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A call for help to current ST owners from a 2012 Focus owner.

11K views 24 replies 13 participants last post by  scottso 
#1 · (Edited)
Hey guys,

Long story short, over the last year, I've been through a nightmare with front suspension clunking issues on my 2012 Focus. I've tried multiple fixes on my own coin; new springs, new dampers, new strut mounts, new strut bearings, new strut mount bolts, higher torque specs, etc. While the stiffer ST strut mounts did help a lot, the noise is still present.

So, I've been paying attention on here for any suspension noise complaints to arise from any ST owners, and I've yet to see anyone say a word. I've also driven an ST for my own impressions, and couldn't hear any noises myself (and now I really want to buy one, too).

Here's a photo of a 2013 Focus Titanium strut tower:


For comparison purposes, here's a photo of my strut tower on my '12 SE.


Note the thicker bolt spacer and the fact that my car does NOT have the 4-5mm thick steel plate under the factory strut tower brace. This plate signifies that Ford has recognized that there was a problem with early production vehicles, and has fixed it with the addition of that plate. However, though it seems that they have found a fix, they have refused to even offer this as a fix to existing 2012 owners, of which there are dozens, with the same issue. While some have had success in getting Ford to replace parts under warranty, the noise always comes back, or never even goes away. I also haven't see any complaints from 2013 Focus owners about suspension noise.

Here's my request: Tell me whether you have had any issues with clunks or rattles from the front strut area. Also, if you can, I just need a few of you to grab a quick photo of your strut tower area on your car, similar to the photo of the 2013 Focus Ti that I posted. It doesn't need to be a fancy photo, I just need proof that the ST comes with the strut tower plate.

Also, if there are any Ford techs or parts employees on here, it would be super awesome if you could locate the part number for the bolts and the plate. Fordparts.com seems to not have the part listed anywhere for some strange reason, or it's under a category that it shouldn't be.

I would really appreciate the help. I've wasted far too much time, money, and energy on a problem that Ford refuses to acknowledge with it's customers. Others are suffering from the same frustration. Here's the thread on Focus Fanatics about this issue: CLICK.

Also, if you could please complete this survey: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dDRLWE90cEVzcThkUVFjRkIyRVB1Zmc6MA#gid=0

Thanks guys.

Zack
 
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#8 · (Edited)
I hope I am not the master of the obvious here, however I do not believe Michigan Assembly uses Socket head machine bolts. The lack of corrosion protection on this fastener would never pass muster. Has this joint ever been touched? Looks like an aftermarket/home remedy?

Curious...


"Zillon;17066]Hey guys..."

Long story short, over the last year,
Thanks guys.

Zack[/QUOTE]
 
#10 · (Edited)
I hope I am not the master of the obvious here, however I do not believe Michigan Assembly uses Socket head machine bolts. The lack of corrosion protection on this fastener would never pass muster. Has this joint ever been touched? Looks like an aftermarket/home remedy?

Curious...

Hey guys...

Long story short, over the last year,
Thanks guys.

Zack
Those bolts are a temporary fix of mine, and an attempt to see whether a slightly higher torque spec on the strut mounting bolts would quiet the suspension down, since the OEM grade 10.9 bolts have a max torque value of 25-27 ft-lbs. I ended up cutting the spacers off of the OEM bolts, drilling them out 1mm, and using grade 12.9 socket head bolts. I torqued them to 35 ft-lbs. Initially, it quieted down a bit. But, now we're back to normal.

I am familiar with the fact that there is no corrosion protection, which is why they aren't a permanent solution. FYI, The factory bolts are $20 a piece MSRP.

Thanks for the input, guys.
 
#9 ·
So, I've been paying attention on here for any suspension noise complaints to arise from any ST owners, and I've yet to see anyone say a word.
Zillon, I traded my 2012 SE Sport "Automatic" for my ST3. My SE had the clunks which I complained about from the first week of ownership. A couple of TSB's and lots of conversations and was told "Ford says it's normal". When I traded, the owner of the dealer asked if there were any issues with the car, and I replied it has 2 "Ford Normal" issues, clunks and the "stutter" (it's not the clutches) and he knew all about it and said "there's still no fix for those". Didn't affect my trade price, bought both cars from him.

My ST3 has 300 miles on it and I'm thinking it's starting to clunk but it's so particular about when it happens that it might be something other than suspension. It is noticeable when exiting my garage which has a 2" drop as I go to the outside world. I don't hear anything while tooling around town and I haven't tried parking lot speed bumps. btw no creaking sound at this time.
********I just went down to take a couple of photos and while poking around I noticed two items that can cause clunk - the coolant reservoir which rests on a rubber bumper and had some play until I put a wadded up paper towel under it, and the fuse box lid . . . same fix. NO CLUNK ANYMORE.********

The big problem with my new car is "wheel hop" on strong acceleration which is believed to be related to a weak rear motor mount.

Here are the photos:
Bumper Automotive exterior Trunk Auto part Vehicle door
Bumper Automotive exterior Material property Auto part


Hope this helps.
 
#12 ·
The 7mm spacer is what I have on my own 2012 Focus. That's what came on my car from the factory; I cut them off the factory bolts and drilled them out to 8mm so I could reuse them on replacement fasteners.

Might you have any idea why Ford switched from the 3mm washer and reinforced strut brace that was used in early 2012 production, to a non-reinforced strut tower brace with 7mm washers after 4 months of 2012 production, and then back to a reinforced strut tower brace w/3mm washers on the bolts?

Given your location and apparent knowledge, I'm thinking you might know something that Ford isn't telling me.
 
#13 ·
IMO you looking at the wrong place, I don't see how you would get a clunking sound from just the strut tower. I would check the strut rod, spacer, nut, make sure the nuts tightens down. I have see a couple Ford Fusions were the nut wasn't tight enough, or the spacer was to short. This makes a clunking noise going over rough roads.
 
