Problems with 2000 Ford Focus TIRES

Complaint againt general altimax rt tires, size 195/60r15. extreamly large bubbles in sidewalls in 3 out of 4 tires on our 2000 ford focus. i just purchased the 2 front tires 4/2/2014 and the back 2 tires july 2013.. 1 tire, right rear went flat the other day, found large hole in sidewall of tire, it apeared nothing had puntured the tire. i did not think nothing of it at 1st. took car to ford dealer to have tire repaced, which they did. while at the ford dealer, they point out large bubbles in the sidewalls of both front tires, those 2 tires were just purchased a little more than 1 month ago and only driven 2870 miles. i called geneal tire company and they said to contact the seller of the tire, tire seller says to see the tire company to get addressed. the tire bubbles are very large and a dangerous condition, these tires could explode at any time, the car could not be driven with these tires. i just purchased 2 tires of a different brand for the front of the car, while i fight with general tire company. i worked as a technician for a ford dealer for over 20 years, as my prior profession. i have never seen tires for huge bubbles like these general tires. these general tires are safety hazzard and should be recalled and i would not recommend them to anyone. i will never buy general tires again. *js

The wal-mart store 4379 on bush river rd in columbia sc has failed to give/ fill out the tire registration cards for at least the last 7 months. they sell between 100 and 150 tires a week and absolutely no registration cards are being filled out. this can be proven by looking up the tire sales for any day and then watch the video recordings over the front counter and you will see that no cards are being handed out. i know what a safety issue this is and i have tried to handle it to the best of my ability and the store is refusing to start handing them out. i know that there is at least a five thousand dollar fine per card not handed out and by my calculation this walmart alone has around $3,250,000.00 in fines. i hate for walmart to be fined this much but i have done everything i can think of to get it fixed and they are just not fixing it and i am afraid that there is going to be a recall on tires and people who bought their tires there want know and might get hurt. for the date below i just put a random date because this issue has been going on for at least 7 months. the only thing that is going to make them start doing things right is a hefty fine. in my mind this is a huge safety issue and peoples lives could be at stake. i be leave that this issue has been going on for more than 7 months, but all i can speak for is the last 7 months. please please please take care of this problem before some gets hurt or killed because wal-mart is refusing to follow the regulations for being a tire retailer. if you look into it and the cards haven't been handed out in the last year and say they only sale 100 tires a week at 5000 dollar fine per tire then the fines add up to $26,000,000.00 please help me take care of this before some one gets hurt because of a tire recall like the firestone incident a few years back. i called to find out how to file a complainant and the man sent me this form but my complainant is for all tires they sale not just good year. its ...

Falken ziex ze-512, automobile tires, sidewall rubber badly cracking almost to the radials, noticed after 2.5 yrs and less than 17000 miles. all tires on the vehicle are equally affected/ damaged. no vin has been supplied as these tires were an aftermarket purchase, having nothing to do with ford. *tr

2000 ford focus. vehicle was westbound on the ohio turnpike in the left lane, driver attempted to change into the center lane when the vehicle went out off control and spun off the left side of the road striking the median wall. *mc (ohio traffic crash report) *tr

Tire separation/cracking linglong l688 tires 205 40 zr 17. *nm

The vehicle's brakes had to be replaced about every three months. *nm the rear end was unable to be lined up, if so, the vehicle would fishtail back and forth and the consumer would unable to drive the vehicle. the tires were out of round and the vehicle would run rough, especially when going up hills. *sc *jb

Many problems, the radio started shorting out almost immediately. i have to replace my tires at least once a year (10,000 miles.) at 37000 miles after the bumper to bumper ran out, my air conditioner and heater fan only worked on 4, 1, 2, and 3 did not. i took it to ford, the diagnosis was an open circuit which cost me $409.00. ( i think i was ripped off) last month i took a road trip and whenever i would climb steep inclines the car sputtered and eventually died. there was no indication of my car overheating. after about 5 minutes or so the car would start and continue to sputter up the hill. this made it extremely unsafe for me and my family resulting in a near collision with a truck. this week, my car wouldn't start at all, there was some corrosion on the battery terminals so i cleaned them w/a wire brush. i also noticed that the cables looked burned. the car started after we jumped it, but died after removing the cables. i have spent more money on this car than any other car i have ever owned. my last car was a ford escort, i still have it, it is 10 years old and has well over 100000 miles on it with no problems. i have 9 payments left on my focus and will be selling it after that. *jb

1) noise coming from right front 2) both front springs and struts had to be replaced because the right front spring had broken and cut the right front tire down the middle (which also had to be replaced). the spring also bent the strut.*ak 3) all old parts are available - see #2 for what was done to correct failure. repairs had to be made on an emergency basis.

