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IMPORTANT: ALL MK3 Focus Owners, I could use your input.

48K views 302 replies 49 participants last post by  FordService 
#1 · (Edited)
IMPORTANT: ALL 2012+ Focus Owners, I need your input. Survey inside.

Alright everyone, I hate to be a bother, but I (and everyone else with the clunk issue) really need your help.

I've been heavily involved in trying to get rid of the suspension clunking issue that plagues the vehicles of many users here (see the master clunk thread HERE), including my own. I've replaced several parts on my own dime, with limited success. However, the noise has always returned.

Recently, a fellow member with a new 2013 Focus (late-August production) brought to light a discrepancy between strut tower braces used on Foci of various production dates. Under my own research, I have found that the updated strut tower brace has been issued different part number (#DV6Z-16A200A)

So, in an effort to hopefully correlate clunking suspensions with specific strut tower versions, I've developed a survey. However, to give you some background before you complete the survey, please view the following:

The following photo is from an early August production Focus ST (FF member: earthling_david, suspension does clunk)


And here is photo from a late-August production 2013 Focus ST. Take note of the reinforcing plate added below the factory strut tower brace that is conspicuously missing from the previous photo. (FocusST.org member: Kragbax, suspension does not clunk)


If your suspension clunks, please complete this survey: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dDRLWE90cEVzcThkUVFjRkIyRVB1Zmc6MA#gid=0

If your suspension doesn't clunk, please complete this survey: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dDRLWE90cEVzcThkUVFjRkIyRVB1Zmc6MA#gid=0

If you completed my old survey, please complete this survey: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dDRLWE90cEVzcThkUVFjRkIyRVB1Zmc6MA#gid=0

Thanks, everyone. Your responses are greatly appreciated!
 
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#122 · (Edited)
Yep, sounds exactly like what I'm dealing with.

So, preliminary verdict is really tough to determine right now. I torqued everything to spec, and used grade 10.9 bolts, but the creaking didn't disappear from the driver's side. I'm going to try and address that this weekend, since the creaking didn't appear until I swapped out the bolts the last time. I feel that has more to do with me over-torquing the strut mount bolts than anything to do with the strut brace itself.

As far as the clunking goes, it's a mixed bag. At first, the clunking was much worse than it's been, but strangely enough, it improved the longer I drove it, and by the time I got home, the end result seemed to be much better than before I installed the brace. I'll see how the suspension reacts on my ride into work tomorrow morning after sitting overnight. This certainly was not the instant magic band-aid I was expecting, though.

I'm going to be putting some miles on the car in the next few days due to the holiday, so I'll be keeping close tabs on how things are working out. I'm also going to put the car up on jackstands and realign the mounts in the towers, check the alignment of the strut brace, and maybe add some lithium grease to a few contact points. I've got a few things to check.

Regardless of the clunk, the updated DV6Z strut brace is MUCH beefier than the CV6Z version. The plates are substantial enough, but the actual metal that the brace is stamped out of is thicker, as well.

Here are the photos:







 
#124 · (Edited)
Maybe it's just me but that DV6Z looks like a solid piece near the mount-point end vs the sandwich/welded multi-piece construction of the CV6Z (or possibly the whole DV6Z is stamped/formed as a single member).
If that's true, that's a HUGE difference in design - apart from the addition of the mounting plate. Something tells me Ford knows much more about this issue than they are letting on...

 
#123 ·
So the dv61 was also applied intermittently through the manufacturing of the focus in 2012? I am looking to get ford to install this bracing to my vehicle as well, there is something in my gut telling me they will say they did not find anything wrong, but mostly from reading other posts from members and their dealership. But in that case would I have a case to ask them to try swapping the brace over from the cv61 to the dv61. Like I am at a loss of how to approach this situation because of the fact I've never dealt with a dealership before, this is my first new car, and the reason for buying it was I had a 2001 focus sedan and loved it, and my brother and sister work for ford.
 
