so i was considering myself lucky when my 07 model xr4 clicked over 40000km's and i hadn't lost a wheel cap especially because i live in the perth hills (harsh roads). now at 40402 and the front right has fallen off, will be ringing ford customer service tomorrow to complain will hopefully have the issue sorted out soon.

if not there will be some serious discussions between me and ford.

This wheel cap thing is pretty frustrating. My car is an '07 build and lost a couple of caps just after the 30,000km service. I thought I'd had a good run but then two fell off in the space of a fortnight. As far as I can tell they are probably lying somewhere on the Ipswich Motorway.

According to my local Ford dealer, there is nothing in the system to indicate a warranty problem with the wheel caps, so they are not willing to provide them for free - apparently they don't get reimbursed by Ford or something, so they won't provide free ones without something official from Ford. Looks like I will have to bite the bullet and waste some time on the phone. Luckily at least the car still looks good with the caps removed...

Car goes in for its 45K service tomorrow, so will try to have a chat in person with the service guys and see if that makes the difference.

AM_XR4 wrote:

This wheel cap thing is pretty frustrating. My car is an '07 build and lost a couple of caps just after the 30,000km service. I thought I'd had a good run but then two fell off in the space of a fortnight. As far as I can tell they are probably lying somewhere on the Ipswich Motorway. According to my local Ford dealer, there is nothing in the system to indicate a warranty problem with the wheel caps, so they are not willing to provide them for free - apparently they don't get reimbursed by Ford or something, so they won't provide free ones without something official from Ford. Looks like I will have to bite the bullet and waste some time on the phone. Luckily at least the car still looks good with the caps removed... Car goes in for its 45K service tomorrow, so will try to have a chat in person with the service guys and see if that makes the difference.

dude!

your from brisbane as well just go to where i went.....METRO FORD in the valley!!!

replaced all 4 no questions asked!

i lost one and then they repalced all 4!!! the clips on them are better! i now always take the caps off when ever i get the car serviced or wheel aligned/rotated i dont trust anyone but my self to take them off and put them back on again!

Nice, I'll have to do that next time...

I've always gone through Bremer Ford at Bundamba, purely because it's the closest to my place. They've been pretty good in the past as regards servicing (and can't complain too much as my car is currently in their care this morning...).

I have a feeling there aren't too many XR4s out my way, and this is why they don't have much background knowledge on them...

so i into my local ford dealer on tuesday and after five minutes i left with him telling me he would order them and let me know when they came in. got a phone call on the monday saying they were in and that i could come and pick them up. GREAT i thought it's now tuesday morning and i have had two phone calls one from the dealer saying they won't give them to me for free and the other from ford customer care saying there is nothing they can do. why is i so different everywhere. it looks like i'll have to use my contacts and get them at $48 cost price. i don't have the time or inclination to argue it out on the phone. just let me know when they finally officially decide they're faulty. maybe by then i'll have new rims anyway.

hey fiddy where are you located and some people can give you some recommendations on good workshops. maybe fill in your location information in your profile while your at it.

Cheers Zac

I'm in good old perth where the insurance seems to be cheaper but the dealerships are dumber

Fiddy88 wrote:

I'm in good old perth where the insurance seems to be cheaper but the dealerships are dumber

just get new rims dude

less spokes less cleaning

no centre caps to worry about

yeah i am already looking but i know what i want the only problem is the xr4's have oddly sized wheel and nobody over here has anything like what i want. just for the record i want 5 spoke rims that are 17" and white. hard to find though.

Fiddy88 wrote:

yeah i am already looking but i know what i want the only problem is the xr4's have oddly sized wheel and nobody over here has anything like what i want. just for the record i want 5 spoke rims that are 17" and white. hard to find though.

these would fit they are wat u are looking for but they are not 5 spoke...

they are rally ones i like these

damn it!! lost another 1!!!, 2 days ago....had a spare from previous replacement so no its the silicone trick!

Well im digging up an old post but i have had one of mine stolen. They didnt come loose as each had alot of silicon to hold them in place. Im getting a quote from a mob in UK works out to be $90AUS for 4 Caps excluding shipping which i think is pretty good. On the off chance does anyone have one or 2 lying around not being of any use??

I lost one today driving on a highway, even speed, no elevation changes.

Rang up the dealership, and they said call Customer Care.

Grr, are-tards annoy me.
Will phone tomorrow and let you all know how I go, if succesful, will try and post up what I said, so other people can get the same.

Update, the original supplier wanted $98AUS for shipping which is a bit much for me, so looked on ebay and just bought 4 Caps + Shipping = $136AUS.

I lost one before my car went in for a service. I told the dealership i knew it was a factory fault. He agreed it was & replaced it for me no if's or but's....

I'm actually tempted that whilst im covered by warranty to take some off the next time i get the car serviced & get some spares

Ok guys.... went on a 400klm round trip yesterday to Crows Nest (Nth of Toowoomba), back through Esk and then Mt Glorious/Mt Nebo on the way home and at some point in the last 150klms i lost the Drivers Rear and the Passengers Front...... i actually PM'd JeffC to see where he went for warranty, but i've found that out in this thread (sorry JeffC ).......