#14 · (Edited)
Been there, checked that. Nothing's physically loose. Endlinks, nuts, bolts, etc.

I've replaced the bearings, mounts, struts, springs once, and I've even replaced the 3 strut mount bolts 3 times. When I replaced the bearings and mounts, the noise went away, and came back. Replaced the bolts, the noise improved, then came back. Did it again, noise improved briefly, and came back.

I think it's pretty fair to say at this point that the issue is localized at the strut tower.

Also, take into account the results of a survey I've put together for 2012+ Focus owners, regarding the lack of this extra strut tower reinforcement (you can see the thread on Focus Fanatics HERE).

I have 34 entries as of 8:53 this morning.

Of those 34:
19 said yes to clunking symptoms
15 said no

Of the 19 that said yes, 18 have no extra reinforcement plates on their strut tower brace. Only 1 has the extra plates.

Of these 19, here's the breakdown by trim:
- 2 SE
- 7 SE w/Sport
- 1 SEL
- 3 SEL w/Premium
- 3 Titanium
- 2 Titanium w/Handling
- 1 ST

Of the 16 that said yes, breakdown by year:
- 16 are 2012 Foci
- 1 is an 8/12 build 2013 Focus that doesn't have the plates (built on 8/8/12, to be precise)
- 1 is an 8/12 build 2013 Focus ST that doesn't have the plates (built on 8/14/12)

Of the 15 that said no
- 7 have the extra plates, and 8 don't.
- 7 are 2013s, 8 are 2012s

It's a little muddier for those that aren't reporting a clunk. But nearly all that have the clunk, save for one person, are missing the extra reinforcement on their strut tower.
 
#15 ·
Zillon, I'm sorry for all of the trouble you've had. If I were in your shoes, I would have plucked out every hair on my head or just learned to live with the clunking until there was a fix in the works.

You may have already thought of this, but have you made sure this is not an issue caused by improperly balanced wheels, or maybe a tire that's bad? I'm not mechanically inclined enough to start the type of surgery you did, but I know that wheel imbalances and tires that are out-of-round can cause bearing wear, which can lead to other problems. Maybe the bearings are bad, for that matter.

In any case I wish you the best of luck, and if you decide to trade up for a Focus ST, you wouldn't be breaking any hearts over here.
 
#16 ·
Yep, the issue has persisted through both sets of wheels I have (summer and winter). It's ever so slightly less apparent with my winter wheels, of course, but that's because they're 16s instead of 18s.

I do have the updated strut tower brace on order, so whenever it arrives, I'll be installing it to determine whether it helpss the issue or not. I've also ordered another set of strut bearings, strut mounts, replacement bolts, and the center nut. So, in the case that the strut tower brace doesn't fix things entirely, I can work my way down from the top of the strut and start troubleshooting.

I'm more inclined to believe that the lack of the reinforcement on the strut tower brace allows for too much flex/vibration at the strut tower junction, which leads to premature bearing/mount failure.
 
#18 ·
Ever thought of applying glue between the parts while mounting them (as seen on the ST pics)? Under stress, parts could shift slightly, producing the sound you are hearing... just a thought, but sometimes it helps to think about it differently. :)
 
#19 · (Edited)
The clunk is independent of damper type used. I've replaced my factory struts with ST struts, same noise.

However, I'm going to try an updated strut brace first, since it's one of the easiest things to start with, and it's best to start from the top of the strut and work my way down, for troubleshooting purposes.

I've also thought about laying down a coat or two of Plastidip on the bottom of the strut tower brace where it meets the strut tower. I've used Plastidip to eliminate rattles on other parts before, so why not this?
 
#20 ·
Greetings,

I own both a 2012 and a 2013 Ford Focus SE.

The 2012 made a clunking noise when driving very slowly over a paved bumpy terrain. For example, an old parking lot, or the washboard on asphalt roads near 4-way stops. We noticed this very early in the life of the car... about 4000 miles. I complained to the dealership early on but was not skilled enough to reproduce the sound. Now, at 18000 miles I knew exactly what parking lot to drive on, and the mechanic easily heard the noise and agreed it was an issue.

They quickly diagnosed the problem as needing new sway bar bushings. It took two days to order the parts and then they found that the new parts were damaged. Two days later I have my car back and the noise is now gone.

Text from the work order:
2F A64 W
CV6Z 5K484 A LINK 2 W
CV6Z 5484 B BUSH 2 W
Warranty Claim Type: F

I noticed that others mentioned the coolant reservoir and fuse box as possible culprits. The coolant reservoir does indeed rattle around when you wiggle it and the sound is very much like the clunking sound I heard. However, the sound I heard while driving slow is gone as a result of the service, so I don't blame the coolant reservoir in my case.

The 2013 has a lot of minor improvements over the 2012 (like the cigarette lighter location), and we have never heard the clunking sound from that vehicle to date.

I hope this helps others.

e-mail me at my user name at yahoo if you like.
 
#24 ·
Hi there..

Been looking high and low for a solution to a problem that I've had for the last 6 months. Originally had the Focus 2.0 TDCI (2010) and bought a 2013 model. Soon after purchasing, I noticed the now familiar clunking noise, at low speed and uneven surfaces.. Even though I've looked around a lot, I haven't found a definitive answer as to what the problem is.

So far the shocks, upper assembly and stabilizers have been replaced, to no effect..

Do you know if there is a solution ?
 
#25 ·
After my stock lug nuts began getting beat up, I noticed that they are a two piece assembly. There is a nut sheathed in a soft metal cladding.

I replaced the nuts with aftermarket solid type and now it only clunks upon backing out of my driveway.
 
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