Took my 2015 Fusion in to be winterized at a locally owned shop that I've gone to for years. Found out the owner was retiring and sold the business to Tuffy. While the new Tuffy mechanic was tightening my tires lug nuts after rotating same, he said my lug nuts were swelling and should be replaced because if I had a flat tire, getting the tire off would be difficult. Never heard that before. He claimed it's been happening on Fords. Please verify...do our vehicles lug nuts really swell with age? Or is he handing me a lie.
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Confirmed. Just happened to my daughter's 2017 vehicle. It's more than Ford. Several other brands were rattled off which sounded mostly like US -based vehicle manufacturers.
Had to replace the lug nuts on my 2016 fusion. The chrome cladding gets deformed by the impact g-n. Just go buy a set of lug nuts on Amazon
Earlier comment - meant Jim F., not Jeff :-)
Per Jeff, worry only if it has to do with Brackets. Anything else, you should be fine.
This happened to me recently and i was skeptical too. But i agreed for them to replace it and asked for the lug nuts they removed. Came home and tried to fit them in my socket wrench and indeed, 3/4th of them were swollen. Apparently this is a problem on multiple fords that switched to this cap-on-solid metal style lug nuts.
Was also a pleasant surprise that the dealer replaced them with non-oem but solid lug nuts that were cheaper than the ford ones.
In non-bizarro world, there’s no such thing as “fragile lug nuts”. Lug nuts should be able to stand up to an impact wrench.
It does not help that some mechanic use impact tools on the fragile lugs..
All new ones on my Fusion too...
I was reluctant too. I asked mechanic to show me… yep I verified issue with my own hands and thanked him. Then bought new ones
Yes this is a thing, surprised they weren't replaced already. Jim Farley blamed the brackets dept. for the issue.
The issues with the two-piece lug nuts is well known.
https://www.f150forum.com/f118/surprise-surprise-swollen-lug-nut-lawsuit-dismissed-454779/
Most mechanics will carry a 21.5mm socket just for this issue.
As others said they’re probably corroding. Easy to fix by replacing and torquing to the proper spec.
Ford should have to make replacement lug nuts available to all affected customers.
120+ year old company and can't get the basics right.....
“Sh*t I’ve known that for 10 years”……Bob Seger discussing “swollen lug nuts” on Ford products. Search it. There are many vehicles and years affected.
Yep, this is a thing. Just get yourself a new set of lug nuts and install them. Make sure you torque them properly.
The problem is with the lug nuts in the C-suite.
Yes, Ford has been using bi-metal nuts for years and these nuts have this problem. Not Ford specific.
Some lug nuts were covered with stainless steel with steel underneath. Could be the case. Corrosion of the steel could be the issue. Look it your self.