I have a 2008 Edge Limited that came with 20 inch tires and for some dumb reason a 17 inch spare as well. After having my front drivers side rim crack I had to use the 17 in spare. It was driven on for only a few miles but it started making a whining & grinding sound (similar to that described by Billy) as well as making the steering difficult. I ordered a new rim and replaced the spare and it seemed to correct the problem temporarily. Recently it started making the noises again (but louder) and then I heard a loud "clunk". Luckily I was seconds away from my house and was able to coast into now my driveway but now my car will not drive forward or reverse! Like Billy now I have an undrivable car and a huge repair cost due to the size of the spare tire. BOTTOM LINE -I will not drive on the provided spare tire for even a few miles and I am VERY dissapointed to hear that Ford would provide a useless spare tires to its cutomers.
Maybe Tricia may have some advice on this problem after helping Billy.
For those who don't believe this can be caused by the spare tire that is 3 inches smaller than all the rest of the tires, I hope you don't ever need to use your spare!