My son was almost killed along with drivers on the freeway below the overpass he was on when a 2 week old tire blew and he instantly lost control of the vehicle. in viewing this tire, i found it to look as if it has dry rot all around it. little tiny holes underneath the treads all around as if eaten away by termites or something. for a new tire it is older looking than the other 6 month old tires. i know no one who would lab test the material, but in my gut something is very wrong with it. it blew from underneath a thick new tread that has no punctures on top. it is a firestone/firehawk p205/50r16, dot# w2w11tb0804. my car is a total loss, but my son made it through ok thank god. i took it to the dealer mgr i purchased it from and he outright disagreed and started to take the tire from me saying he would have thier lab test it, but i have little trust for thier lab. i need help in reviewing this. i have no car and i feel it is because of an accident caused by a defective tire. insurance does not pay comprable to the vehicle you had. i had only one last payment to go. my son and many other people could have been killed. buying tires is like a game of russian roulette with life and death. it seems we all just accept that fact.*ak

2000 focus tires were pulling. *ts ***nar*** the rims were bent as a result of the tires pulling. *jb

Dt: the contact stated the ignition switch failed three times within a year and a half. the first time, she went to start the car, the ignition would not turn over. the car was towed and repaired. the second failure was approximately one year later and the same thing happened. the car was towed and repaired for the second time. the third failure happened this week, went to start the car and it would not start again. it is being repaired now. the dealership stated it could possibly be the starter along with the ignition switch. *ak in dec 2001 the consumer was involved in an accident due to a problem with the tires and the rear axle. the transmission cooler lines were replaced. the brake lights and heater did not work. the egr tube was replaced. the wiper arm was broken. the engine light stayed on all time. the driver side mirror had to be replaced. updated 01/11/06. *jb

It was difficult for the consumer to turn key in the ignition switch. on numerous occasions consumer was unable to start the vehicle. the dealership was notified, but was unable to resolve the problem. *ak problems with vehicle tires/ tires have cuts in tread.*mr

I have replaced the ignition switch 3 times in least that 2 years and twice in three months. the dealership tells me to call ford and ford tells me it a dealership's problem call them the old run around. i also have replace all four brakes and tires with only 25000 miles on the car and they still squeeze and grind when applying the brake. i brought the car used so i do not know if anything was replace before i purchased it lovely vehicle. *la

Numerous problems with focus. bought car in 2001. since the day that i drove off the lot i had squeaky brakes. took to servicer and was told dust on brakes & it was normal. after three attempts, they changed pads & rotors. now i hear the squeak again. car cut off while going up a hill. was told by the servicer that it happened because the weather had recently gotten hot and it "shocked" the car. key wouldn't enter the ignition. had to have the car towed to servicer. car shuts off if under half a tank. servicer told me " keep the gas over half a tank". sometimes i smell something burning while heat on in car. on 2 occassions saw smoke coming from the vents while a/c on ( didn't take to servicer for these problems because they never occured again). today 11/10/03 the check engine light came on and the car started shaking and stalling eventually cutting off. took to the servicer and explained the problem, without even mentioning the make and model of my car the technician said, " you must have a focus". no longer under factory warranty and can't afford to pay for these defects that ford is very much aware of. also, the car no longer has value. tried to trade it in before factory warranty ran out last year, and was told car only worth $4,000 while i still owed $10,000, which means i would have had to come up with the $6,000 difference to be free from the car. the car was only 2 yrs old when i tried to trade it in! so, i feel i got ripped off with a lemon that i can't even get rid of. i am seriously considering calling the finance company and voluntarily giving the car back, but then my credit will show a repossession, which is not fair being that the consumers were never told about the history of problems with the focus before we bought them.*ak

