40 replies to this topic

[Navydave]

Having just bought an 09 plate Fiesta Titanium I am a bit worried about all the reports of buckled wheels. The problem with getting accurate figures is that many people complain in the the various forums that they are on and there is no one single point of contact for the problem. Ford will not as you suggest admit to the wheel failure unless forced to do so; like all of the car manufacturers. An online e-petition would work but I don't think you would get the required 100,000 signatures required to get a debate in parliment.
A consumer program/magazine like Which? or whatcar/autoexpress may have more luck in forcing Ford into an impass with regard to doing something about the wheels. I likely think the reduction in wheel strength will be due to cheaper materials/manufacturing methods being used to reduce their costs. I had a MONDEO Zetec S before this with 18" alloys and never suffered a problem with them.

I'll definately join in with any action if I get any problems with my car's wheels as I am very careful to try my best to avoid speed humps and the pot holes the coucil and highways agency like to fit/leave on our roads!

[Stoney871]

Off topic here, but Clive, you are a policemen, better watch what I say now, Joke, I must say you are the first police officer that I have seen that has Superchips remap and Blue/White Side bulbs.

But hey I agree about the speed bumps although to be fair the same applys how many people drive over tham without buckling their alloys.

What can I say, I'm human too and love cars.
When you are pursuit trained and often need to drive everywhere like your !Removed! is on fire you appreciate a bit of extra poke when the mood hits.
Most of my colleagues drive high performance cars e.g cupra's and SLK's.
I'm not into flashy vandal magnets so a generally non descript car suits me fine.
You should experience my work car, every enhancement possible to allow for optimum performance has been done.
If you think that speed bumps are benign you should see the damage that chicane kerbs can do.
I wrote a armed response BMW off 4 years ago on one.
Railings were also involved resulting in a big mess and no front end left.
As they say, stuff happens.

[JT_Fiesta]

I bent all four of the 16inch Zetec wheel within 6 months and only on very minor pot holes, lets say if I hadn't have avoided 500 holes successfully over the last 3 years I would have bent 500 of those rims. Almost every over Zetec I know of has also bent all of it's rims, most people just buy a new set and get over the stress. That doesn't mean the problem with these wheels isn't very serious. I'm writing from Australia by the way and ONE replacement wheel here retails at 550 UK pounds. So at over 2000 pounds to replace all four plasticine wheels everyone goes after market on the next set.

[b1g_dav3]

Just got mine back from Ford (along with the car, after a week of them having it), and they're a bit of a state to say the least. I've been back to Kwikfit (as Ford forgot to balance the wheels >_>) and the manager said there without doubt keep going at Ford, because after 8 months/13k, it's a joke.

[Wickwick10_1]

Thank you for checking out this thread, it would be much appreciated if you could spare the time to read over this post, and if possible any replies that people have left and maybe leave some input of your own. There will be a poll for this, asking people to tick which alloy wheels they have had buckled, corresponding with their car model.

I am completely aware of the mass of threads about this topic, however most seem to be just complaining about them rather than actually grouping together on the matter in hand. There are steps we can take! However, let's discuss the topic first.

Basically it seems there is a large number of us here (seems mainly to be the Zetec S and Titanium owners) who're having hassle with our alloy wheels buckling and getting flat spots, now sometimes these are repairable, sometimes they're not serious enough and then other times the only action is to replace the wheel itself, now even with the first 2 options, should we really be going through this? Did you buy your Fiesta to be messing around every few months about the alloy wheels?

My story is this; I felt a vibration through the steering wheel of my Fiesta and within a couple of days went to Kwikfit to have what I thought was my wheels rebalanced as I and my dad (a mechanic for 40+ years) thought I'd lost a wheel weight. To my horror, when the wheels had been inspected, one wheel was terribly buckled, and the other had a less serious but unrepairable buckle as well. I was advised not to drive hard and to avoid motorways, effectively meaning really I need to get new wheels or take the car off the road as it's unsafe. My problem is, I don't just have £400 odd in my pocket to splash out, and also I only have 1 spare wheel. The thing is this wasn't all Kwikfit said, the mechanic said he see's Fiesta's in all of the time, and when I said about Corsa's he says they're fine, it's just the Fiesta's. To back this up, a lot of us on here have posted multiple threads.

