Table 1 shows one common wheel related problems of the 2016 Ford Transit Connect.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Wheel problems |
Was driving to work passenger front wheel locked overheating brakes and smoking had to have towed to jones Ford in shalotte north carolina today.
Van was taken to mooresville Ford for routine maintenance. When picking up the van the service mng informed me that some of the lug nuts are "swollen" and the tire iron supplied with the vehicle will no longer fit on the lug nut. I will not be able to change a flat tire until they are are replaced. I have both a premium extended warranty and platinum service contract but the dealer would not cover the lug nuts and if I wanted to pay out of pocket they would be replaced with the same lug nuts that would eventual become "swollen" again. I was advised to buy aftermarket lug nuts and put them on. It's pretty clear after doing a little research that this is a common problem that should result in a recall and replacement of the lug nut to avoid leaving car owners stranded in remote locations or anywhere for that matter. Also the tire rotation portion of the service which is part of the service contract was not able to be done due to the swollen lug nut. We were told that the lug nuts will be damaged when they attempt to remove them and won't be able to put them back on. I don't understand why Ford doesn't fix this problem but they won't until they are forced too. Please issue a recall.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Transit Connect. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal seized. Additionally, the passenger's side front wheel overheated and melted the hubcap. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Husband took car to the local Ford dealer (price Ford) to get oil changed. As part of the service, they went to rotate tires and found that the lug nuts/caps had swollen and needed to be replaced. We later discovered that this has been an ongoing problem for years. My husband agreed to have it done, for safety’s sake and to avoid having a flat and unable to change tire. This extra work cost $123. 40. On later research, I found this design flaw was for cosmetic purposes only and that normal non-expanding lug nuts would avoid the distinct possibility that this may happen again. I called the shop and ascertained that, indeed, the “stock” lug nuts were replaced with same and he acknowledged that this has been a common issue. He also agreed that standard lug nuts wouldn’t do this and, finally, offered that if I went and bought them he would have them changed but also that he wouldn’t refund for the ones that were put on an hour ago because “now they are used “. My husband was never given the advice or option of using standard, less expensive, lug nuts in the first place, as he should have been. Why wouldn’t this be handled as a recall issue and standard parts be used for replacement, especially for customers who are experiencing this known problem? I feel a recall should be issued and remedied for all customers, free of charge. And, in our case, we should be refunded the $123. 40.
Stripped off lug nuts that retain the tires / wheels on the car. These seem to be made of a softer material like aluminum. On my vehicle they have been stripped out and rendered useless. I am going to have to see if I can have them replaced. These should be made of steel. These are often on and off the car for wheel maintenance and tire replacement / rotation. You should make the manufacturers make them out of steel, to better hold up. Could be dangerous.
Lug nuts are all swollen on all 4 wheels. Unable to get off with standard wrench. Ford will not fix for free. Service advisor states it's a known issue due to bimetallic lug nuts used on certain Fords.