I purchased my 2000 ford focus se from merlin motors in saskatoon. production date - may 2/2000, stock no. pp24941, r.o. no. 155631. i believe this car was previously owned by someone in british columbia. here is a chronological breakdown of repairs. april 17/01 - took car in because driver mirror vibrated badly when driving - so badly that i could not look into it, it was shaking that much. also, the trunk would not open from the release inside the car. parts were ordered at this time. vehicle kilometers- 32854. june 19/01 - they checked for driver mirror vibrating when driving and replaced driver side exterior mirror. the also checked for trunk not opening from the release inside the car, they replaced the trunk stop and adjusted. vehicle kilometers- 35222 june 20/01 - they checked for power steering leak and replaced steering rack and set toe. vehicle kilometers- 37782?? (this is obviously an error - i know i did not drive 2, 560 km in one day!) i also did not complain about the power steering and don't recall why my car was in there at the time. sept 21/01 - they repaired rattle in right front going over bumps, tightened all assemble bolts in front end, removed right caliper and rotor, lubed all bushing, adjusted front splash shields, found tie rod bolt loose and tightened. they also fixed molding on window belt, which was loose and checked inside rear view mirror and found it flawed - part on order. vehicle kilometers- 43170. nov 3/01 - we were driving in saskatoon when engine started to boil. we knew this because of steam coming from the hood, all gauges in the car read normal! we took car to merlin - they could find nothing wrong with the car after their checks, and told us to bring it back if it happened again! work order for this date states: customer saw steam coming from under hood, antifreeze pooled on engine, gauge read normal, steam coming from overflow tank - fill with a/freeze, pressure test for leaks, no leaks found.

2000 ford focus lx 4-door sedan - numerous complaints: 1) currently have 75,200 miles on car and have gone through 5 (yes five!) complete sets of tires.2) engine stalls at any speed with no warning lights or indications, car bucks and gas pedal can be depressed to floorboard and car will not move - barely avoided three accidents (two of which would have involved my two small children) 3) all four doors will stick - really need to pull to open - and once open, they will not close again (you need to try to close the doors repeatedly before they finally latch). they also popped opened while driving. afraid one day one of my children or a passenger or myself may be injured. they are manual door locks and latches. 4) same with trunk - often needs repeated tries to close and latch 5) leak in front passenger footwell - when it rains, or when going through carwash 6) front brakes have been replaced twice at my cost - horrendous, irritating, embarassing squealing is incessant - brake dust accumulates every day! in some instances, brakes need to be applied very firmly to stop vehicle (again, i do not feel safe with my children in car). 7) extremely foul smell when air conditioning use is attempted. 8) stereo was replaced - original factory installed would not work after 2 months of ownership. 9) paint is flaking off of skirts - i was informed by ford that this is "sandblasting" and that i must drive on dirt roads all of the time - i live on an asphalt street, drive on asphalt roads and asphalt highways - not dirt! 10) fuel pump was replaced once already - was told i must be buying "dirty" gas - if it is dirty gas, is that my fault? i don't exactly run the gas stations, and i don't buy fro one specific station - i fuel up when i'm low, wherever it is convenient. 11) i have had three alignments to try to stop the horrible shaking of the car - the steering wheel vibrates so badly that my arms are sore by the time i get to my destination. *ak

Consumer concerned about the amount of recalls on vehicle. *mr the consumer had to replace the cable shifter when the vehicle was only 2 years old. the alternator had to be replaced, the door lock actuators, tires, sun roof control. *jb

60000 miles on car, 4 sets of tires, 7 recalls, defect in gas tank cover filler, 2 sets of brakes, rear alignment not adjustable (advised by independent shop) and horrible shaking at highway speeds after all this. dealer has been no help with tire problem. never buying a ford again. *jb

I drive 25000 miles a year to and from work approximtly 115 miles a day and 70% of that is on open interstate hiway. stop and go is less than 20 miles a day. tires completely wore out at 41000 miles. tires started humming at 10 to 15000 miles. i constly complained about front end and tire noise. i put a set of goodyear aquatred tires on at 41476 miles. they also started humming, so the front end was lined up. this did not stop the tires from humming. now car has 80000 miles, tires are scarming go down the road fast or slow. frontend suspension has been making clanking or thud type noise. just recently turing left geting off interstate it felles like the right front is changing geomitry. car turns left vilently - must corect stering. this will happens without notice. this car is extmly dangeras. when driven on ice and snow, it will brake lose when going staright for no reason and start to spin out. brakes wore out at 45000 miles. $400 to fix front brakes only. i have never had to put brakes and tires on a car at less than 50000 miles. more like 65 to 75000 miles.

