Apparently, Ford has known about this problem since 2017. I have never heard of anything like this and neither had any of my mechanic friends. But, it appears there was a lawsuit and this has been an on-going problem. Ford used inferior materials to cover the lug nuts, so condensation builds up in the wheels/hubcaps which cause the lug nuts to swell and eventually they can't be removed with a normal wrench (like AAA or other towing services).
Problem is when you replace them all and add labor---it's over $300.00! My dealer knew all about the issue (they have seen it a lot), so BUYER BEWARE! Even though my SUV still had the mfgers warranty and I purchased the additional warrant and even the Ownershield coverage, nothing covers the cost to replace the lug nuts.
When the dealer was trying to convince me to purchase these additional warranties, they specifically cited it would cover things "like the wheel covers discoloration or cracking, etc." I didn't think much about it at the time--but now it makes sense why that was the example used. I assume that if I had not replaced these, eventually there would have been some problem that may have affected the wheel covers although that's just a guess. Either way, I believe that 5 years after the lawsuit, FORD should have replaced the lug nuts on any vehicle they had in inventory, like mine, before placing them for sale. They knew it and still sold it to me with the direct knowledge that this started to occur at the 50L mark and sometimes with less miles. The Dealer even told me that as the lug nuts swell, they just keep using a large wrench to remove them until nothing works any more (i.e. getting tires rotated on a consistent basis). WOW!
Apparently, Ford has known about this problem since 2017. I have never heard of anything like this and neither had any of my mechanic friends. But, it appears there was a lawsuit and this has been an on-going problem. Ford used inferior materials to cover the lug nuts, so condensation builds up in the wheels/hubcaps which cause the lug nuts to swell and eventually they can't be removed with a normal wrench (like AAA or other towing services).
Problem is when you replace them all and add labor---it's over $300.00! My dealer knew all about the issue (they have seen it a lot), so BUYER BEWARE! Even though my SUV still had the mfgers warranty and I purchased the additional warrant and even the Ownershield coverage, nothing covers the cost to replace the lug nuts.
When the dealer was trying to convince me to purchase these additional warranties, they specifically cited it would cover things "like the wheel covers discoloration or cracking, etc." I didn't think much about it at the time--but now it makes sense why that was the example used. I assume that if I had not replaced these, eventually there would have been some problem that may have affected the wheel covers although that's just a guess. Either way, I believe that 5 years after the lawsuit, FORD should have replaced the lug nuts on any vehicle they had in inventory, like mine, before placing them for sale. They knew it and still sold it to me with the direct knowledge that this started to occur at the 50L mark and sometimes with less miles. The Dealer even told me that as the lug nuts swell, they just keep using a large wrench to remove them until nothing works any more (i.e. getting tires rotated on a consistent basis). WOW!
- Ronald W., Warsaw, US