Feds open probe into 2010 Fusions
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it is reviewing four complaints on 2010 Ford Fusion vehicles that allege wheel stud fractures.
Three complaints belong to the same 22-vehicle fleet but were assigned to different drivers who said they experienced the problem on three separate occasions. All four vehicles had low-mileage — between 5,000 and 11,000 miles — and the wheels had never been serviced prior to the incidents.
The four vehicles were equipped with steel wheels and decorative wheel covers with each wheel was affixed via five lug nuts and wheel studs. At least one complaint alleges wheel stud fractures on multiple wheels.
The fractures could result in wheel separation and loss of vehicle control, NHTSA said.
Ford spokesman Wes Sherwood said the Dearborn automaker "is aware of the investigation and will cooperate fully with the government, as we always do."