#125 ·
Ford started Mk3 Focus production in early 2011 with a brace that had reinforcement plates (whether it's the same one that I'm installing, cannot be determined just yet), and then the brace disappeared for several months. In its place was a strut tower brace without reinforcement plates over the strut towers, #CV6Z-16A200A, which is what was installed on my car from the factory.

In the second half of August 2012, a reinforced brace was added back into production, in the form of this DV6Z-16A200A brace.
 
#127 ·
there is Definitely a huge difference in construction... I can see what you mean about the DV one being a beefier piece.
 
#128 ·
Ride in to work this morning was strangely silent. Temperatures were around 34 degrees, though; Temperatures are supposed to head into the mid-50s later today, so I'll give 'er another test drive this afternoon/evening and see what the verdict is in warmer temps.

Things may be looking up, fellas. [wiggle]
 
#130 ·
Thanks for the update, Zillon. I'm keeping an eye on this thread, but feel free to contact me (or your CSM) once you've put some additional miles on your Focus and feel confident in making some conclusions.

Have a happy Thanksgiving!
Crystal
 
#132 · (Edited)
I've filled out the survey. My car has what appears to be the CV6Z member and was built in June of this year.

My Ti with sport handling package has demonstrated this noise, albeit intermittently, starting between 1000 and 2000 gentle miles. I've been in contact with Crystal and had subsequent follow-ups with the Regional folks but at this juncture I've not taken my car into the dealership. The reason for that is simple; dealerships operate on protocols and if the symptom isn't hard and fast repeatable they will disposition the complaint as "no trouble found". I've been through these types of scenarios before on other vehicles (not Ford) and have a keen awareness to letting things develop before escalating the issue. Having already heard that many on this forum have been confronted with responses from dealerships either as, "that's a normal behavior of the vehicle" or simply, "we can't duplicate your concern", I'm waiting this one out. My time is precious and coordinating with a dealership in the absence of an official TSB is utter nonsense. This issue exists, that is obvious, from the widespread reports and the changes in production configurations/design of parts. As long as dealerships are in the dark or adhering to strict protocols, I'd advise anyone to hold off wasting valuable time and personal energy until this situation is handled by Ford in an official, transparent way - unless of course you want to dedicate your own coin and turn some wrenches. If this issue was pronounced enough that it could be felt through the steering column, believe me, there would have been an entirely different response cycle to this issue by Ford. But as it stands, it falls more in line with that 12 month warranty clause of "rattles, fitment, etc..etc." and everyone should be clear, audible issues are harder to perceive because of the subjective nature of the human ear and easily relegated to lower priority on corporate to-do lists. I would contend, that this problem is more pervasive than this forum suggests; many people just aren't' internet savvy enough to join the conversation.

Hopefully all of Zillons hard work will pay off for the rest of us...

Thanks (a) Zillon!
And to Crystal, I hope this meets with all the seriousness deserved from the powers that be at Ford Motor Company.
So far you've been great but I am a tad bit suspicious of the business dynamics behind these types of "cost related" issues and the way corporate accountants advise how to handle them.
To some that is stating the obvious so I apologize but it bears being stated in the context of the bigger picture. Apart from safety recalls and major functional issues, most other things
in the subjective annoyance bucket are deemed a necessary evil to address on an "as needed" or "case-by-case" basis.

Everyone have a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday!
 
#133 ·
...And to Crystal, I hope this meets with all the seriousness deserved from the powers that be at Ford Motor Company. So far you've been great but I am a tad bit suspicious of the business dynamics behind these types of "cost related" issues and the way "corporate" chooses to hand them.
Hi BlazeFocus,

We are taking this very seriously. I have forwarded Zillon's information to my management team, who then gave it to the body engineering team for their action and response. I try to follow this thread (and others) very closely; when anyone identifies an area we can improve upon, I act on that information quickly and get it in the hands of the appropriate people.

