Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (wheels, lug nuts, original-equipment tires, TPMS).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2009 Ford Focus owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Had and accident after 6 months of paying on the car, which was sept. 2009.. Inside of tired bald, took to Ford to have oil changed, and supposed look over, but was never told about the inside warn tires. Back doors will not open from inside or out, front driver side door will not open from the outside, have had to buy tires every six months, because car wears them out, constant repairs that never seem to fix the car handling issues.. Had far too many repairs for the last 8 years of having the car..
Left rear hub came off car on freeway, crossed over to other side, and killed another driver in the opposite direction, and he had his 12 year old daughter next to him. I guess this has happened with the 2001 Ford Focus, Ford knew about it, but yet failed to fix the problem, resulting in this mans death. I feel they should be held criminaly responsible.
Purchased vehicle less than a year ago, from a dealership. New tires were put on at that time. Mileage when purchased was 29000. While driving on snow and icy roads it would wobble and get squirrelly, which I attributed it to the lightness of the vehicle. There was no reason for me to suspect the tires as I have them rotated according to manufacturer specs, and no abnormalities have been mentioned to me by the dealer. However, last week I had an accident as a result of a worn out tire blowing out on a snowy road. Inspection determined that all the tires were unevenly worn, and that the cause was that the arms which maintain tire alignment were physically incapable of doing so. This is not a manufacturing defect, it is a *design flaw*, which resulted in personal injury (broken arm, facial contusions).
Air bag light is stuck on randomly makes a "dinging" sound. Tires continue to wear out at a rapid speed, ignition switch will get stuck an engine will not turn over-can't find a cause. And the A/C stopped working this week, mechanic looking for a leak unable to figure out these issues and why they all started with in past month. Each problem they can't find solutions or tell me it's probably a sensor or the heat. They hook it up to the computer and it shows nothing wrong?!?!
Driving at normal hwy speed, the rental car (2009 Ford Focus) wandered as if something was wrong in the wheels or steering wheel and then flipped over on the left side of the road. My entire family almost perished that day.
Car purchased new from out of area dealer in December 2008 - no accidents or pothole contact. At 10090 miles, had right rear tire blowout, tire was replaced. Six months later, replaced both rear tires due to uneven wear, competed alignment at quality provider with no problems noted. Did not use dealer for the alignment because of local ( dealer's poor customer service and integrity reputation. December 2010, noticed same problem - severe diagonal cupping of rear tires. This time we took to different tire place and was told they could not do 4 wheel alignment due to a rear suspension componant issue. Immediately took the car to dealer where purchased, got excellent service however, they said they could not allign either, probably because we ran something over, which we knew we did not. We were not satisfied so they kept the car close to a week for testing, measuring, calibration etc. …
Car purchased new from out of area dealer in December 2008 - no accidents or pothole contact. At 10090 miles in August 2009, had right rear tire blowout, tire was replaced. Six months later, replaced both rear tires due to uneven wear, competed alignment at quality provider with no problemsidentified. Did not use dealer for the alignment because of local dealer's poor customer service and integrity reputation. December 2010, noticed same problem - severe diagonal cupping of rear tires. This time we took to different tire place and was told they could not do 4 wheel alignment due to a rear suspension componant issue. Immediately took the car to dealer where purchased, got excellent service however, they said they could not allign either, probably because we ran something over, which we knew we did not. …
Car purchased new from out of area dealer in December 2008 - no accidents or pothole contact. At 10090 miles, had right rear tire blowout, tire was replaced. Six months later, replaced both rear tires due to uneven wear, competed alignment at quality provider with no problems noted. Did not use dealer for the alignment because of local dealer's poor customer service and integrity reputation. December 2010, noticed same problem - severe diagonal cupping of rear tires. This time we took to different tire place and was told they could not do 4 wheel alignment due to a rear suspension componant issue. Immediately took the car to dealer where purchased, got excellent service however, they said they could not allign either, probably because we ran something over, which we knew we did not. We were not satisfied so they kept the car close to a week for testing, measuring, calibration etc. …
After breaking my leg as a result of driving this vehicle with misaligned wheels on snowy/icy roads and thereby losing control (report filed), I have gone to a local mechanic who has allowed me to visually inspect other vehicles of the same year, make and model. What I have found has been verified by 4 different mechanics in 4 different repair facilities. The wheels on a 2009 Ford Focus physically can not be put into alignment. The adjuster arms are too short. What that means is that the wheels, which "toe in", fight against eachother for road control. This causes premature tire wear, and on ice and snow will cause a very rapid loss of control at any speed. The degree of that loss of control will vary depending on the amount of "toe in", but needless to say even a little loss of control on a slippery road is very dangerous. …
Uneven tire wear, replaced tires at 20,000 miles at 34,000 miles I'm almost ready to replace them again. I took this Ford Focus in so many times, had 4 alignments. The last time it was in they said I must have had a accident since they noticed there was a scrap on my bumper. (a scrap and a impact are two different things isn't it?) well, I was told that before I bring the car in again I needed to take it to a body shop to check the frame. I took it in and they said there was no frame damage on this car. I called Ford again and they said they wanted to take the car to there body shop to have the frame checked. So, when that was finally done I ask the guy what is the verdict? He told me there was nothing wrong with the frame on the car and it was mechanically sound. …
Wheel & Tire complaints in other Focus years
Frequently asked questions
How common are wheel & tire problems on the 2009 Ford Focus?
NHTSA has 34 complaints about the wheels & tires of the 2009 Ford Focus, 15% of the model year's 229 complaints. The component named most often is pressure monitoring and regulating systems (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2009 Ford Focus wheel & tire problems?
No. NHTSA lists no wheels & tires recall for the 2009 Ford Focus. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2009 Ford Focus wheel & tire problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 28,000 miles, and 43% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 5 crashes, 0 fires and 7 injuries and 1 death to wheels & tires problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.