1st Generation Focus News and Notes

Bite-sized content about all the recalls, lawsuits, and investigations surrounding the 1998-2007 Focus.

  1. Most lug nuts are one piece of hardened steel, but Ford chose a design that puts an aluminum cap over a steel core.

    The cap is notorious for swelling and delaminating when it gets hot. It’s also a great place to trap moisture and encourage corrosion. The end result? A lug nut that’s either too big for a standard wrench or fused so tight you need a drill, welding torch, and 7 Hail Marys to remove it.

    A 2017 class-action lawsuit accused Ford of cost-cutting when switching to the two-piece design. It also said the automaker is aware of the problems, but won’t honor its warranty by denying any lug nut related claims.…

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  2. Ford wants the lug nut lawsuit tossed because "the plaintiffs never allege the swollen lug nuts have ever caused physical injuries to any person or damage to any property."

    Ford also says the plaintiffs talk about swollen lug nuts as if the lug nuts should be indestructible and the warranties should last forever, then wrongly "attempt to cast their product-defect allegations as warranty, fraud and unjust-enrichment claims."

    Should lug nuts last forever? Of course not. But they also shouldn't fuse into something harder than a diamond after 10,000 miles on the road.…

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  3. Ford has been sued for switching to a 2-piece lug nut design that features an aluminum cap.

    When exposed to the elements, the cap swells in the heat, cracks and delaminates, and corrodes from moisture. This leaves owners and lessees who get flat tires often stranded on the roads without the ability for even tow truck drivers to remove the swollen lug nuts. This means a tow to the shop just to have the lug nuts removed and the tire replaced.

    The two-piece capped lug nuts are cheaper than a one-piece stainless plug, but they look nice because of the cap. Most owners never think twice about the lug nut when buying a vehicle, only to be met with this headache down the road.

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