I know a lot of people have been frustrated and that multiple service visits aren't anyone's idea of a fun way to spend their time. Our engineering team is hard at work, and as soon as I get an update I'll report back to the thread.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, send me a PM and I'll see how I can help.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Crystal
 
#134 ·
I've filled out the survey. Though I had a very light clunk at one time, I no longer have it after re-torquing the mount bolts. Therefore, I indicated on the survey that I don't have the clunk. I realize I may have stretched the bolts slightly, but I'm not going to do anything about it until the clunk returns. I've put several thousand miles on the car since re-torque.
 
#135 ·
What did you torque your bolts to, if I may ask?

To all who have been following this saga, my car is going under the knife again tomorrow morning. While the updated strut tower brace did help immensely with clunk issues, it didn't cure everything entirely. Also, I feel that my overtorquing of the strut mount bolts unfortunately caused something to fail within the strut mount assembly, causing a creak in the driver's side strut area.

I also believe that a new set of bearings and mounts will help alleviate any of my concerns that running without the reinforced strut brace might lead to premature strut mount/bearing wear. I'll be inspecting the parts after install for any signs of failure. The nice thing about this not being covered under warranty is that I can inspect all of the parts I remove.

So, I will be replacing the following:
- Strut bearings (AD-1094, Motorcraft part)
- Strut mounts (ST version, AD-1098, Motorcraft)
- Center strut nuts
- Strut mount bolts (M8x1.25 grade 10.9 flange bolt with OEM hardened steel spacers)

I'm hoping that this will be the last step. Everything will be torqued to factory spec once again.
 
#137 ·
Well, everything's installed. Fasteners are all torqued to spec. And the car drives... wonderfully silent. No clunking, no creaking, and nothing feels or sounds loose in the front end.

The center strut nuts were so overtorqued, an electric impact couldn't break them loose. I had to revert to an air impact to break those free. I believe this is where the creaking was coming from. Also, I found that I had overtorqued the sway endlink nuts.

Before everyone goes running to their dealer, remember that Ford needs to look at what I've done first before they'll approve any kind of fix. I have a phone appointment with my regional CSM on Thursday, November 29th; I'll be reporting my findings to her and Ford then. I'm hoping to be able to put a few more miles on the install and give the car a thorough shakedown to hopefully eliminate any potential problems.

Man, talk about a long-awaited sigh of relief.
 
#138 ·
+++++++^^ This [headbang][headbang][headbang][headbang][headbang][headbang][thumb][thumb][thumb][thumb][thumb]
 
#141 ·
This calls for the caps key.

THANK YOU ZILLON!

Seriously, job well done for being so proactive about this, and doing the legwork. Here's hoping Ford will recognize this and try to remedy it.
 
#143 ·
I really hope they do.

Just had a buddy of mine sign the papers for a Focus ST, he called me last night and I had him check his strut towers. No reinforcements on the strut tower brace. Hopefully for his sake, the clunk never manifests itself on his car, but in the off chance that it does, this should be a help.

I really hope for the rest of you that this becomes a proper factory approved solution, but only time will tell.
 
#144 ·
I added to your rep, that is the absolute least I could do.

I will try to work with the dealership I'm at to get my own car fixed, using what you have found here.
 
#147 ·
I'll mention it to my friend in the service department, see what she can do. I'll admit to not expecting anything really, while it's not yet a recognized problem by Ford.

@Bogey: Metro actually, downtown.
 
#148 · (Edited)
I'll admit to not expecting anything really, while it's not yet a recognized problem by Ford.
That's a very important point you've made; Ford must follow-up on this in great detail and do something in the affirmative. If they don't, then they are simply counting beans (per the direction of the directors in finance) and wanting everyone to fend for themselves. It's one thing to engage social media; it's an entirely different thing to actually follow through with a TSB and/or ensure clear communication to the dealer network that owners rely upon.
 
#153 ·
I'm not expecting reimbursement from Ford. If my fix works, my time and the parts used have cost me less than if I were to trade the car in on something else.

More importantly, I'd like the information and experience that I've collected over the last several months to go towards helping everyone else on here that's currently dealing with this issue. Also, provided my fix holds steady and doesn't revert back to clunking, I hope that Ford will take the information in this thread and use it to benefit the rest of you.