I thought i'd actually only lost one (Drivers Rear) but was too tired to look at the rest of the car last night.... opened the garage this arvo to give it a wash and saw the Passengers side front gone. Mine's an '07 with 36,000 on the clock.

The remaining two are really easy to pop off, i can actually push my fingers in the slot and move the cap, and they are aligned properly also.

So, i'll try my local Ford dealer tomorrow arvo, then Metro Ford in Fortitude Valley on Tuesday if my local is talking rubbish and won't come to the party, as i'm assuming there would be a log of all the XR4's that Metro have replaced caps.

So... go and see my local dealer (Bryan Byrt Ford @ Tingalpa) to try my luck...... this is what i get:

Steve: Hi, I'm having alot of trouble with my centre caps on my XR4, i lost 2 on saturday afternoon on a drive and lost a 3rd this morning on my way to work, but managed to stop and retrieve the cap.... i've been told by other members on an XR4 owners forum that these caps are faulty and have been replaced under warranty.

Spare Parts Manager: Is that the Focus XR4?

Steve: No, the Fiesta (Given up hope at this precise moment)

SPM: Do you have the car here?

Steve: Yep, it's out the front. (we walk out to car)

SPM: Are you aware that these are not the factory rims on this car?

Steve: I'm sorry? Are you for real? Of course they are!

SPM: are these 17" Rims?

Steve: Yes........ the factory rims...... (WTF?!?!?!)

SPM: Can i grab the vin# of the car?

Steve: Yep.... go right ahead.

SPM: Can you just grab the Owners Manual out of the glovebox?

Steve: The VIN is right in front of you mate on the windscreen.....

SPM: Oh, i don't trust rego stickers.....

Steve: (Pointing to VIN RECESSED into the windscreen) It's right there mate.....

So, we grab VIN and off we go into the building and he brings the part up on the computer......

SPM: That'll be $85.45 each..... how many do you need?

Steve: Ummm there is no way i'm paying for caps, all 4 need to be replaced under warranty as the actual cap is faulty. Metro Ford have honored more than one customer i know under warranty and replaced the caps no questions asked.

SPM: It's actually an exterior trim item which isn't covered under warranty, i can't give them to you...

Steve: Thanks for your time..... (i walk out)

What a bunch of F**kwits. I guess i'm off to Metro Ford AGAIN. I actually went in there before going to Bryan Byrt @ Tingalpa but couldn't find them on Ann St..... turns out that they've moved to Newstead.

It has taken my wife exactly 3 days and 200 miles to lose the driver side front cap off our ST. I've taken the other 3 off till I get some silicon. My local dealer has ordered me 2 new ones at £15 each (UK) which seems a bargain against australian prices. Still very pi55ed off though.

Update - currency converter works £15 to Aus $ 25.84.

Wouldn't it be cheaper to order your caps from the UK when warrantys run out ??

Yeah you are probably right redexr.........

I basically have hit brickwall after brickwall with this.... i went to Metro yesterday, with the thread from here detailing the amount of faults, the service centre at Metro confirmed that it was an issue a while back, but had not had problems for over a year (which i reckon is garbage). To cut a long story short, they aren't going to replace the caps under warranty in any way shape or form...... the excuse was that my car had had the caps removed when the Pirelli P-Zero's had seen their time, which under their reasoning has contributed to the caps weakening.... and then falling off.

My issue apparently, not theirs........ Bought two brand new ones ($158.60 later) and they are 100% a different composition plastic, a much higher strength and density. A more pronounced snap when fitting them. I returned to Metro this afternoon to show them the obvious differences..... to no avail.

End of story...... just have to suck it up.

Jeff C, you are a very very lucky man to have obviously caught either an inexperienced technician, a tech who took pity on you or you are very persuasive. I'm annoyed and jealous at the same time.

If anyone does decide to order from the UK they're around £15 stirling each. The Ford Europe part number is 1333899. I got my 2 new ones today and having read osrg's reply about fit and structure I have to agree with him. The new ones seem much sturdier and definately "snap" on. That said though I will still be putting a blob or 2 of silicon behind them.

redexr wrote:

If anyone does decide to order from the UK they're around £15 stirling each. The Ford Europe part number is 1333899. I got my 2 new ones today and having read osrg's reply about fit and structure I have to agree with him. The new ones seem much sturdier and definately "snap" on. That said though I will still be putting a blob or 2 of silicon behind them.

maybe we should get you to buy a heap for us, say a dozen, and send them over?? then someone here could hold them and distribute them as needed?? would have to be far cheaper than getting them from ford australia??

Dont waste your time with getting them for Ford Aus Service Department. I picked up a set for 4 delivered for $110AUS. They are of a different quality to the Ford AU ones. They actually click in and you need a screw driver to pry them off.