1998 FORD CONTOUR Complaints

WHENEVER FOOT WAS RELEASED FROM BRAKE PEDAL VEHICLE ACCELERATED WHEN SLOWING DOWN. THIS PROBLEM HAPPENED WHEN CRUISE CONTROL WAS ENGAGED. VEHICLE CONTINUED TO MOVE WHILE TRYING TO SLOW DOWN FOR STOP SIGNS OR LIGHTS. CONSUMER DID NOT TAKE VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP.*AK

SMOKE THEN FLAMES CAME FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND WITHIN 5 MINUTES OF PARKING IN THE GARAGE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE, AND INDICATED THAT THE FIRE OCCURRED BECAUSE OF AN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE.*AK

WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH A POPPING NOISE WAS PRODUCED FROM THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE. WHEN DRIVER LOOKED OUT SHE DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING SO SHE CONTINUED TO DRIVE. SUDDENLY DRIVER NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE TIRE. SHE PULLED OVER. AS A RESULT THE COIL SPRING BROKE, PUNCTURING THE TIRE. NO IMPACT REPORTED. TWO WEEKS LATER THE PASSENGER'S SIDE COIL SPRINGS FAILED, PUNCTURING THE SECOND TIRE. *AK *TS

AIR BAGS SENSOR LIGHT KEPT FLASHING. CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL. CONSUMER WAS AFRAID THAT SOMETHING WILL HAPPEN. TO HAVE THE VEHICLE LOOKED AT AND REPAIRED WILL COST $95.00 PLUS LABOR AND PARTS. CONSUMER DID NOT THINK THIS WAS FAIR. *AK

THE CONSUMER'S HUSBAND SUSPECTED THAT ONE OF THE COIL SPRINGS WAS BROKEN. BUT WHEN HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE MECHANIC, HE WAS TOLD THAT ALL FOUR COIL SPRINGS WERE BROKEN. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT HER HUSBAND KEPT HEARING A THUMPING NOISE WHILE DRIVING. *AK SHORTLY AFTER, TWO TIRES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. RECAL#'S 01I013000 AND 01V255000. *SC *JB

BRAKE FAILURE. ON A 1998 FORD CONTOUR SVT (~118,440 MILES), THE BOLT ATTACHING THE REAR BRAKE CALIPER RESULTED IN A SINGLE POINT FAILURE TO THE BRAKING SYSTEM. *JB WHILE DRIVING NORTH ON US 301, JUST SOUTH OF LAPLATA, MD, I HEARD A POP AND THE CAR FELT AS IF I HAD RUN OVER SOMETHING, BUT NOTHING APEARED IN THE ROAD (FROM THE MIRRORS). LATER WHEN SLOWING WHILE APPROACHING AA TRAFFIC SIGNAL, I HAD NO BRAKES. THANKFULLY I WAS ON A SLIGHT INCLINE AND ABLE TO GEAR DOWN AND USE WHAT LITTLE BRAKES REMAINED TO STOP THE CAR AND CRAWL IT TO A PARKING LOT. AFTER HAVING THE CAR TOWED IN, MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT ONE BOLT ATTACHING ONE OF THE REAR CALIPERS HAD SHEARED OFF CAUSING THE LOSS OF BRAKING POWER ON THE CAR. THE CAR DID NOT LOSE ANY BRAKE FLUID DURING ALL OF THIS.

I OWN A 1998 FORD CONTOUR COVERED BY RECALLS 01S23-01M08 PERTAINING TO FRONT SPRING FRACTURE AND EXTENDING WARRANTY TO COVER 10 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES. THE VEHICLE FALLS UNDER THE TIME AND MILEAGE REQUIREMENTS. I TOOK THE CAR TO FRED MARTIN FORD FOR NOISE IN FRONT END AND THEY TOLD ME THE PROBLEM WAS A BROKEN SPRING. THEY FAILED TO TELL ME THAT THE PARTS WERE COVERED UNDER THE FORD RECALL AND INSTEAD TOLD ME THE REPAIR WOULD COST ME OVER $500.00. AFTER WAITING A WEEK AND BEING TOLD THERE WERE NO SPRINGS AVAILABLE FOR MY MODEL ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY, I STARTED TO INVESTIGATE ON MY OWN AND FOUND OUT ABOUT THE RECALL AND ALSO THAT THERE ARE OVER 460 VEHICLES WAITING FOR THESE PARTS IN THE UNITED STATES. I WAS TOLD THAT IT COULD BE OVER A MONTH BEFORE THE SPRINGS ARE AVAILABLE. APPARENTLY, THERE IS A DISPUTE BETWEEN FORD AND ITS SPRING SUPPLIER. FORD CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE WAS NO HELP AND I AM STILL WAITING FOR THE FORD ZONE MANAGER TO GET BACK TO ME. THE DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT SUPPLY A LOANER OR RENTAL VEHICLE WHILE I AM WAITING FOR THE PARTS. I HAVE SINCE PULLED THE VEHICLE OUT OF FRED MARTIN FORD, 4701 MAHONING AVE. YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO 44515, AND TAKEN IT TO ANOTHER DEALER. I FEEL THAT FORD IS NOT LIVING UP TO THE TERMS OF RECALL 01S23-01M08 AND NOT REPAIRING MY VEHICLE PROMPTLY AND FREE OF CHARGE. *JB