Nar 04/07/2003 mr. while driving, the rear tire disconnected from the vehicle due to a failed wheel bearing.. the air condition repeatedly leaked water in the vehicle. the brakes were worn which required new rotors. *jb

After about 10 days of buying my 2000 ford focus the problem. started and one year later the problems are still coming like clock work. first my breaks were squealing i called the dealer, he said not to worry about it until i had time to come in. 1 to 2 months later, after several calls asking if it was still okay to drive, i took my car in and the routers and breaks were bad, they sd i should have brought my car in sooner. well per there request i took my time. i had to pay the get this taken care of. it didn't stop there, my tires kept getting flats so i has to once again replace at my own expenses. now the real problems start, my cruise control was just out of control, my car would accelerate every time i would put in on cruise. the windshield wipers would not work and my radio kept turning off by itself. i had once again at my own expenses replace my windshield wipers calling the maintenance. dept. at meridian ford. they fixed the problem. with the cruise control and it was working fine for about 2 months it is now happening again! now i have problems with the key getting stuck and will not turn, the trunk will not shut, and my car will shut off when the car is in idle. it turns off if in park or drive after about one min. idle. this is very frustrating. and has caused so many financial and stress problems. i don't feel safe in this car and i feel cheated! i was sold a lemon! a list of what was wrong with my new car..bad breaks, bad routers, bad windshield wipers, bad cruise control, bad trunk, bad tires, the key gets stuck and will not turn, and now it turns off while in idle. all these things are still wrong with it and its costing me money, stress,time and it is costing me to be late on my car payments and other bills because i have to pay for all this crap to be fixed! why is this happening! do i need to get a lawyer or do you need to replace or fix my car at your expensive. i have lost so much and feel helpless. i hope this does not fall on ...

There was an excessive vibration coming from the rear passenger tires, the dealer was unable to determine cause of vibration or excessive wear on tires.*jb

The left rear tire separated from the rim.*jb

I started to replace tires as early as 5,000 miles just about 7 times by now. replaced ignition 5/03 for $667.00 the key would go in and wouldn't turn. spring coil driver's side broke while in traffic replaced 4/03 for $158.50. now the transmission is completly gone the car would not back up. please help me, i just don't know what else to do. the customer service at paul clark is so poor that i would not go there anymore.

Bad brakes, leaking transmission x 2 repairs, numerous electrical probs, one "accident", damage repaired at ford expense, bad tire, noise from front rt side, "surge" prob, car seemed to "stick" in a gear. i don't have my file with me but i know there is more.

The brake system is horrible. they make noises all the time. i have replaced the cylinders and the shoes and it still does not sound right. the suspension is bad and needs replacing, but i can not afford it. i am a teacher. cruise control has gone bad, because of a faulty wire.

My complaint is all the problems we have had with the focus. we have had numerous recalls and work done from the drivers seat collapsing, wiring harness replaced, bearings in front, and rear, brake assembly, sway bar, and have had to replace 3 sets of tires, and line up 3 times because they will not make good and the car eats tires. now we have 52,000 miles on the car, and a pin has come loose and gone through the transmission, and case. altough the dealer has been very good, we bought a new car so we would not have this hassle, and that is all we have had.

Consumer was exiting a parking garage and placed vehicle in reverse. without warning, car suddenly accelerated and rear tail spun around 2 times then hit a parked vehicle. consumer did apply brakes with no success. ph insurance company informed dealership that there were two recalls that dealt with a defective throttle and speed control which was not performed on the vehicle prior to the accident. other problems included weezing noise while turning. power steering racked failed and replaced. lack of power steering in steering wheel. rear brake pad replacement. rear wheel bearing noise. defective wheel bearings replaced. tire punctured and replaced. hesitation on acceleration. fuel pump and gasket replaced. tires rotted out. key stuck in ignition. replaced malfunctioned shifter assembly. trunk lid wouldn't latch. latch replaced. *tt