Also, I'd like to remind everyone with a 2012+ Focus following this thread to submit a survey response, that is, if you haven't already. The more information that's collected on this issue, the better!

To those of you that have submitted survey responses, thank you!

Here's the link to the current clunk survey: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dDRLWE90cEVzcThkUVFjRkIyRVB1Zmc6MA#gid=0

Also, I'm going on day 3, clunk free. [woot]
 
#154 ·
so here is another little tidbit of a clue...
I am the guy that pretty much fixed the clunk/rattle by wedging a credit card under the tower brace. Worked great UNTIL i took it to the dealer for an oil change, and BAM, the clunk was back, about 50% as bad as it was before the credit card fix. I imagine it has something to do with being lifted completely off its wheels. I check the card, and it was loose enough to push it in another half inch or so. So lifting the card did something. Moving the card fixed it again plain as day. I also got one of those utility knives that have the breakable blades and wedged a piece of knife blade under the passenger side brace. Its quieter now too.

I have noticed a couple of times in the past that having the tires rotated or other business that lifts the car will change the noise for a while. Usually it was making the noise go away for a couple days. Usually till i would hit an us usually sharp one inch pavement ledge, while turning to the right. That would make the noise instantly come back after a period of quiet after being lifted.
Of course this time its the opposite, where lifting seems to have shifted things to the clunk producing arrangement. Go figure. Sure seems related to me.
Right now I'm good with my greatly/nearly totally fixed clunk, thanks to the shims under the tower brace.
If ford has any brain power at all they will use that info. That is of course if they are motivated AT ALL.

Crystal, I am not buying your bit about ford being hard at work on this. If they are, that means they are completely over their heads. If i can fix it with a shim, it's an easy fix. The pieces fit loosely together. That is a rattle/clunk in the making. To fix rattles and clunks you insert shims, tighten bolts etc at THE VERY FIRST STEP of the process.
It would be better if you simply said the people at ford are waiting for enough complaints to hit some sort of critical mass before they start thinking about it, and we are simply not there yet.
 
#155 ·
I have let my friends in service and parts know about the issue and that I will at some point need to look into this for (potentially) warranty. It's a little bit of spreading the word, a start a least.

So this is the final list of what you replaced (compiled from a couple of posts)?

Strut mount bolts (M8x1.25 grade 10.9 flange bolt with OEM hardened steel spacers)
(2) AD-1094 strut bearings @8.56ea
(2) AD-1098 strut mounts @10.80ea
(2) HN1 center strut nuts @7.08ea
(1) DV6Z-16A200-A strut tower brace @77.31
 
#156 ·
Correct. That's the full list of parts from my last overhaul that is proving successful as of right now. Everything is a Ford/Motorcraft part with the exception of the bolts.

Since the 3 strut mount bolts are one-time-use bolts, every time I've pulled apart the suspension, I've installed new bolts and re-used the spacers. At ~$13 USD a piece, those OEM bolts aren't cheap to replace every time, so I decided to replace the bolts with identical spec/thread units from Lowes. In order to reuse the OEM washer/spacer, my only modification was to drill the OEM bolt washer/spacer out 1mm to fit over the threads of the new bolts, after cutting them off of the discarded OEM bolts.

FYI: The Ford part number for the OEM strut bolt is CV6Z-3C448-A, however, those are for the old-style strut brace. I'm unsure as to the part number attached to the updated bolts with the thinner spacers meant to be used with the updated DV6Z brace.

I also have the ST struts and Eibach springs installed, however, the clunk was the same across the board, regardless of which dampers or springs were installed. I believe it's safe to rule those components out as contributing to the issue.
 
#159 ·
I got a call late in the day from my regional CSM, and this is how things went:

Since I stated that my clunk has disappeared, my current case has been closed. She seemed genuinely surprised at my findings, and she also said that she would pass my case results up the line in an effort to make sure that they catch the attention of the right people. As far as how much truth there was to her statements, I can't be certain, and I'll maintain my skepticism, but I'm also optimistic for the rest of you involved with this issue.

