2006 FORD FOCUS Tires Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD FOCUS EQUIPPED WITH TOYO EXTENSA A/S TIRES, SIZE: P195/60/R15 (NA). WHILE INSTALLING A BRAND NEW TIRE AND INFLATING THE TIRES (38 TO 40 PSI), THE TIRE BLEW OUT. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT SUSTAINED FACE, LEFT ARM, EYE, AND EAR INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND VIN WERE NOT AVAILABLE.

I WAS COMMUTING TO WORK ON HIGHWAY 59 NORTHBOUND JUST SOUTH OF THE GESSNER EXIT AT 65 MILES PER HOUR WHEN I HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION AND I NEARLY LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR. MY VEHICLE IS A 2006 FORD FOCUS ZX4 WITH 15 INCH STANDARD ALLOY RIMS. THE LEFT REAR GOODYEAR EAGLE GT TIRE HAD EXPLODED WITHOUT WARNING. I SAW SMOKE EMERGE FROM THE WHEEL WELL AS I BROUGHT MY CAR TO A STOP ON THE EXIT RAMP AT BISSONNET. I CALLED MY HUSBAND WHO CAME OUT TO CHANGE THE TIRE AND UPON REMOVAL WE DISCOVERED THAT THE ENTIRE TREAD SECTION FROM ONE EDGE OF THE RIM TO THE OTHER HAD COMPLETELY COME OFF AND WAS STUCK IN THE WHEEL WELL, LEAVING THE RIM BARE. THERE WAS LIGHT CRACKING ON THE REST OF THE SET ON THE INNER PART OF THE TIRE NEAR THE RIM. THE TIRES WERE PURCHASED ON JUNE 17TH 2011 AT DISCOUNT TIRE AND ONLY HAD 23,000 MILES OF WEAR ON THEM. THEY HAD BEEN REGULARLY ROTATED AND INSPECTED AT DISCOUNT TIRE ON SCHEDULE. THE DOT NUMBER ON THE TIRES IS M7RB K11R 1511. I CONTACTED GOODYEAR CUSTOMER SERVICE TODAY AND THEY TOLD ME THE TIRES ARE NOT UNDER RECALL. MY WIFE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED BY THIS INCIDENT. *TR

Mileage: 103,968

PURCHASED FOUR TIRES IN DEC OF 2010 WITH 70 THOUSAND MILES TREAD OUT MILES FOR MY STATION WAGON . 30 THOUSAND MILES LATER, THE REAR TIRES WERE GONE. THERE WERE BALD SPOTS ALL OVER THE INSIDE DRIVERS REAR TIRE. THE CORDS WERE BEGINNING TO SHOW AFTER SIX MONTHS AND 30 THOUSAND MILES. THE OTHER REAR TIRE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WAS NOT ANY BETTER. ALIGNMENT WAS FINE. IT WAS CHECKED HAD ANOTHER ALIGNMENT DONE AND PURCHASED TWO NEW TIRES WITH FORTY THOUSAND MILES WHICH WERE REPLACED 8 MONTHS LATER WITH NO TREADING LEFT. FORD HAS DONE EVERYTHING EXCEPT ISSUE A RECALL. FORD DEALER PROVIDED NO REAL ASSISTANT. THEY MUST KNOW, BUT ACTED AS IF NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROVIDE. THEY INSPECTED THE REAR AND TOOK READINGS OF TREAD ETC, BUT DID NOTHING ELSE. TIRE COMPANY SAID NOT A DEFECT IN THE TIRES SO WE DON'T REPLACE TIRES FOR FREE. JUDGING FROM ALL THE OTHER POSTS THIS IS NOT A GOOD SITUATION. I WAS TOLD TO ROTATE TIRES OFTEN AND CHECK OFTEN. SOMETIMES YOU HEAR A THUMPING NOISE AND THE CAR DRIVES HEAVY IN WET CONDITIONS. *TR

Mileage: 66,000

WITHIN THE LAST FEW WEEKS, OUR FORD FOCUS STARTED MAKING A THUMPING NOISE WHICH WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A SLIGHT VIBRATION OF THE CAR. AFTER A FEW WEEKS OF THIS, I TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALER TO GET THE TIRES RE-BALANCED AND ROTATED. AFTER A ROAD TEST (I WENT ALONG), THE DEALER SAID THAT BOTH REAR TIRES WERE 'CUPPED' AND THAT REBALANCING AND ROTATING WOULD NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THEY SAID THAT THE SUSPENSION WAS OK. THE TIRES HAVE ABOUT 20,000 MILES ON THEM, AND ARE THE SECOND SET ON A CAR THAT HAS JUST ABOUT 50,000 MILES ON IT. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE TIRES ARE WEARING OUT FASTER THAN EXPECTED FOR THE GOOD QUALITY TIRES THAT I PUT ON TO REPLACE THE FACTORY ORIGINALS (WHICH WORE OUT EARLY). THE THUMPING IS NOISY, BUT I AM WORRIED ABOUT LOSS OF CONTROL IF THINGS GET WORSE WHEN ON A LONG TRIP, OR IF THE TIRES FAIL DUE TO THE STRESS OF THE 'CUPPING'. FROM CHECKING THE INTERNET, OTHER FOCUS OWNERS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM (OVER A NUMBER OF MODEL YEARS), IT APPEARS THAT THERE IS SOME SORT OF DESIGN PROBLEM WITH THE REAR OF THIS CAR WHICH CAUSES EXCESSIVE AND RAPID TIRE WEAR LEADING TO THE 'CUPPING' AND RESULTANT NOISE AND (I AM GUESSING) BOUNCING ON THE ROAD. I EXPECT THAT THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY IS WELL AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND HOPEFULLY HAVE SOME SORT OF REPAIR THAT COULD REMEDY THE PROBLEM BEFORE THERE ARE ACCIDENTS. BUYING NEW TIRES EVERY 20,000 MILES IS NOT THE SOLUTION. *TR