Car is only 2yrs,8mo. have currently expended over $4000.00 on repairs. problem with seals allowing fumes in car from other vehicles running beside mine. the noise and wind shear level is very unsatisfactory. squeal noise and thumping feeling from pressing on brake pedal. hesitation on accelerating into traffic flow. poor quality on parts and workmanship from manufacturer

vehicle starts giving a rocking motion. this failure was due to the tire becoming detached. the dealership replaced tires but the problem still occured causing an accident. please describe details. mr

While driving the left rear tire locked up causing the rear of the car to break loose. inspection revealed ~1/8" of lateral movement in the left rear wheel/hub assembly. dealership determined that the left rear wheel bearing had failed. the failure caused destructive damage to both rear tires, the left rear tire has a significan flat spot wile the right rear has a bulge in the sidewall. dealership refused to replace the tires under warranty claiming that the problem was related to the firestone tire warranty despite the fact that the destruction of the tires was a direct result of the wheel bearing failure and not in any tire failure. *ak

Purchased ford focus se in may of 2002 with 13,260 miles. we did not buy the extended warranty because we could not afford. soon after bringing the car home, we noticed the tire was very wobbly, and the brakes were squeaking--took it to the ford dealer and they told us these cars are notorious for brake noise, as for the tire nothing is wrong-the service dept. test drove and didn't notice a thing. have taken it in several other times after that for wobbly tire-still same answer nothing is wrong. have taken the car in for several recalls. key was stuck in ignition and had to be towed to dealership-but the next time my teenaged daughter drove the car the steering wheel was stuck when she was turning at an intersection-had it towed again, there was a piece of material (from them fixing the ignition problem) that was stuck in the steering column. our latest episode with this car is our trip from wa-virginia. the car was fine on the way there, except for the wobble in the tire in which we had the tires rotated yet again. but on our way back we started experiencing sputtering and surging of the car, we would pull off the side of the road every 20 miles (thinking it was from the hot weather), we would get another 20 miles in and same thing until finally we drove through chicago, il and it was worse, so we pulled off the highway and on to an on ramp--walked across the highway to use a business's telephone to call for a tow truck. they found us a tow truck but unfortunately it wasn't a king cab, so our insurance co., called us a cab. the tow truck took us to the nearest ford dealer--the car however seemed to running fine, so we decided to drive some more. we got about 15 miles down the road and sputtering again, so we called for another tow--and in the meantime we called firestone, we drove it there, the serviceman drove the car and felt what it was doing and said he didn't need to hook it up to engine diagnostic that it was the transmission.

There is a vibration felt in steering wheel when driving at freeway speeds. i have had the car aligned 2 times, replaced the tires 3-times, replaced the brakes 3-times and had the tires rotated and re-balanced 6 times, in two years. i have had all of the recalls completed. the vibration still exists and the dealer cannot fix it. the dealer just keeps telling me to get the tires re-balanced, or get new tires again. *nlm

While driving the vehicle at any speed, strong chemical fumes spread through out the vehicle. the dealer has been made aware of the problem. nlm the tire rod has loosened, the battery had blown, and the engine light had stayed illuminated. scc

Rear front tire tread separted from a check up. firestore, p19560r15. dealership is aware of problem. *ak

Vehicle has a knocking noise coming from rear wheel. dealership is aware of problem.*ak

While driving on a main interstate in the rain, (the vehicle only has around 24000 miles), the rear of the car began to hydroplan. upon discussing with service advisor, he stated the tires were not new anymore and did not have groves to channel the water out like some of the new tires on the market. he recommended replacing the tires with new ones that have water channels. he stated this was a problem with the car being as light as it is in the rear end.*ak

I was driving on the freeway and 1 mile from where i was supposed to get off the highway my car started to swerve from behind. i turned my side mirror to see if i could see what was going on and what i saw frieghtened me. my tire was wobbling inside the wheel well and began to make a metal on metal grinding sound. the car has had 2 recalls dealing with the back tire, and everyone at the dealership seems to think that this is just a coincidence. my car was swerving from behind and the entire wheel well was filled with smoke 'till i slowed down. this is obviously a defective part of the car, especially after seeing the other complaints filed on the site. *ak

Left rear, and right front and rear have lost both air and sidewall chunks in spectacular fashion. tires are brand new and deployed in normal driving use. *ak (dot number: 260 tiresize: 195/60r15)

