Front Suspension Control Arm problems of the 2007 Ford Focus

The contact stated that her mother-in-law owns a 2007 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while her mother-in-law was driving at an unknown speed, the front passenger’s side wheel detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the independent mechanic who diagnosed the failure as a control arm failure. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that 2 weeks later the driver’s side wheel detached. The vehicle was towed back to the independent mechanic who stated that the control arm had detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that 3 months later while stopped at a traffic light, the driver was unable to control the vehicle as the front passenger’s side wheel detached from the vehicle as well as the transmission slid into the engine. The transmission observation was by the tow truck company. The vehicle was towed to the owner's residence. The failure cause was not diagnosed by the dealer or an independent mechanic. The contact stated that the tow company informed her that the vehicle was unable to be towed on the flatbed due to the fact that the front end of the vehicle might detach. The contact stated that the headlights would also flicker on and off while driving. The contact stated that the independent mechanic replaced the light bulbs however, the failure continued. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2007 Ford Focus. While slowing down to 5 mph to approach an intersection, the vehicle drove over a pothole. The contact lost control of the vehicle, but managed to apply the brakes to stop the vehicle. The control arm assembly was rusted and split in half, the plastic shroud was ripped, and the fender on the passenger side was pushed into the front passenger door, which made the door difficult to open and close. The vehicle was towed to a residential home where it was diagnosed. The independent mechanic determined that the lower control arm failed. The control arm failure was repaired by the independent mechanic. The contact did not notify the manufacturer of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.

For about a month before bringing my car to Ford I had been noticing a vibration feeling in the steering wheel though the wheel was not shaking. This was only happening when I was going faster than 50-55mph. I checked the air pressure in the tires and all was ok. Finally, I brought it to Ford and they found a bent control arm in the front r/s. In addition, they found a slipped belt on the l/r tire and r/f tire had uneven wear. Ok, so here's my complaint. . . . There is no way that I hit anything so hard that I bent my control arm in the first place!!!! since there is no way to prove this I had to live with the fact that I would have to pay for this repair - almost $400. 00. The problem I have is with the tires. Since the repair in the front was the same place that the tire had uneven wear, I had to eat this one too - $125. 00. The problem is, what about this slipped belt in the rear tire? I guess I was to blame for that one too. Maybe these pirelli tires are the problem. I should have read the complaints here before I brought the car back to Ford. Ford didn't have any other tires that fit these rims, but the same pirelli's that were on the car in the first place. Since the car was already in the shop and my time is limited, I was stuck getting the same junk. My message. . . . Don't make the mistake I made - do not replace the tires on your Focus with the pirelli's that came with the car. If I can save some people a few headaches and some money, I will feel much better for the mistake that I made.