2015 Ford Focus flat tow damage

Thanks willald, I missed that post, and I apologize to the OP for asking again. I installed the baseplate on my Buddy`s 13 Focus. so I think we will be checking his now.

dodge guy wrote:
M still thinking this is from operator error. There are hundreds of people towing a Focus with no issues. I asked before but no answer. Are you making sure the steering wheel is unlocked?

Yes, he did answer this, in the very next post after you asked such. He stated, the steering is unlocked, and he watched as he went around turns to make sure wheels were turning.

Does seem odd that he experienced such a horrible failure here, yet nobody else towing Focuses had this problem. Makes me think, like I said before, this was more of issues with this one particular Focus when it was built, and not indicative of a problem all Focuses necessarily have or will have.

M still thinking this is from operator error. There are hundreds of people towing a Focus with no issues. I asked before but no answer. Are you making sure the steering wheel is unlocked? If it’s locked the tires won’t turn and the MH will drag the front of the car around a turn which will put tremendous stress on the frame extensions that the base plate is attached to.

Actually, I think fault lies with the baseplate manufacturer, the installer or with the vehicle owner. They're the ones who designed and installed a baseplate to an insufficiently strong point on the vehicle frame. Like someone said, if the baseplate manufacturer designed the baseplate to bolt to the license plate bracket, who's fault would it be when the license plate bracket pulled off?

Several years ago some baseplate manufacturer (don't remember who) designed a baseplate for a Wrangler that bolted on to the lower front air dam bracket. Several folks had issues with that but it certainly wasn't Jeeps fault.

When you bolt something on to a vehicle, it's your responsibility to make sure it's bolted to something that can handle the load. Ford did nothing wrong here. They designed a frame to hold on the front panels of a car they built. I doubt they ever certified the baseplate design. They did say the car could be towed 4 down but they likely never said you could bolt a towbar in that location.

And Ford doesn't make the decision as to who can bring a class action lawsuit. :S

I was a loyal Ford customer all my life till I got this Ford Focus , With all the transmission and module problems and to put the icing on the cake unibody failed . When it let me down in California the Ford dealer said they do not due loner cars I was on my own . I call Ford costumer service with all the problems I am having with this car . They told me I dint qualify for class action lawsuit , and my extended warranty didn't cover my unibody failure . I ask to talk to her supervisor she hung up on me . If you try to leave a massage her voice mail is full . This is what I get to be a loyal Ford Customer . That is way I will never buy another Ford and get extended warranty .

If you google Ford Focus transmission issues , you will fine there is a class-action law lawsuit on this car . I called Ford they said I didn't qualify . The 2015 was the first year for this design . I'm sure they didn't know what stresses the unibody would have on it buy flat towing it behind a RV . As far as normal driving you should have any problems . There is probably not many people flat towing these cars as much as I have . I am on the Road at least 6 months of the year . I believe if you have a full frame or a unibody that is all one piece , you should have any problems . Buy the way when it left me stranded in California and the Ford garage had it for a week to fix the tramission and module . I did have a noise under the hood after that .

j wackerly wrote:
...... This car was a lemon from day one Ford had it in the shop 4 times for transmission and module problem

transmission and module problems? Any chance one of those times when Ford was doing transmission work on it, they did something wrong that put some stress on those frame pieces that led to this happening? Just a guess.

Or if it was a lemon with lots of issues from day one, that would suggest maybe this was a manufacturing defect of some kind from the beginning on this one particular vehicle, and you were just the unlucky one that got the one that had this defect, among others.

Seems hard to believe this is a design defect with the frame on *all* Ford Focuses, or we'd be seeing about a lot more of these failures.

I've flat towed Ford sedans similar to this for 8 years (a Ford Fusion Hybrid for 5 years, and a Ford Taurus for last 3 years) for many, many miles. Have not had any issues with either of them.

...Bottom line if you are going to flat tow make sure it is a full frame or Unibody that is all one piece with no stops and stay away from Ford.

Totally understand your concern with what you went through, and why you personally would never want to buy a Ford again (I probably wouldn't, either). And, I agree that full frame or unibody wiht all one piece around the front would be a safer bet. However, its probably painting with an awfully wide brush to suggest staying away from Ford entirely.

The steering was unlocked and car is in neutral with negative battery disconnect. I did everything per Ford instruction . When I make a turn like that I always look in my mirror it see how the car is doing . When I made that turn the wheels were turning and I saw the front of the car come off . I pullover right a way to inspect the damage. I had the car towed to a Ford garage and Ford would not even look at it . I towed that car 50,000 miles i believe the stress on the unibody just gave out . I believe this was a blessing if I was going hwy speed it could have been more serious . This car was a lemon from day one Ford had it in the shop 4 times for transmission and module problem . My insurance totaled the car . I could not gotten that much on a trade . Bottline line if you are going to flat tow make sure it is a full frame or Unibody that is all one piece with no stops and stay away from Ford .

Are you leaving the key in the ignition to leave the wheel unlocked?

Those frame extensions look to have been cracked for a while now. Have you had it inspected?

I’m willing to bet the steering wheel has been locked and the MH is pulling/dragging the car around corners which has been fatiguing the metal and this is why it broke loose.

My buddy has a 13 Focus that he has been flat towing since 2017 and it shows no signs of damage.

I hear what you are saying but I didn't trust Ford to install it . When I installed it with loctite and torque per instructions. Bottom line it looks like if you are going to flat tow a car it should be a full frame or continuous unibody with no stops .