Home · 2016 Ford Focus · Complaints

What 1,185 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Ford Focus

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (1,185)Crash / fire / injury (32)Transmission & drivetrain (674)Engine (235)Fuel system (224)Electrical system (85)Engine & cooling (49)Steering (45)Speed control (36)Airbags (15)Wheels (15)Body & structure (14)

15 of 1,185 complaints match · Wheels · clear filters

Jun 13, 2024Wheels

All of the lugs nut have swelled likely due to rust under the chrome caps and we can not get the lug wrench provided with the car onto any of the lugs nuts. A properly sized 19mm 4 way lug wrench would not fit either. This prevents us from being able to change a flat tire which could leave us stranded during my commute or on a vacation and left in an unsafe situation on the side.of the highway. This also prevents routine maintenance such as brake wear inspections and tire rotations from being completed. The car has not been taken to a dealer or service center since the issue was noticed but they would also have the same issue and would need to hammer a socket over the lug nut with excessive force. The car has a bad wheel bearing that needs to be replaced but can't since we can not remove the tire.

NHTSA ODI 11594295

Oct 29, 2023Electrical systemWheels

The lug nuts are swollen and cannot be unscrewed. Also my electrical system inside my car goes off sometimes for unknown reasons. I'm talking about my stereo.

NHTSA ODI 11552477

Aug 22, 2023Wheels

While attempting to change front brake pads, I couldn't get any of my sockets, of which I have multiple sets of both SAE and Metric, none would fit the lug nuts. After talking with a Ford dealership parts department, I was informed that the lug nuts swell and beating a socket onto the lug nuts was the only way to get them off the vehicle. This is unacceptable, and it was lucky that I wasn't trying to change a tire in the middle of the night. I immediately bought after-market lug nuts to replace them on the vehicle at a cost well over $100. This is unacceptable.

NHTSA ODI 11540010

Jul 23, 2022Wheels

The issue is the lug nuts have a swelling effect and the problem is they are hard to if not impossible to remove and the cost to replace them all is expensive

NHTSA ODI 11475441

Jun 5, 2022Wheels

Three of the five lug nut studs on my front passenger side wheel broke off.

NHTSA ODI 11467633

May 26, 2022Wheels

This is a lug nut-related complaint regarding the swelling and distorting of your tire factory installed lug nuts. I was not able to be remove lugnuts with the cars provided lug wrench. I was left stranded in a parking lot with a flat tire and had to drive the car with the flat tire to a local Firestone dealer, to have them remove and replace the damaged tire because I couldn't remove the tire after several attempts. an hour later I had several people try and help, It was a nightmare with my 90 year old mother. I should contact a lawyer, this is very unsafe if stranded on the highway. Ford needs to recall and replace all lug nuts. ASAP!

NHTSA ODI 11466206

May 6, 2022Wheels

Lug nuts have expanded and have to be replaced. This is a known safety issue and a recall needs to take place.

NHTSA ODI 11463678

Dec 6, 2021Wheels

When driving on a residential street, the wheel snapped and a truck parked in the neighborhood was almost hit (scraped the rim of the truck). Luckily, the incident did not happen once I got onto a faster road.

NHTSA ODI 11442783

Feb 17, 2021Wheels

FOUND OUT MY VEHICLE HAD 2 PIECE LUG NUTS WHICH ARE DAMAGED WHEN REMOVED AND HAVE TO BE REPLACED WITH ONE PIECE LUG NUTS WHICH ARE $8.00 PER PIECE. AT 5 NUTS PER WHEEL ON 4 WHEELS THAT COMES TO $160.00. CAR WAS IN FOR SERVICE(DAMAGED TIRE).02/12/

NHTSA ODI 11396611

Oct 29, 2020Transmission & drivetrainBody & structureWheels

CAR WAS HESITANT TO GO AND SKIPPING AND MAKES AWFUL NOISE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT WHEN ON HIGHWAY ROAD NOISE. DEALER REPLACED CLUTCH AND SEALS AND DID A TRANSMISSION SERVICE. NOTHING WAS DONE ABOUT THE AWFUL ROAD NOISE

