
Hilly or Sloping Terrain
WARNING
Avoid driving across or turning onsteep hilly or sloping terrain. Yourvehicle may lose traction and slipsideways increasing the risk of rolling over.When driving on steep hilly or slopingterrain, determine your route beforehand.Do not drive over the crest of a hill withoutassessing what conditions are on the otherside. Do not reverse over a hill without theaid of an observer.
Although natural obstacles may make itnecessary to travel diagonally up or downa hill or steep incline, you should alwaystry to drive straight up or straight down.
Apply just enough power to the wheels toclimb the hill. Too much power will causethe tires to slip, spin or lose traction,resulting in loss of vehicle control.
When climbing a steep hill or slope, startin a lower gear rather than downshifting toa lower gear from a higher gear once theascent has started. This reduces strain onthe engine and the possibility of stalling.
Note:If your vehicle stalls, do not try to turnaround as your vehicle may lose tractionand slip sideways increasing the risk ofrolling over. It is better to reverse down to asafe location.
When descending a steep hill or slope,start in a lower gear rather thandownshifting to a lower gear from a highergear once the descent has started. Do notdescend a steep hill or slope in neutral.Avoid excessive brake application as thiscauses the brakes to overheat. Whendescending a steep hill or slope, avoidsudden hard braking as you could losecontrol. The front wheels must rotate inorder to steer your vehicle. Your vehicle hasanti-lock brakes, therefore apply thebrakes steadily. Do not pump the brakepedal.
Snow and Ice
WARNING
If you are driving in slipperyconditions that require tire chains orcables, then it is critical that you drivecautiously. Keep speeds down, allow forlonger stopping distances and avoidaggressive steering to reduce the chancesof a loss of vehicle control, personal injuryor death.
Note:The original equipment tires on yourvehicle are designed to optimize theperformance of your vehicle in dry or wetsummer road conditions. We recommendusing a dedicated set of winter tires in snowand ice conditions. Do not mix summerperformance tires with winter tires on yourvehicle. See Using Winter Tires (page 34).
All-wheel drive vehicles have advantagesover two-wheel drive vehicles in snow andice but can skid like any other vehicle.
162018 Focus RS (CEW) RS, Canada/United States of America, JM5J 19A285 LAA enUSA, Edition date: 201706, First PrintingAll-Wheel Drive

WHEELS
Your vehicle has unique wheels. They canbe more susceptible to damage from poorroad conditions due to their diameter,width and the use of low profile tires.
If the wheels encounter a harsh impact,inspect the inside and outside diametersfor damage.
Inspect the wheels for damage on a regularbasis. If you damage a wheel, have itchecked as soon as possible.
To avoid damaging the wheels:
•Maintain correct tire pressures. SeeTire Pressures (page 35).
•When installing wheels, always use atorque wrench and tighten the lug nutsto the correct specification.
•Exercise caution when usingautomated car washes. Hand washingor using touchless car washes withoutmechanical tracks is the best way toavoid potential damage.
•Do not use snow chains on the originalequipment wheels and tires of yourvehicle.
•Only use snow chains with thealternative winter wheels and tires, ordamage may be caused which will notbe covered by the vehicle Warranty.
Wheel Specification
19 in. x 8.0 in. 50 mm offset aluminum wheels.Original equipment.*
18 in. x 7.5 in. 50 mm offset aluminum wheels.Alternative winter use wheel.**
* See Tires (page 33).** See Using Winter Tires (page 34).
Note:Alternative winter use wheels are not supplied with your vehicle.
322018 Focus RS (CEW) RS, Canada/United States of America, JM5J 19A285 LAA enUSA, Edition date: 201706, First PrintingWheels and Tires

TIRES
The tires on your vehicle are designed tooptimize its performance. They are notoptimized for off-road or winterperformance. The ride, noise and wearcharacteristics are different tonon-performance tires. Your vehicle haslow profile tires. They can be moresusceptible to damage from poor roadconditions due to their diameter and width.
To make sure the tires perform asintended, it is important to correctlymaintain them.
To correctly maintain the tires, do thefollowing:
•Maintain correct tire pressures. SeeTire Pressures (page 35).
•Do not overload your vehicle.Maximum vehicle and axle weights arelisted on the tire information label.
•Take extra caution when operatingyour vehicle near its maximum load,including using the correct tirepressures and reducing speeds.
•Take extra caution when operating onrough roads to avoid impacts thatcould cause tire damage.
•Inspect the tires for damage on aregular basis. If a tire is damaged,replace it as soon as possible.
•Correct suspension alignment is criticalfor maximum performance andoptimal tire wear. If you notice uneventire wear, have the suspensionalignment checked as soon as possible.
•When replacing tires they must be ofthe same size, speed and load ratingas the original tires. We recommendthat you replace tires as a set of fourand do not mix tire brands or models.
Note:Do not use snow chains on theoriginal equipment wheels and tires of yourvehicle.
Note:Only use snow chains with thealternative winter wheels and tires, ordamage may be caused which will not becovered by the vehicle Warranty. See UsingWinter Tires (page 34).
Tire Specification
235/35R19Size.
YSpeed rating.
91Load rating.
332018 Focus RS (CEW) RS, Canada/United States of America, JM5J 19A285 LAA enUSA, Edition date: 201706, First PrintingWheels and Tires

USING SUMMER TIRES
The original equipment tires on your vehicleare designed to optimize its performancein dry or wet summer road conditions. Therubber compounds used in these tires loseflexibility and may develop surface cracksin the tread area at temperatures below19°F (-7°C).
We do not recommend using the originalequipment tires when temperatures dropbelow 45°F (7°C) or in snow and iceconditions.
Storing Summer Tires
Note:Always store your tires indoors attemperatures above 19°F (-7°C).
If the tires have been subjected to 19°F(-7°C) or less, warm the tires for at least24 hours in a heated space to at least 41°F(5°C):
•Before installing them on a vehicle.
•Before moving a vehicle.
•Before checking tire inflation.
Note:Do not place tires near heaters orheating devices used to warm the roomwhere the tires are stored.
Note:Do not apply heat or blow heated airdirectly onto the tires.
Note:Always inspect the tires after storageperiods and before use.
USING WINTER TIRES
The original equipment tires on your vehicleare designed to optimize its performancein dry or wet summer road conditions.They are not optimized for off-road orwinter performance and you must not usethem with snow chains. The use of anytype of snow chain with the originalequipment wheels and tires of your vehiclemay cause damage not covered by thevehicle Warranty. We do not recommendusing the original equipment tires whentemperatures drop below 45°F (7°C) or insnow and ice conditions.
We recommend that you use winter orall-season tires when temperatures dropbelow 45°F (7°C) or in snow and iceconditions.
When using winter tires:
•Do not operate your vehicle aboveposted speed limits or perform highspeed maneuvers.
•If you fit winter tires with a speed ratingless than the original equipment tires,do not exceed the maximum speedrating for the tire.
Winter Tire Specification
235/35R19Original equipment size.
225/40R18*Alternative winter use size.
VSpeed rating.
92Load rating.
*Required tire size for snow chain use to avoid tire, wheel or vehicle damage. See Wheels(page 32).
342018 Focus RS (CEW) RS, Canada/United States of America, JM5J 19A285 LAA enUSA, Edition date: 201706, First PrintingWheels and Tires