Rear tires had "cupping" wear around the tread. ford dealer said it was because i did not rotate the tires (front tires are ok). firestone dealer used alignment instruments that showed the rear was out of alignment. firestone, as do i, believe the car was not properly aligned coming off the assembly line. firestone said that they had seen many focus models with premature rear tire wear problems.*ak (tiresize: p195/60tr1)

When consumer went to have her 30,000 maintenance service performed, she was informed that new tires were needed in order to correct the wobbling nosie that was felt and heard in the rear wheel, consumer believes that new tires are possibly needed due to a previous recall on the rear axle, secondly when consumer brought the vehicle in for tire rotation she could never get documentation stating that the work was performed, consumer now has doubts that the tire rotation was ever done.*jb

Complete tread separation - i have the tread. *ak (tiresize: p195/60tr1)

Tires on vehicle is wearing down. rear wheel bearing went bad and had to replace them. tires had been replaced twice. contacted dealer, and dealer stated never heard of problem before.*ak

Consumer heard a rattling noise coming from front tire. dealership replaced wheel bearing. dealership was aware of problem.*ak

My motor mounts went out while i was driving down the highway making the engine hop. my seatbelts are locking up so that you can not get the seat belts on. and my tires cord broke making the tire wavy and the steel belt was showing through.*ak (dot number: e13 027430 tiresize: p195/60r15)

We were on vacation and 75mph on i-80, in big springs ne, our rear left tire blew out. our car swerved all over the road but lucky for us it was 2:30pm on july 4th and traffic was light. after getting control of the car we pulled up the nearby exit ramp to a truck stop. the truck service technician changed our tire and put on the spare. the closest goodyear tire retailer open on 4th of july, was walmart 150 miles away. we had to drive under 50mph on a 70mph highway for that 150 miles, finally arriving in kearney nebraska at 7:30pm. it seemed impossible that we would need tires so soon. also, know the tires have been rotated at a ford dealer every 5000 miles (as per my warranty) the tire technician at walmart informed us that the tires were damaged by a default in the car. he said that ford _x0013_tweeks the alignment on their cars to improve handling_x0014_ and that sometimes that _x0013_tweeking_x0014_ causes unusual tire wear. also, he informed us they are 65,000 mile tires and should not be worn through in 20,000 miles. he also pointed out wear on the inside of the other back tire and told us we would not make it home driving on that tire. faced with few choices, we purchased 2 new tires so we could drive home to st. louis. the total cost for this was $177.10. upon return to st. louis i immediately took the car into mcmahon ford and after 3 days, doug sucher informed me that the _x0013_camber was at 9_x0014_ which was dangerously near an unsafe reading. he also told me there was no repair available for this problem. i was told the vehicle also needs new brakes due to this defect. furthermore, he said he contacted the engineers at ford and they are aware of the problem but have no solution at this time. he did confirm that the wear on the tires was caused by the improper camber setting and we would continue to go thru tires and brakes at an unusual rate. he also said this is a problem on all focus models and they are doing tire replacements only on the 2001 models.*ak

Consumer was traveling home and noticed a clunking or rattling noise. when her husband pulled passenger's rear tire there was a cap, and a screw fell out. dealership was aware of problem. *ak consumer stated that vehicle was in for a recall on left back tire, the part that was suppose to have been replaced had fallen out.*jb

Rear tires have been replaced four times with 60000 mile tires and it is eating the tires in less than 20000 miles. the rear of the car is vibrating and bouncing at all speeds but is worst at 55 to 65 mph. i have tried to get it fixed several times and the dealerships keep saying it is the alignment. alignment has been corrected and verified several times with no result. all recall work to date has been completed by dealerships.*ak

Tires wore out and started to separate at this milage, dealer won't help , also wheel bearing replaced due to failures. dealer and ford accept no responsiblity for defective equip. bearing noise noticed at 7k miles dealer finally replaced bearings at 23750 miles. cust is going thru arbitration to lemon the car. running into probs with this also ford won't take it back . 8 recalls is enough (tiresize: p19570r15)( dot number: tire size: p19570r15 )

Original tires on a ford, focus 2000, p20550r16 86h, dot # 0211314e4. consumer took car in for a routine inspection, and they said that front passenger's tire had a big bubble. consumer felt tire may separate.*ak the dealer indicated the bubble was caused by pothole, but replaced it because it was unsafe to drive the vehicle under that condition. *yh