They call them unpublished extended warranties They know there's a problematic part but not enough failures to trigger a recall, so they just tell the dealers to replace as necessary.
Buying the same tire that Ford chose for the car is usually expensive because the spec that Ford chooses seldom match a tire the manufacturer wants to market to the public. The tire company wants a compromise so they have to stock fewer model tires at their outlets.
The car company will want specific characteristics for each model depending on their marketing targets. Cushy models, they'll want a softer ride or quieter tread design and economy models might get a harder ride but better mileage through less rolling resistance plus longer tread life. Performance models want traction and predictable break-away when they're pushed too far.
Of course there is the possibility they didn't have the more expensive tires in stock but had the others on hand.
And no, not everyone in the car business is a criminal.... not by a long shot. Of course some of the non-criminals are assholes or idiots so that cuts the odds in your favor down a little, but that said, there are millions of great people working in the car business.
The problem with dealing with a larger company, like a dealership, is you usually have to deal with several people. If one is an idiot it leaves a bad taste for the whole organization.
Now 'fess up Wolf, you really didn't call the Russians till the next morning because it took that long to find the spare under all the crap in the trunk.
