Ford Focus Reliability Problems

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.…

   keep reading article "The Swollen Lug Nuts Lawsuit Against Ford Has Been Dismissed"

2. Ford announced they’ll soon be recalling more Focus cars to prevent clutch fractures that can lead to fires.

   They say the cars can experience clutch slips that cause elevated temperatures that damage the clutch plates. This may cause the transmission housings and clutch covers to leak transmission fluid.

   Ford knew about the clutch plate fractures and the threat of fires as evidenced by a previous recall. But it wasn’t until European models with the same B6 transmission started to go up in smoke that Ford decided to expand its previous recall … I guess we could call it, effort?…

   keep reading article "Clutch Recall Expanded to Prevent Fires in Ford Focus"

3. 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.…

   keep reading article "Lug Nut Lawsuit is Baseless According to Ford Attorneys"

5. 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.

   keep reading article "Ford Sued for Using Two-Piece Lug Nuts That Swell"

6. After a series of PowerShift class-actions and years of complaints, a lawsuit settlement is on the horizon.

   The settlement, once approved by a federal judge, will include about 1.5 million model year 2011-2016 Ford Fiesta and 2012-2016 Ford Focus cars with automatic transmissions that caused Ford to issue two customer satisfaction programs.

   The full settlement details are complex, but will provide owners with options such as cash payments, reimbursements, or credits towards the purchase of a new car with a arbitration-monitored buyback from Ford.…

   keep reading article "PowerShift Lawsuit Settlement Waiting on a Judge's Approval"

7. Ford's "best of both worlds" PowerShift transmission is facing more leagl heat, this time by 28 named plaintiffs in Texas.

   The dual-clutch lawsuit alleges the vehicles suffer from a long list of problems including shuddering, slipping, bucking, jerking, hesitation while changing gears, premature internal wear, delays in downshifting and sudden or delayed acceleration.

   Where have we heard that before? Oh that's right, California and Illinois have similar class-action lawsuits on the docket.

   This case, however, is the first to add the EcoSport to the list of affected models.

   keep reading article "Another PowerShift Transmission Lawsuit, This Time in Texas"

8. Power steering is one of those things you don't think about until it's gone.

   And owners of Ford cars with electronic power assisted steering (EPAS) are thinking about it all the damn time, if you catch my drift. But it's been a tough year for an EPAS lawsuit that claimed the system is defective. After a promising start, it was denied class-action certification and then dismissed by a judge entirely. Womp, womp.

   The lawsuit didn't even cover all the models or years affected by this problem. And now that it's going away, the complaints seem to be picking up as more cars exit their warranty period (because life is fun like that).

   And oh, by the way, an out-of-warranty repair costs about $2,000.

   keep reading article "EPAS Lawsuit Shot Down"

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