1999 FORD CONTOUR Complaints

THERE WAS A STRONG FUEL ODOR IN THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE AFTER FUELING. ALSO, THERE WAS A FUEL SYSTEM TANK ASSEMBLY ADVISORY ON THIS ISSUE. MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, BUT PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. *AK.....STRONG FUEL ODORS CONTINUE WHENEVER CONSUMER ATTEMPTS TO FILL FUEL TANK. TOOK VEHICLE TO REPAIR STATION ON 12/31/2004, AND THE MECHANIC INDICATED THAT FUEL TANK FILLER PIPE GROMMET WAS DAMAGED RUSTED. *AK

99' FORD CONTOUR SE THE DASHBOARD HAS BEEN REPLACED ONCE BEFORE. IT BECOMES UNGLUED AND OBSTRUCTS VIEW, AND ALSO PREVENTS THE DEFROSTER FROM WORKING PROPERLY. THIS IS CLEARLY A DEFECT BY THE MANUFACTURER, AS LIKE I SAID IT HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED IN A FORD SERVICE DEPARTMENT. UNFORTUNATELY, IT HAS BECAME UNGLUED AGAIN. *NM

JAN 2004, MY SON WAS DRIVING MY 1999 FORD CONTOUR. HE WAS INVOLVED IN A ROLL OVER ACCIDENT AT A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH. THE VEHICLE ROLLED 1.5 TIMES AND NEVER ONCE DID EITHER OF THE AIR BAGS OPEN. *NM

THE TAIL LIGHTS BECAME INOPERABLE AFTER FOUR REPLACEMENTS. ALSO, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS DID NOT WORK IN LOW GEAR, AND THE RUNNING LIGHTS MALFUNCTIONED. *AK THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR SPLICE FROM THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH OPENED. (THE RIGHT SIDE TAIL LIGHT WAS INOPERATIVE) THE TAIL LIGHTS, FRONT RUNNING LAMPS WERE OUT AGAIN, A FUSE WAS BAD AND FOUND SOME MORE WIRES IN THE TRUNK WIRED INCORRECTLY, THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS AND THE LICENSE PLATE TAIL LIGHTS WORKED INTERMITTENTLY, THERE WAS A WIRING SHORT IN THE HARNESS IN THE COWL AREA, THERE WAS A BLOWN FUSE IN THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING, ON ANOTHER OCCASION, THE #33 FUSE WAS FOUND OPEN, THE SUNROOF WAS INOPERATIVE DUE TO A SHORTED MOTOR, BAD DRIVE GEAR AND TWO CABLES. *SC *JB

I RECENTLY BECAME AWARE OF A RECALL THAT OCCURRED IN 2001 ON 1995-1999 FORD CONTOURS, MERCURY MYSTIQUES, AND COUGARS. THE DASHBOARD IN MY 1999 FORD CONTOUR IS TEARING AND A FRIEND OF MINE TOLD ME THERE WAS A RECALL ON IT. SO I DECIDED TO CHECK THE RECALL INFORMATION ON NHTSA'S WEBSITE. INSTEAD I FOUND OTHER DISTURBING INFORMATION. ACCORDING TO A REPORT LISTED, THE BLOWER SWITCH / RESISTOR OVERHEATS AND STARTS OR COULD START A FIRE. IT ALSO STATES THAT "FAILURE OF THE BLOWER SWITCH CAUSES LOSS OF ONE OR MORE BLOWER SPEEDS". HOWEVER, I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED ABOUT NEITHER RECALL. IN JULY 2003, I HAD TO HAVE MY 1999 FORD CONTOUR (BOUGHT BRAND NEW) REPAIRED BECAUSE MY A/C STOPPED WORKING. THE REPAIRS INVOLVED THE WIRING IN THE FUSE PANEL (REPAIRED) AND THE BLOWER / RESISTOR WAS REPLACED. THE COST: $60.00 (TECHNICIAN HOOKED CAR TO A MACHINE TO DIAGNOSE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYING ON, PARTS & LABOR) AND $187.40 (A/C PROBLEM, PART $7.40 AND LABOR $180.00). I WAS NEVER INFORMED BY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT (LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP) THAT THERE HAD EVEN BEEN A RECALL. WILL I BE REIMBURSED FOR THIS MISHAP? *JB

THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS BROKE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY. THE OWNER HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND WENT TO INVESTIGATE, IT WAS THEN DISCOVERED THAT THE COIL SPRINGS HAD BROKEN TEARING INTO THE FRONT TIRE AND CAUSING THE FRONT SUSPENSION TO DROP TO THE GROUND. *JB THE FLAT TIRE WAS ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. *SC

DASHBOARD SEPARATED FROM THE WINDSHIELD. CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER, NO HELP OFFERED.*AK

ON DEC. 3, 2004 I WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WITH MY VEHICLE, 1999 FORD CONTOUR, AND AN ONCOMING VEHICLE, A 1999 FORD PICK-UP. I WAS GOING THROUGH A GREEN LIGHT AT AN INTERSECTION DOING 30-35MPH WHEN THE TRUCK WENT THROUGH HIS RED LIGHT, PLOWING THROUGH THE INTERSECTION. AS A RESULT, I HIT (T-BONED) HIS TRUCK. THE WHOLE FRONT END OF MY VEHICLE RAN INTO THE PASSENGERS SIDE OF HIS VEHICLE (HE WAS DOING 30MPH AT THE VERY LEAST). MY AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY AS IT SHOULD HAVE. I HIT MY HEAD ON THE STEERING WHEEL. WHEN PARAMEDICS ARRIVED I WAS THEN PUT IN A NECK BRACE, PUT ON A BACKBOARD, AND TAKEN TO THE ER. I DID NOT SUFFER A CONCUSION, INJURY WAS MINOR (HIT HEAD, APPROX 10 MINUTE STATE OF CONFUSION ABOUT 5 MINUTES AFTER COLLISION, DIZZINESS AND SAW SPOTS ABOUT 30 MIN AFTER COLLISION), AND I'VE ONLY SUFFERED A VERY SORE NECK AND BACK. HOWEVER,INJURIES SUSTAINED COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE. I DO NOT SEE ANY REASON WHY THE AIR BAG SHOULD NOT HAVE DEPLOYED. FORD SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS FAILURE. SINCE I WAS TAKEN TO THE ER I AM NOT YET AWARE OF ALL OF THE DAMAGE MY VEHICLE HAS SUSTAINED; ALL I KNOW IS THAT THE BUMPER WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION, AND THE CRUMPLE ZONE DID AS IT SHOULD- HOWEVER, BEING THAT THE FRONT BUMPER WAS HIT HARD ENOUGH THAT IT FELL OFF AND THE CRUMPLE ZONE REACTED, THE AIR BAG SHOULD HAVE BEEN ACTIVATED. WHAT CAN BE DONE TO DETERMINE WHY IT DID NOT, AND CAN FORD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE IN SOME MANNER?*AK

THE INSTRUMENT PANEL COVER WARPED CAUSING THE DEFROSTER VENT TO POP OUT. THE DEALER CONSULTED AND STATED THAT THE ENTIRE DASH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND COST IS 750.0. *AK *SC UPDATED 01/30/06. *JB

WHILE DRIVING THE HEATER BLOWERS FAILED. THE SMELL OF BURNING WIRE STARTED TO FILL THE VEHICLE. THE DEFOGGER COMPLETELY FAILED. CONSUMER COULD NOT SEE THROUGH THE WINDOWS. HOWEVER, THERE WERE BURNT WIRES UNDER THE HOOD. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *NM....REPLACED STARTER MOTOR AND DAMAGED BATTERY CABLES. *AK