Problems · by component
2003 Ford Focus tires problems
25 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2003 Ford Focus cite tires, 2% of all 1,017 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
25
2% of all complaints
Crashes
3
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
Reported by owners
What owners say about the tires
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD FOCUS EQUIPPED WITH FIRESTONE PRIMEWELL PZ900 TIRES, SIZE: P205/50Z/16 (NA). WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A ROAR AND FELT A VIBRATION FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. UPON EXAMINATION OF THE TIRE, THE CONTACT NOTICED A LARGE CRACK ON THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE AND REPLACED IT WITH THE SPARE TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER AND THE TIRES WERE NOT REPLACED. THE TIRES WERE REPLACEMENT TIRES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 124,000 AND THE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000.”
“I WAS DRIVING MY 2003 FORD FOCUS ON THE ROAD WHEN THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED. SUDDENLY I HEARD A CRASH SOUND IN THE RIGHT FRONT SIDE OF MY VEHICLE. I FELT THERE WAS A FORCE ON THE RIGHT FRONT SIDE TIRE. THEN I NOTICED BLACK SMOKES BEHIND MY CAR AND THEN I STOPPED. I CALLED AAA TO HAVE ROADSIDE ASSISTANT. THE AAA GUY CAME AND CHECKED MY CAR AND TOLD ME THE COIL SPRING WAS BROKEN AND THE BROKEN PART DAMAGED MY TIRE TOO. I FOUND THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE COIL SPRING ON 2000-2003 FOCUS THEN I CALLED A LOCAL FORD DEALER TO GET IT FIXED. HOWEVER, THE LOCAL FORD DEALER TOLD ME MY FOCUS WAS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THE RECALL. CLEARLY THIS IS THE FAULT OF FORD. THE AAA GUY TOLD ME IF THIS HAPPENED ON THE FREEWAY, I WOULD PROBABLY BE KILLED. I URGED THE NHTSA TO CONTACT FORD ABOUT THIS ISSUE BEFORE THIS ACTUALLY KILLED LOTS OF PEOPLE. I ALSO URGED FORD TO PLACE A RECALL TO CHECK ALL THE COIL SPRING ON ALL CARS THEY MAKE TO MAKE SURE THIS PART HAS NO PROBLEMS. *JS”
“DRIVING TO WORK, NO RAIN, NO ICE ON ROAD, NORMAL BUT COLD CONDITIONS (30F) AND COULDN'T STOP MY VEHICLE WITH LOW ROLL RESISTANCE TIRES. WHEN I APPLIED BRAKES MY CAR IMMEDIATELY WENT INTO A SLIDE/SKID AND I HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE FROM BEHIND. WAS GOING AROUND 35 MPH AND SHOULD HAVE HAD PLENTY OF SPACE TO STOP. *TR”
“JULY 2010 IGNITION IS LOCKED, KEY WILL NOT TURN IN IGNITION. IT WAS HAPPENING EVERY NOW AND THEN BUT TODAY, JULY 7, 2010, IT WILL NOT TURN AT ALL EVEN WITH TAPPING LIGHTLY ON THE END OF THE KEY AND PULLING THE STEERING WHEEL DOWN WHILE TURNING THE KEY NOTHING HAS YET TO BE DONE AS I AM STILL WAITING FOR FORD TO DECIDE IF THEY WANT TO PICK IT UP! JUNE 2010 DRIVERSIDE SPRING COIL SNAPPED - NO LETTER TO THE OWNER OF THE FORD MODELS WHEN THE PROBLEM WAS A KNOWN SAFETY ISSUE AND WAS COVERED UNDER A WARRANTY EXTENDED BY FORD (BECAUSE THEY KNEW OF THE PROBLEM) JUNE 2009 - DRIVERSIDE FIREHAWK GTA FACTORY INSTALLED TIRE BLEW RIGHT OFF THE STEEL RIM, LEAVING THE STEEL FROM THE TIRE ON THE RIM ... THIS HAPPENED IN MY DRIVEWAY AND NOT WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE, THANK GOODNESS. *TR”
“COMPAINT IS ABOUT B.F. GOODRICH TIRES (LT 265/75R16) TIRES HAVE BEEN MAINTAINED PERFECTLY, ROTATED EVERY 7500 MILES. TOTAL TIRE MILEAGE ABOUT 61,XXX. WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT 70 MPH, THE LEFT FRONT TIRE SEPARATED. I HAD SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE COSTING OVER $2800.00, PLUS REPLACEMENT OF ALL TIRES DUE TO LACK O FAITH IN THE BF GOODRICH TIRES. THE BODY WORK/REPAIRS WILL BEGIN THIS WEEK. *TR”
“I HAVE PURCHASED 3- COOPER LIFE LINER TOURING SLE 205501687 H TIRES. 2 WERE ON THE REAR. 2 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE, THE RIGHT REAR TIRE WENT FLAT. I REPLACED IT. 2 WEEKS LATER THE LEFT REAR WENT FLAT. I FILLED IT AND THE VERY NEXT DAY THE RIGHT REAR WENT FLAT. I PUT A SPARE ON AND TOOK THEM WHERE I BOUGHT THEM. THEY RAN TESTS AND FOUND NOTHING TO BE WRONG WITH THE TIRE AND COULD NOT EXPLAIN WHY THEY JUST WENT FLAT. I REPLACED THE 2 REAR TIRES WITH A DIFFERENT BRAND AND HAVE YET TO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THEM. *JB”
Showing 6 of 25 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.