So, I take the car in to Evans Halshaw (who in all of this I can give no fault too) to have their verdict, 2 new wheels and tyres. So I then go back home and give Ford a ring, well let's just say I have never had such an experience with a company, who takes £15,000 off someone, just to treat them like they're something off the bottom of their boot? They said there is no problem with the wheels and that I must have hit pot holes. Well, in that case why do I have two front wheels gone? To which the person on the phone said 'Exactly, why is it only the front two and not the back?' To which I replied, 'Well after all, the front wheels do have the full weight of a diesel engine over them...' and then there was a momentary silence from them, followed by being told I would have to find the money to pay for the wheels myself if I wanted the problem sorting, and when I said about not having heaps of cash lying round, that I would either have to borrow the money from friends and family, or take the car off the road. I genuinely couldn't believe what I was being told, I was being told that because they're putting wheels on cars that are unfit for purpose that I would have to take a 9 month old vehicle off the road?

So, here I am now. I'm posting so hopefully we can get together and do something about this, I'm thinking of contacting trading standards and hopefully Watchdog if we get enough support here. I aim to keep this thread alive so that anyone can chip in and hopefully get some help with the issue, so please post your experiences and thoughts on this, and let's try and get somewhere!

I have also posted on Ford UK's Facebook, which I urge anyone to do over this;
https://www.facebook.com/forduk

Thank you for your time.


Posts to read;
antman99 - Post 2

I had an 11 plate ZS and the guy at the dealer told me avoid pot holes as the wheels buckle very easy ! He had the old shape ZS with these wheels on and explained he had got them damaged from the amount of people who had to have their wheels replaced and he had got them repaired for his car ! Very sift alloy !

[rp1608]

I have a 2003 TDCI with Zetec alloys, I bought mine with a buckle already in :-(

[ChrissH]

Yep - I've had buckled wheels! Had to buy a new alloy from Ford for £110.

[HondaMan983]

I have a Fiesta ST150 and have had to replace 2 wheels due to pothole damage, at a cost of £150+ each that's not cheap. If I have to repolace another, I shall change the whole set for something after-market. This is the only car I have ever had, also the only Ford, where a wheel, never mind two, has been damaged. It can only be the wheel quality.

[iNath]

Anyone think I've got a buckle...?



Got told 3 out of 4 of them are when I had my last service

[b1g_dav3]

Ouch, it's pretty obvious there's a problem, I don't think this forum is mainly just for people with buckled wheels or anything, I don't get how Ford can actually get away with this because there is a clear quality control issue. This is the main reason I haven't gone for the 17 inch wheels yet, if the 16's buckle so easy I'd imagine 17's are easier still :/

[dazgreen]

A mention on Top Gear's news and auto industry happenings section, where they sit on the chairs together, would work wonders. More than any petition or Forum could do (with respect to posters here)

[Stoney871]

Anyone think I've got a buckle...?

Nah! Good wash will get that out.

[dazgreen]

Auto Express give this subject a mention.

http://www.autoexpre...g-fiesta-alloys

[Tim3]

Just to say I have the same problem 2 buckled wheels on Ford Fiesta 1.6 s done 13k,been driving 30 years and have never had a buckled wheel.
While I do not doubt that pot holes are the cause in my opinion the wheels are clearly not up to the job,its a fact that in most towns in the uk you are gonna hit pot holes at some point.
going to see the tomorrow will report back.

[AdamFRP]

Ive had numerous fiestas now and never buckled a wheel, i think the answer is just avoid potholes and if u hit one and knacker your wheel you need to be writing to the council not ford!