NHTSA ODI 11372299

Nov 24, 2019Wheels

THE LUG NUTS ON THIS VEHICLE ARE IMPROPERLY DESIGNED, AND THIS ISSUE IS WELL KNOW BY THE FORD DEALER, (FELIX SABATES FORD, CHARLOTTE, NC) AND TIRE SHOPS SUCH AS GOODYEAR. THE ALUMINUM OVER-CAP ON THEM BECOMES "SWELLED" AND DEFORMED TO THE POINT THAT A LUG WRENCH WILL NOT FIT ON THEM, AFTER ONLY A FEW USES. THIS CAN BE MORE THAN JUST A NUISANCE, AS IT CAN LEAVE SOMEONE STRANDED IN THE EVENT OF A FLAT TIRE. FORD REFUSED TO RECTIFY THE ISSUE WITH REPLACEMENT LUGS NUTS WHEN I CALLED THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE. THE DEALERSHIP HAS ALSO BEEN TOLD BY FORD THAT THEY HAVE NO INTENTION OF COMPENSATING THE DOZENS OF CUSTOMERS THAT THIS IS HAPPENING TO. I HAD TO PAY FOR AFTER-MARKET REPLACEMENTS. THERE IS NO WAY LUG NUTS SHOULD BE DEFECTIVE AFTER ONLY 3 YEARS (5 TIRE ROTATIONS), AND THE DEALER DID MOST OF THEM. I PAID $62 + 8% TAX FOR REPLACEMENTS (WHILE I WAS AT GOODYEAR). SEE PHOTOS OF DEFORMED LUG NUTS AND RECEIPT FOR REPLACEMENTS. *DL

NHTSA ODI 11282078

Jun 21, 2019WheelsElectronic Stability Control (esc)

MY VEHICLE MAKES A GRINDING SOUND LIKE TGE FLOOR IS GOING TO FALL OUT , MY GAS TELL ME IM 50 MILES UNTILL EMPTY AND I RUN OUT ALSO WHEN I TURN MY CAR MAKES A LIKE A SCRECH SOUND AND ALSO SHAKES AT THE SAME TIME. MY CAR IS GETTING DO HOT ITS MELTING THR PLASTIC AND TIRE COVERS TO WHERE ITS RUBBING ON MY TIRES. MY VEHICLE DOES NOT WANT TO CATCH SPPED SEEMS LIKE IT WANTS TO DIE.

NHTSA ODI 11221625

May 6, 2019Wheels

TIRES ARE WEARING OUT ON THE INSIDE A LOT FASTER. AM ON 3RD SET THE FIRST TWO SETS DID THIS AND THE DEALER SAID THE ALIGNMENT WAS FINE. I.FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AS A CURSORY INSPECTION OF THE TIRES LOOKS OK BUT IF YOU GET ON THE GROUND TO CHECK THE INSIDE PART THE WEAR WILL BE ALARMING. I WENT ONLINE TO CHECK MESSAGE BOARDS FOR THIS MODEL AND NUMEROUS OTHER PEOPLE HAD THE SAME ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI 11205745

Jan 21, 2017Wheels

LEFT REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRE EXPLODED THE ENTIRE SIDEWALL OF THE RADIAL TIRE CONTINENTAL CONTIPROCONTACT 195/65 R1591H M S RADIAL

NHTSA ODI 10946866

Apr 18, 2016Wheels

TIRE SEPARATED ON BOTH SIDES WALLS AT THE TIME THE TIRE MADE A BOOM NOISE. MOVE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. IN MOTION ON JOB IN JACKSONVILLE.

NHTSA ODI 10860188

Working with the data? Download all 1,185 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 10, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2016 Ford Focus verdict →