Ford manufacture the focus with a 2 degree negative camber. This makes your rear tires go defective as fast as 10,000 miles especially if you don't rotate your tires very often. You can get an alignment every month and it will not fix the defect. I have 24,000 miles on my focus and I have my third set of tires on it. I've did the research. An alignment shop here in warrensburg mo found the…
2009 Ford Focus wheels problems
critical 5 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $400 · see wheels across all vehicles →
Complaints
5
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$400
2crashes
1injury
1fatality
When does it fail?
Of the 5 wheels complaints filed for the 2009 Ford Focus, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 0-25,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
No new NHTSA wheels complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 13 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
What owners are reporting 2 most recent
We purchased the vehicle in fall 2012 and noticed the original tires had delaminated and worn horribly in the front . We replaced all four tires with alignment with top of the line nokia which should have given us 70k wear. We got ready for a cross country trip from washington to florida. We discovered the tires needed replacing because of really uneven wear on the inside. We decided to…
Had wheels trouble with your 2009 Ford Focus?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the wheels problem on the 2009 Ford Focus?
It's a serious issue. 5 complaints have been filed, including 2 reports involving a crash and 1 fatality(ies). We've classified it as critical based on NHTSA's reported outcomes.
At what mileage does the wheels typically fail?
Based on the 5 complaints filed, wheels issues most often appear around 42,749 miles. Some report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 with no symptoms. Maintenance habits matter — vehicles that received timely fluid services and were not regularly overworked tend to last longer.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $400 for wheels repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to wheels?
No active recalls currently cover wheels issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2009/Ford/Focus.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.