Watchdog: Fiesta alloys

Are the alloy wheels on Ford Fiestas too weak for Britain’s roads? One automobile express reader thinks they are – and there are plenty of angry Fiesta owners on various online forums who agree.
An alloy on Anthony Lloyd’s 2010 Titanium TDCi model buckled after just 10 months of ownership. Trowbridge Ford told Anthony, from Westbury, Wiltshire, that it wasn’t covered under Ford’s one-year wear and Tear warranty, arguing that the damage was down to his driving style.
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He paid £150 to replace it – and was then dismayed to find a second and then a third wheel starting to buckle, too. Ford forums showed this was a common problem with the Fiesta’s wheels, but the company refuses to help.
Anthony moaned: “The reason I went for a Ford was I expected reliability. I was a student at the time and I didn’t have money spare for problems. I now worry when I’m driving long distances that a wheel will buckle further, which could be dangerous.”
Ford didn’t back down when we called to complain, either. Its spokeswoman did admit “complaints relating to alloy wheel damage are not unusual in the UK”, adding: “There have been some cases where Ford has contributed to repair costs as a gesture of goodwill.”