WHILE DRIVING CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A GARAGE FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALLS 01I013000 & 01V255000 CONCERNING FRONT COIL SPRING FAILURE. CONSUMER LEARNED THAT THE COIL SPRING ON THE RIGHT SIDE BROKE. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO REPAIR SHOP AND THEN TO THE DEALER, WHO INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THE COIL SPRING WAS COVERED UNDER THE RECALLS, AND NEEDED TO ORDER THE PART. CONSUMER WAS WAITING FOR THE PART TO ARRIVE. *AK

THERE WERE NO TRAUMATIC EVENTS SUCH AS CRASHES OR INJURIES. MY COMPLAINT IS ABOUT AN EQUIPMENT FAILURE DUE TO A DEFECT OF WHICH FORD WAS AWARE. *AK THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS OF MY 1998 FORD CONTOUR BROKE EARLY IN JULY 2004. THE CAR HAD 164000 MILES ON IT. ALTHOUGH THEY DID NOT ISSUE A RECALL, FORD DID ISSUE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS FOR 10 YEARS, 150,000 MILES. (THIS IS DOCUMENTED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER : 01I013000) THIS WAS ISSUED ON AUGUST 3, 2001. THAT IS ALSO THE DATE FOR A RECALL FOR THE INSTALLATION OF SPRING CATCHER BRACKETS IN CASE THE SPRINGS BROKE. (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER : 01V255000) I HAD MY VEHICLE IN FOR THE RECALL ON 3/29/2002. I CALLED THE TOLL-FREE NUMBER PROVIDED BY FORD ABOUT THIS PROBLEM (1-866-436-7332) AND ALSO HEARD ON A RECORDED MESSAGE AT THAT NUMBER THAT ANOTHER MAKE OF FORD CAR (TAURUS) IS CURRENTLY UNDER A REPAIR PROGRAM FOR THE SAME PROBLEM: COROSION OF THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS. THIS RECALL PROGRAM IS FOR 1999-2001 TAURS AND SABLES STARTED, ACCORDING TO THE RECORDING, IN THE FIRST WEEK OF AUGUST 2004. THIS TAURUS-SABLE PROGRAM OFFERS FREE REPLACEMENT OF THE COIL SPRING FOR TAURUS AND SABLE MODELS FOR 10 YEARS/150,000 MILES OR UNTIL JULY 31, 2005 IF THE VEHICLE IS OVER THE MILEAGE REQUIREMENT IN THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. ALSO DURING THE RECORDING AT THE TOLL FREE PHONE NUMBER, THERE IS NOTIFICATION OF A SAFETY SPRING SHIELD RECALL THAT WILL GO INTO EFFECT DECEMBER 2004. I BELIEVE IT IS BASICALLY THE SAME SAFETY RECALL PROGRAM OFFERED FOR THE SAME PROBLEM ON MY FORD CONTOUR IN 2001. IT IS MY CONTENTION THAT THE REASON THE TAURUS/SABLE WAS GIVEN A FREE REPAIR OFFER UNTIL JULY 31 2005 REGARDLESS OF MILEAGE IS BECAUSE THE TAURUS IS ONE OF FORD'S BANNER MODELS. I BELIEVE THAT THE OFFER OF FREE REPAIRS UNTIL JULY 31, 2005 WAS NOT MADE FOR THE CONTOUR BECAUSE THE CONTOUR IS A MODEL THAT WAS DISCONTINUED SOME TIME AGO. THERE ARE RELATIVELY FEW CONTOURS COMPARED TO THE FORD TAURUS AND SABLE, WHICH FORD STILL SELLS.