This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
Today, the shop I took my vehicle to for oil change and tire rotation, could not complete the tire rotation due to many lug nuts being swollen and unable to be reinstalled safely. I had to purchase seventeen new lug nuts costing several hundred dollars to make the vehicle safe again. This flaw in lug nut selection by Ford is widely known and this is not my first encounter with swollen lug nuts. Previously, I had a flat tire on a local highway. When I attempted to change the tire, the provided lug wrench would not fit the lugs. A wrecker was summoned and the driver was also not able to remove the lugs with any sockets he had. The vehicle needed to be towed to my Ford Dealer. Lug nuts were replaced at that time as well. My concern is the safety of the lug nuts since heating can caus them to swell and distort. Are they also being prematurely weakened due to inappropriate materials being used?
Poor lug nut design I-??m sure the dealership impacted these nuts on and did follow proper torque recommendations. Had a flat and can-??t remove the tire without having to destroy the lug nut or pay a big expense to tow and fix it outrageous this is a known issue with these nuts I promise the dealership doesn-??t follow proper procedures torque wise.
Dealer recommended lug nuts to be replaced. Called dealer to ask why lugs need to be replaced. Service advisor said lugs swell due to inferior materials. This vehicle only has 50,000 miles. This is not expensive to replace, makes you wonder if they cheap out on lug nuts what else is made cheap.
Lugnuts are aluminum and expand in the heat of Florida. It is impossible without pounding a lug nut wrench on the lugnut to get said lugnut off of the wheel.
Had vehicle at the dealership for standard oil change and tire rotation. Service member included a note that says "Replace 12 swollen lug nuts next visit." This seems like a dangerous situation to me and Ford Motor dealer should have automatically replaced them.
Got a flat tire. The lug wrench that came with the vehicle was too small. I tried a lug wrench that had four sizes. Three were too small and one was too big. I had to call a tow. The driver had a lot of tools and tried to change the tire. He wasn't able to, so I had to get it to a tire shop. When I called in advance, they asked if it was a Ford. They informed me that there was a defect with their lug nuts that causes moisture and dirt to get in between two layers and the result is swelling. I had them replace all twenty lug nuts. A simple 5 minute tire change turned into a 4 hour ordeal and added expense.
When trying to change a flat tire it was determined that the lug nut wrench would not fit. The tow truck driver, and later the Ford dealer service department, confirmed that Ford has an issue with lug nuts "swelling' which renders your factory issued wrench unusable. This is a known problem to Ford yet they will do nothing about it.
On late evening of may13, 2019 I was driving my Ford Escape (odometer is at 1368 miles) on excellent road conditions along side one vehicle with no other traffic. We just passed under traffic signal with estimated speed at 10-15mph. Without warning the left front wheel buckled under the frame. The sound was frightening and so loud that the driver next to me heard the incident and turned around at the next light to come back and check on me. I skidded in my travel lane for approximately 15feet.there was no collision, nor impact with road median nor did I come in contact with any debris / potholes on road. Immediately the engine shut off which is one of the wonderful safety features which helped base my decision on purchasing of my Escape. The damage caused difficulty to open drivers side door, the tire separated from rim in addition to the under carriage damage. I found similar incidents on the Ford recall site. There was no police report filed, yet I have a claim in with my insurance company.$500 deductible unplanned expense.
I was driving home 11-28-18 5:40pm pst when my vehicle suddenly swerved hard to the right; I had no control, & it caused me to hit a parked unoccupied car. There was no warning. I had not hit any object nor pothole. Vehicle is 6 months old. Suspension gave way. Parts of suspension were laying on the street. Right front wheel was at a 90 degree angle due to suspension failing. My husband was in the car with me. I was driving 15 mph. I have photos; 2 are attached to this form. I have filed a claim with my insurance company but I am unable to attach that document. No police report.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Hamilton, NJ, USA