dealers so no recal so to be safe i guess I have to buy new ones...

I HAD TO REPLACE DEFECTIVE (SWOLLEN) LUG NUTS ON MY 2017 FORD F-150 PICKUP. THIS ISSUE WAS IDENTIFIED BY THE LOCAL FORD DEALER. COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS ISSUE HAD THEY NOT BEEN REPLACED.

The wheel lugs have seized and are unable to be removed with a tire wrench or impact wrench. This is a huge safety issue as the driver is unable to change a flat tire. The dealer informed me the lugs are made of aluminum and are subject to overheating and corrosion. I was informed the lugs are a two-piece set and have to be replaced and need to be cut off with a cutting torch. Ford is aware of the problem, however, dismisses a recall because they say the dealer service centers are using the wrong tools. The problem is the lugs are inferior metal and easily swell up and seize. Ford has used aluminum lugs since 2000. Since a driver can't change the tire this vehicle needs to be towed. Not being able to change the tire is a huge safety issue.

While driving my vehicle I began to notice a clicking noise in relation to my tires/speed. No sensors came on, all gauge readings were normal. I pulled over and viewed the tires to check for a flat, all seemed fine and pressure was reading normal. When I resumed driving, I came back into my lane turning slightly left and noticed that the steering wheel began to vibrate. I slowed the vehicle again and put on my hazard lights while attempting to reach a freeway exit. The vehicle began shaking as though I had a flat but again I did not. I decided to turn off an exit and when I attempted to make a left turn into a parking lot, my front passenger wheel flew completely off. My two four year olds and I were then left without control of the truck, finally grinding to a stop blocking two directions...

I got a flat tire on Interstate 75 North in central Georgia. I had an issue with the lug nuts coming off. This issue put me and my family in grave danger. Instead of a simple tire change I had to wait on the side of the interstate for roadside assistance due to the issued lug nut wrench not working properly because of the swollen lug nuts! This is a very unsafe! Please contact Ford to make them accountable!

swollen lug nuts

Lug nuts are swollen. Dealer told me they needed to be replaced at a cost of $160.00. Not covered under warranty. Correctly made lug nuts do not need to be replaced. ALL tire changed and rotations have been done by FORD.

Went to change tires on 09/18/2021 @ Discount Tire and found that the rug nuts on wheels are swelled. In order to replace tires, I had to buy new sets of rug nuts. Ford sold its BEST SELLING trucks with defective/deficient rug nuts.

Had tire failure on interstate 59 in Alabama. Went to change tire on truck and found lug nut wrench would not fit any of the lug nuts. All lug nuts distorted. Alabama State Trooper came to assist. He had a an electric impact wrench with multiple sockets and found an oversized socket and proceeded to remove lug nuts. Called local Ford dealership ( Cleveland Tn.) that has performed 100% of service on my truck since purchase And was told that lug nuts were swollen…. Asked service manager if they check lug nuts during tire rotation, and was told they inform customers if they need to be replaced.. Asked why I wasn’t informed… Also, is it reasonable to expect a lug nut wrench to fit in a roadside emergency? Replied that other auto manufacturers have the same problem.. Apparent design issue. Two piece hollow cap design hex collapses / distorts when...

[XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

[XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

DEALER CALLED AND SAID MY LUGNUTS WERE SWOLLEN AND WOULD GET WORSE IN THE FUTURE AND MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO REMOVE WHEELS. DEALER REPLACED THEM WITH AFTERMARKET LUGNUTS.

FORD F-150 CHROME LUG NUTS EXPAND CAUSING INOPERABLE PERFORMANCE OF THE STANDARD MANUFACTURE PROVIDED LUG NUT REMOVAL TOOL (AKA LUG WRENCH) ACCORDING TO FORD SERVICE TECHS THIS IS AND HAS BEEN AN ON GOING ISSUE WITH FORD. FORD CLAIMS THIS IS A 'WEAR' ISSUE. I CALLED FORD AND THIS IS THERE DETENTION FOR SWELLING OF THE LUG NUTS. ACCORDING TO FORD SERVICE TECHS THE LUG CAPS ARE SEPARATING FROM THE LUG NUTS CAUSING THE LUGS TO SWELL TO AN ADDITIONAL MILLIMETER IN DIAMETER. THIS SWELLING CAUSES YOUR MANUFACTURED TIRE TOOL THAT COMES WITH YOUR VEHICLE NOT TO WORK AT ALL. LEAVING YOU STRANDED OR FORCE YOU TO CALL FOR ASSISTANCE. FORD NEEDS TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE PARTS AT THEIR COST NOT THE CUSTOMER. I WAS ATTEMPTING TO CHANGE A FLAT TIRE AT 1:00 AM IN A GAS STATION PARKING LOT, THANKFULLY NOT ALONG THE BUSY HIGHWAYS. THIS IS A TRUE...

I HAVE OWNED MY 2017 FORD F150 FOR A LITTLE OVER 2 YEARS VEHICLE HAS 30000 ON IT. I HAVE HAD FORD REPLACE MY LUG SWOLLEN LUG NUTS THEY HAVE REPLACED THEM TWO TIMES IN THE SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME. THE ALUMINUM SEPARATES AND EXPANDS FROM THE STEEL BODY . THE LUG WRENCH THAT THEY INCLUDE IN THE VEHICLE TO CHANGE TIRE WILL NOT FIT LUG NUTS ONCE THEY HAVE SWOLLEN. SO IN A INSTANCE OF HAVING A FLAT TIRE ON THE SIDE OF A BUSY HIGHWAY YOU WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO CHANGE TIRE.

HAD A FLAT ON MY 2017 FORD F150. THE FACTORY LUG NUT WRENCH DID NOT FIT MY FACTORY LUG NUTS. WAS STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD BECAUSE OF THIS. APPARENTLY THE LUG NUTS SWELL ABOVE 21MM TO WHERE YOU HAVE TO USE A 21.5MM OR 22MM WRENCH TO GET THE LUG NUTS OFF. THE FACTORY LUG NUT WRENCH IS 21MM. HAD TO PURCHASE A 22MM LUG NUT WRENCH TO REPLACE THE FACTORY ONE.

I GO TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP THAT SOLD ME MY VEHICLE FOR ALL MAINTENANCE. (COWLES PARKWAY FORD, WOODBRIDGE VIRGINIA). ON 10/22,2018, I HAD MY TRUCK SERVICED AND IT WAS NOTED THAT MY BRAKES WERE IN A "YELLOW CONDITION." ON 12/11/18 MY VEHICLE RECEIVED A MANDATORY VIRGINIA STATE INSPECTION (WITH NO MENTION OF THE BRAKE CONDITION). ON 1/22/2019, I TOOK MY TRUCK FOR A SERVICE TO INCLUDE TIRE ROTATION AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE TIRES COULD NOT BE ROTATED AND THE BRAKES COULD NOT BE INSPECTED BECAUSE THE "LUGNUTS WERE SWOLLEN." I ADMIT THAT THIS SOUNDED LUDICROUS--(I AM A RETIRED AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE OFFICER WITH 27 YEARS SERVICE IN THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE). WHEN I INQUIRED ABOUT THIS CONDITION FROM THE SENIOR TECHNICIAN, HE INFORMED ME THAT FORD MOTOR COMPANY HAS THESE LUG NUTS THAT SWELL DUE TO WATER INTRUSION AND FREEZING. I ASKED HOW I WOULD BE ABLE TO CHANGE...