When I purchased my 2016 Escape Titanium in 2015 the salesman asked me if I wanted to "upgrade" to the better lug nuts for an additional cost of $30 not included in the sale of vehicle. I said 'sure, why not?' Ok, fast forward to when I needed the snow tires taken off in March of 2016. I didn't take it to the dealer, I took it to the local garage because they only charge $15 per tire, Ford dealer wanted $20. The mechanic said that the lug nuts were very difficult to remove because they had swollen due to the slots in the sides and had accumulated road dirt and salt. He recommended that I have them replaced with solid lug nuts or they might not fit in the lug wrench and if I got a flat tire on the road, by almost impossible to remove....MY UPGRADE? Where were my upgraded lug nuts? Obviously not the better ones, not solid and not worth an additional $30 and a rip off. So, I purchased a set of lug nuts from the local garage and proceeded to investigate better lug nuts. Every local parts store I call commented. "So, you have a Ford? Right?" I found that I could buy the best lug nuts for my vehicle on-line cheaper than the parts store's, even though they are manufactured locally. I purchased the new set and had it installed by the local mechanic. No issues since. I still have the set of original 'upgraded' lug nuts in my possession. They didn't even last me a full year out of them. I was told by all of the parts stores that I called that lug nuts usually last at least five years. When I took them back to the dealer and asked for a refund, I was told that they don't do refunds. I bought the TITANIUM version of the Escape and thought that it was TOP OF THE LINE. Shouldn't the Better Lug Nuts been part of that package? Why did the salesman even ask me to 'upgrade'. Feel so foolish. When I was asked by the clerk at the dealership why I didn't go to them to switch out of my tires, I told her that it was a matter of cost. She had the nerve, after telling me that they don't do refunds, that "If I had asked NICE, maybe they would have lowered the price to match the other shop." It took everything I had to not swear at her. I just told her, I was being nice. and Goodbye. I still think that Ford. at least owes me the $30 I paid upfront extra, and the cost for the new set. Heaven forbid, if the local mechanic wasn't honest with me, I could have been left stranded somewhere with no way to remove the lugs from my tires without burning them off.