We purchased our 2005 Ford Focus ZX4 ses brand new in February 2005. Since the date of purchase we have had to replace the rear tires 5 times, two of the 5 times we replaced the whole set. The original factory tires on the rear of vehicle (yokohama 205/50/ZR16) were bald at 11,000 miles. At that time we replaced them with 4 new yokohama tires. Six months later, we had to buy another complete set of tires (Michelin/205/55/R16) because the tires in the rear were cupping and wearing in a diagonal cross pattern. We took the vehicle to Ford both times and they denied that there was any factory defects on the vehicle. Ford claimed it must be an alignment issue, we paid $79.99 for a 4 wheel alignment, and even had the front end checked, as well as shocks and struts, and Ford claimed there was nothing wrong. Since then, we have had to replace the tires 3 more times, just last week buying two new tires for the rear. We replaced tires on 7/13/2006 (16,463 miles), then on 7/6/2007 (25,926 miles), then on 1/16/2009 (43, 556 miles). All of the tires purchased had 80,000-85,000 mile warranties on them. Ford refuses to acknowledge that there is a problem with these vehicles, and clearly our vehicle is not the only one to experience this problem. Reference oib-NHTSA, tsb #19064. Ford should be forced to fix the defects with these vehicles, at no cost to the consumers who purchased them in good faith. We shouldn't have to invest $3,000 in costs for tires in 3.25 years.

- Apple Valley, CA, USA

My 2005 Ford Focus which I bought new off the dealership now has 100000 miles on it. Within the past year, while driving, the back end fishtails back and forth as if it is being hit by a strong wind. As soon as I told a repair shop this they immediately recognized the problem because they have had many other Focus owners complaining about the same thing. The rear control arm assembly is defective. This is not something that should need to be ever changed on a vehicle. The repair shop said that when they order a new one from Ford, the new one sent is much stronger and bulkier which tells them that Ford is aware of this defect. The repair bill for this is over $1200! this is very dangerous as you feel you are loosing control of the vehicle at any time. Upon hearing this, I contacted my parents who also have a Ford Focus and they said that though they have only half the number of miles on their vehicle it is also a 2005 model and it has started to do this also to them but they didn't know what to think, if it was just bad roads or what. Very dangerous and Ford has no response to my questions!

- Silver Bay, MN, USA

Rear end is continuously out of alignment causing scalloping to the rears of two sets of tires. Ford dealership and Ford headquarters refuse to take any action, explaining it is my "tough luck" and that I need to purchase new tires and continue to pay once to twice a year for alignment if tires have not already been destroyed. Many other mechanics I talk to say the Focus is notorious for rear end alignment, but Ford will not make any effort to rectify the situation or take conciliatory action.

- State College, PA, USA

Every time we would attempt to drive our 2005 Ford Focus ZX3 on slippery roads the rear end would wiggle from side to side, at 20 mph or faster, it felt as if you were going to loose control at any time, it was real bad when you went from clean roads to slippery, it felt like it was going to go sideways ! Ford gave our dealer several things to try, but they were never able to stop car from wiggling all over, this car was not safe to drive, dealer had the car at there lot for aprox 28 days, mainly because I would not let my wife drive this car when roads were slippery, we feared for her safety ! Ford decided they could do no more until Ford service engineer had a chance to drive it on slippery roads, he was never able to get here when roads were bad, he did a week or so ago drive a XZ3 at a different dealership when the roads were icy, he called the service manager at our dealership to tell him that the Focus he drove was all over the road, and that it almost went sideways when he went from slippery to dry ! so they decided that all Focus ZX3 must do that, and that there was no fix ! only parts that I know that were changed were the tie-blades ? Ford would not help us get out of if this car, but our dealer worked very hard with us, and got my wife in to a 2006 escape yesterday ! a big thank you goes out to simmons Ford in vicksburg Michigan !

- Schoolcraft, MI, USA