[ronbaarc]

I on in my fourth Focus and like the car. BUT starting with my second one it got to sounding like I had mud grips on the car. I would buy new tires and the noise would go away. Got tired of buying tires so I upgraded to a 2008 model. Same thing. Only this time the tire man is telling me it is not my tires.
So I go out and rade for a new 2011 casue I am tired of the noise. Guess what it is back after only 26,000. my tires are cupped. The dealer I bought the car from can't find anything wrong with the car. Finally found another dealer that actually drove the car and decieded it was bearing. They replaced that but the noise is still there. Bad tires they say. It iwll take a week but they will put me some new tires on no charge.
Anyone else have similar experience?

 

[mikeeshaq]

Yup
Me too
Had a terrific noise once...thought it was a bearing...turned out to be a tire...nothing obvious.
Ford service adviser said either rotate the tires every other oil change or don't rotate them at all.
To be fair, the car needed alignment

 

[alz focus]

Firestone offers a lifetime alignment. They recommend to have it checked every 6 months.

 

[84572]

You didn't specify front or rear tires. My problem was with the rear tires. They were really wearing on the inside and making a terrible noise. I replaced the bearing on rr tire, helped but still making noise and tire wear. Ended up replacing Both trailing arms and having tires aligned. Noise and tire wear is now normal. I don't know first hand, but have been told older foci had a fix for premature rear tire wear. Something about the adjusting cam not being correct size. Someone will correct me if i'm wrong, or if they know for sure what I'm refering to.

 

[ronbaarc]

tire wear

What I don't understand is that I did everything right with this car. The other two cars I did not rotate tires, just replaced them when the noise got bad. Helped on one Focus but not the 2008. Now the 2011 is doing the same thing.

 

[alz focus]

26k miles without rotating the tires?

 

[sailor]

On a car like the Focus, that has four wheel independent suspension, alignment of all four corners is critical.

On older or cheaper cars that have NO adjustment in the rear, you are stuck with what you've got...

Check the info. in the "wheels tires & brakes" section - PROPER alignment specs. and procedures are given there...

Set up right, It'll STAY right, and you'll have no unusual issues...

Honda Civics, on the other hand, are WELL known for excessive tire noise (especially the last generation) even when BRAND NEW! (Combination of harmonics with the body, and lack of noise deadening materials where needed to address the issue...)

Luck!

 

[whynotthinkwhynot]

Tires should be rotated approximately every 10k miles, and balancing done at the same time. Cupping is a sign of bad shocks as well as bearings. There is such a thing as rear alignment as well.

Are you purchasing new or used tires?

Is this sound on the front or the rear?

Can you jack the front of the car up yourself?

 

[BowerR64]

IMO this car just isnt built like a luxury car. Its light weight and built with alot of plastic.

Have you haver had the panels off inside the car? There is nothing behind them. The door panels are all plastic and behind that you just have shaped foam and more plastic.

There isnt anything on the car to dampen road noise. You can add stuff to quiet it down but your just adding weight to the car.

my 07 (ZX3) is like 2700 lbs. about 500 pounds lighter then the mazda 3 maybe they put about 500 pounds of noise dampening into their cars.

 

[ronbaarc]

No no I have rotated the tires every 5000 miles or so on this car. Alignment has been checked it is in specs.
One dealer finally replaced a bearing and will replace the tires this week

 

[bdhornback]

Rotating the Tires

26k miles without rotating the tires?

I've got a '08 and just shy of 75k miles on the original factory tires. I've never had them rotated. However, they are now worn out (no tread left and steel belts showing on the inner side). I'm looking for new tires now (and I do mean now... I didn't know they were that bad until tonight).

 

[ronbaarc]

Guess it is just my dumb luck to buy the only three Ford Focus with this issue. Which by the way is becoming a major issue for me. Love the car. Hate the roar.

 

[FordService]

Guess it is just my dumb luck to buy the only three Ford Focus with this issue. Which by the way is becoming a major issue for me. Love the car. Hate the roar.

Hi ronbaarc,

Thanks for being a multi-Focus owner! As others have stated, rotations, balancing and alignments all play an important part in tire life. The noise may also be the particular tires you have. Some rubber compounds and tread patterns can be noisier than others. I recommend visiting your dealer, or a Quick Lane service center, as they have 11 brands to choose from, and will be able to get you the quietest ride. While it is in for service, have them do an inspection to make sure there are no other causes of the roar. I am here as well, if they are unable to ease your concerns. In the meantime, you may find this article about tire care helpful: How To Keep Your Tires In Shape. Have a good day!

~Natasha

 

[whynotthinkwhynot]

Moved to Wheels, Tires, Brakes, and Suspension. Maybe an expert there can help you better than here.

Thanks for posting.

 

[shoeman]

I've found that most of the performance tires you'll make some sort of noise after a while no matter what you do with alignments, balancing & rotation etc. Most times after about 25,000k the noise will start & some tires are a lot worse than others. Falken & Sumo's come to mind as being the loudest.

 

[ronbaarc]

Natasha,
I have done everything you suggested. This car was in the dealership (where I purchased the car) every 5000 miles for oil change and tire rotation. When I carried it back there when the roar got bad they checekd it said the alignment was in specs. No worn out bearings. Service manager tried to tell me it was because it was a small car and that is why the tires got "cupped". The car makes smaller turns, sits on the same spot of the tire more often and other gibberish. No offer to help out with new tires just a shrug and said Ford don't make the tires.
Finally found a dealer 20 miles away that did find a bad bearing and have ordered some new tires for it.
Been a Ford man always but now I am re-thinking that stand.

 

[Geezer]

As mentioned earlier, a PROPER alignment is absolutely critical on a Focus for decent tire wear. Early on in the Focus life, Ford created some pretty broad alignment spec ranges. These allow for a lot of combinations (camber, toe, etc.) that can be bad for tire wear and bad wear can create noise as well. It appears that these earlier problems are plaguing later models as well. Tire noise can result from the tire itself (construction, stiffness, tread pattern,etc.) road surfaces, and something as simple as proper inflation.

An out of balance tire can also contibute to noise as can flat spots from locking up the brakes.

 

[dukeofearl]

09 w/Hankooks

My 09SE is the same. Tires rotated at every oil change. At around 20k miles noise started, at 30k it is really bad. Tirs still look almost new with no visible wear, no cupping or uneven patterns. I will be replacing the tires soon, I bet the noise goes away.