Wheel Stud Fracture

An NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation into Ford vehicles. Closed 26 July 2011.

Investigation
PE11003
Type
Preliminary Evaluation
Opened
21 January 2011
Closed
26 July 2011

What NHTSA investigated

On January 21, 2011, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE11-003) to investigate alleged wheel stud fractures in certain model year (MY) 2010 Ford Fusion vehicles.ODI sent the manufacturer an information request letter dated February 8, 2011 and Ford responded by letter dated March 25, 2011.Ford provided a supplemental response by letter dated July 15, 2011.To date, ODI is aware of 29 complaints related to the alleged defect in the subject vehicles, which now include certain MY2010 Mercury Milan vehicles that are the same or substantially similar to the subject Ford Fusion vehicles in regards to the alleged defect.In total, ODI is aware of 4 reported wheel separation incidents related to the alleged defect in the subject vehicles.The manufacturer's investigation into the root cause of the alleged defect is ongoing.Accordingly, this investigation has been upgraded to an Engineering Analysis (EA11-009) to further study the alleged defect.

The recall that followed

  1. Ford — Wheels: Lugs/Nuts/Bolts/Studs11V5740007 December 2011128,616 vehicles

Vehicles covered

MakeModelModel years
FordFUSION2010
MercuryMILAN2010

Source

From NHTSA’s investigation file, rebuilt daily. To report a problem with your own vehicle, go to nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem. All open investigations.