I'm still waiting to hear back from Crystal on what she's heard from body engineering or otherwise, but things have gone as far as they're gonna go with my regional CSM. My CSM did recommend that I visit the following website and submit my findings, though: http://Fordnewideas.com/

Car does still seems to be clunk free, 6 days later. Looks like I'll have some weather in the 60's next week, that'll be the real test.
 
#160 ·
They closed your case, fed you to the "Ideas" bureaucracy and stated a "forwarding to the right people".
Not much to be optimistic about if you ask me...
You have been absorbed... (Borg speak). [hihi]
 
#163 ·
If it does end up coming back I'm resolved to believing that it's simply a "soft chassis" issue with too much give in the tower structure and Ford knows about it, which no amount of ancillary bracing or stiffening to reduce slop will ever truly remedy.
Uni-body tech - Oh Brother!
Offing the car would then be the only real remedy...

I bought American, and Ford because of their so-called quality track-record, to get away from the European BS (VW). I had a sneaking suspicion that if Ford didn't follow-up with you with any real technical interest it would go the way of the bureaucracy. The "Ford Ideas" pivot was pretty telling. If all this social-media CS dancing in Focus Fanatics ends up being "for not", it will really be a tipping point and I personally won't be going quietly...
 
#175 ·
For the most part it does, but there are couple people with the plates and the clunk, and a couple without the plates and no clunk.

However, the majority of the people who answered the survey and have the clunk, don't have the plates. Tomorrow evening, if I get a chance, I'll sit down and cull through the data I've collected and present it into something legible.

Here's the last data breakdown I did, though, on 11/15, just to give you an idea:
Zillon said:
Alright, here's the daily breakdown of survey results.

48 entries thus far.
29 of 48 claim to have clunking issues.

Of those 29:
28 do not have the reinforcement plates on the strut brace.
1 has the reinforcement plates.

Of those 29, here's the breakdown by trim:
- 3 SE
- 11 SE w/Sport
- 3 SEL
- 3 SEL w/Premium
- 1 ST
- 4 Titanium
- 4 Titanium w/Handling

Of the 29 that said yes to the clunk, breakdown by year:
- 27 are 2012s
- 2 are 2013s. These two also lack the additional reinforcement plates on the strut tower brace. One is a 2013 Titanium, produced 8/8/12, the other is a 2013 ST, produced 8/14/12

Of the 48 entrants, 38 lack the reinforcement plates on the strut tower brace. The remaining 10 have them.

Of these 10 that have the plates, 4 are 2012 Foci, produced in the first half of 2011.
- 1 of 4 has the clunk. The other 3 do not.
- #1 is a SEL/Premium, produced 3/11, no clunk
- #2 is a SEL/Premium, produced 5/18/11, no clunk
- #3 is a Titanium/Handling, produced 5/24/11, no clunk
- #4 is a SE, produced 3/28/11, does clunk

Of the 19 who said no to the clunk:
- 11 are 2012s, 8 are 2013s
- 9 have the reinforcement plates, and 10 do not

Breakdown of 10 without reinforcement plates and no clunk by year, trim:
- 1 2013 SE
- 2 2012 SE/Sport
- 1 2013 SE/Sport
- 1 2012 SEL/Premium
- 4 2012 Titanium
- 1 2012 Titanium/Handling

Breakdown of 9 with reinforcement plates and no clunk by year, trim:
- 1 2013 SE
- 2 2013 SE/Sport
- 2 2012 SEL/Premium
- 2 2013 ST
- 1 2012 Titanium/Handling
- 1 2013 Titanium/Handling

Looking at the date range for the reinforcement plates:
- 4 2012 Foci have them. All 4 were produced ON OR PRIOR TO 5/24/11
- 6 2013 Foci have them. All 4 were produced ON OR AFTER 8/27/12
- 34 2012 Foci do NOT have them. All were produced between 4/5/11 and 6/28/12
- 4 2013 Foci do NOT have them. All were produced ON or PRIOR TO 8/14/12
 
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