Mileage: 49,962

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 TO 60 MPH HE NOTICED THAT HE WAS LOOSING PRESSURE ON THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE AND THE TWO REAR TIRES. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO ADVISED HIM THAT HE NEEDED TO REPLACE THE VALVE STEMS DUE DETERIORATION. THE VALVE STEM INFORMATION WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 89,000.

Mileage: 89,000

FORD FOCUS STATION WAGON WITH 40,000 MILES ON TIRES. TIRES WORN COMPLETELY DOWN TO BARE METAL ON BOTH REAR TIRES. I DROVE INTO A PARKING LOT TO SHOP AND HEARD HISSING NOISE. SAW DAMAGED TIRES CHANGED LEAKING TIRE TO SPARE TIRE. WEAR ON INSIDE OF REAR TIRES ONLY. LOCAL TIRE DEALER LOOKED AT ALIGNMENT AND COMMENTED THAT FOCUS TIRES FREQUENTLY BLOW DUE TO "TOW" IRREGULARITIES IN ALIGNMENT. DIFFICULT TO ADJUST TOW TO MANUFACTURER'S SPECIFICATIONS WITHOUT EXCESSIVE WEAR ON REAR TIRES. I REPLACED TIRES. I WAS ADVISED TO ROTATE TIRES FREQUENTLY AND HAVE ALIGNMENT CHECKED REGULARLY. *TR

Mileage: 40

ONE TIRE RUPTURED HOLE IN SIDEWALL RESULTING IN FLAT DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY. TOOK TIRE IN TO BE REPLACED. NONE OF OTHER TIRES REVIEWED BY TIRE CENTER. INDEPENDENT COMPANY FOUND REMAINING TIRES TO HAVE "BUBBLED" SIDEWALLS. ALL TIRES FROM SAME BATCH. TIRES ARE ONLY TWO MONTHS OLD AND TIRE CENTER WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE BATCH IS DEFECTIVE. (HOW COULD ALL FOUR TIRES GO BAD IN TWO MONTHS?) *TR

Mileage: 45,074

VERY LOW TIRE LIFE/TREADWEAR PREMATURE. *TR

Mileage: 28,000

2006 FORD FOCUS REAR TIRES . NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS WHEN TIRES START TO SHAKE AND THEN WEAR UNEVENLY ON BOTH SIDES. ONLY 26000 MILES ON TIRES FROM THE DEALER. HAVE TO REPLACE. DEALER SAYS THEIR IS NOTHING WRONG WITH CAR ITSELF, JUST POOR DRIVING. FRONT TIRES STILL HAVE CLOSE TO HALF LIFE LEFT. STILL HAVE REAR TIRES. *TR

Mileage: 25,500

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD FOCUS. THE VEHICLE HAS GOODYEAR EAGLE, SIZE 195/60R15. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE TIRES WERE REPLACED BECAUSE THEY WERE WORN. A REAR ALIGNMENT WAS PERFORMED FOUR TIMES PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE TIRE AND VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 31,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 48,000. THE CONSUMER PROVIDED INFORMATION ON THE ROAD HAZARD TIRE COVERAGE, INFORMATION ON WEBSITES PERTAINING TO THE DEFECT, VEHICLE DESCRIPTION AND CONTRACT AND PICTURES OF THE DEFECT. UPDATED 09/24/07 *TR UPDATED 10/11/07 *TR

Mileage: 31,000

REAR TIRES PREMATURELY WORN AND DAMAGED. 2006 FORD FOCUS WITH 21,000 MILES. THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR TIRE WORE OUT BADL, (BALD SPOTS, AND IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT. ALSO THE DRIVER'S REAR TIRE WORE OUT WELL BEYOND THE ACCEPTABLE RANGE FOR THE MILEAGE. ALSO NEEDS REPLACEMENT.*AK

UPON TURNING RIGHT ONTO THE HIGHWAY THE CAR DID NOT RESPOND IMMEDIATELY TO THE STRAIGHTENING OF THE STEERING WHEEL. IT WAS THOUGHT TO BE HYDROPLAINING. AGAIN UPON MAKING ANOTHER RIGHT 11 MILES LATER IT REACTED THE SAME WAY. SECONDS LATER THE LEFT FRONT DRIVER TIRE FELL OFF THE VEHICLE CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO DROP AND SKID LEFT OF CENTER HITTING AN ONCOMING CAR HEAD ON. A WITNESS CLAIMS TO HAVE SEEN THE TIRE LEAVE THE CAR AND CAUSE THE SLIDING TO LEFT OF CENTER. *JB