2000 FORD CONTOUR Complaints

THIS VEHICLE IS A DUEL FUEL SYSTEM; NATURAL GAS AND GASOLINE. THIS VEHICLE HAS TWO MODES OF OPERATION CONTROLLED VIA A TOGGLE SWITCH: (1) SWITCH IN THE NG POSITION, WHICH OPERATES THE VEHICLE ON NG AND THEN AUTOMATICALLY SWITCHES TO GASOLINE AND (2)SWITCH IS IN THE GASOLINE POSITION, WHICH COMPLETELY BYPASSES THE NG FUEL ALTOGETHER. ON FRIDAY 8/10/01, A 95 DEGREE DAY, THE CAR WAS SET AT THE NG POSTION. AT AN INTERSECTION I WAS WAITING AT A STOP SIGN WITH THE INTENT ON MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN ACROSS TWO LANES OF A FOUR LANE ROAD. AS I PROCEEDED TO ACCELERATE THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY STALLED. THANKFULLY I HAD NOT ACTUALLY ENGAGED THE INTERSECTION. IF I HAD AN ONCOMING DUMP TRUCK WOULD HAVE HIT ME ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. I NOTED THAT THE NG FUEL LEVEL WAS AT ZERO (OR CLOSE TO IT) AND THE ENIGINE SHOULD HAVE SEAMLESSLY KICKED INTO GASOLINE FUEL RESERVE, WHICH WAS FULL. APPARENTLY THIS DID NOT HAPPEN AND RESULTED IN THE STALL. LATER IN THE DAY THIS OCCURRED AGAIN WHILE IN A PARKING LOT. I AM THANKFUL THAT I WAS NOT INJURED AS A RESULT OF THIS PROBLEM.*AK

WHILE SITTING AT A RED LIGHT TODAY MY 2000 SE STARTED MAKING NOISE - TURNED OUT TO BE THE STARTER RUNNING. TOOK THE KEY OUT AND THE STARTER CONTINUED CRANKING THE ENGINE. WAS ABLE TO DASH TO THE TRUNK, RETRIEVE PLIERS AND DISCONNECT THE BATTERY CABLES BEFORE THE CAR STARTED BURNING. THE WIRES IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WERE SMOKING BY THIS TIME. TURNED OUT THAT THE MAIN POSITIVE CABLE HAD CHAFED THROUGH AGAINST THE STARTER SOLENOID WIRE A FEW INCHES AWAY FROM THE BATTERY TERMINAL. THIS IS RIGHT WHERE THE CABLE MAKES A 90 DEGREE BEND AROUND THE TOP OF THE BATTERY BOX. FOUND THE OTHER 2 RED WIRES OF THE TERMINAL ALSO SHOWING SIGNS OF INSULATION WEAR AT THE BEND. AFTER TEARING THE SOLENOID WIRE APART FROM THE MAIN CABLE AND TAPING EVERYTHING UP, I TRIMED THE TOP OF THE BATTERY BOX LOWER AND REPOSITIONED THE WIRING TO AVOID THE SAME THING HAPPENING AGAIN.*AK

DRIVER'S SEAT STAYS LOOSE AND WILL ROCK BACK AND FORTH. CONSUMER HAS ASKED DEALER TO REPLACE SEAT, BUT DEALER WILL NOT REPLACE IT.*AK

REPLACEMENT SEAT TRACK STARTING TO FAIL, FEELING A "ROCKING" IN THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT. *AK

REAR SUSPENSION SYSTEM WAS MAKING A LOUD SQUEAKING NOISE WHILE TRAVELING. VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY TWO DIFFERENT DEALERS, BOTH WERE ABLE TO LOCATE THE CAUSE, BUT UNABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBELM. PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION ON THIS MATTER. *AK

INTERMITTENTLY VEHICLE WOULD NOT START OR WHEN IT DOES, IT IS UNABLE TO SHIFT OUT OF GEAR. ALSO, UNABLE TO REMOVE KEY FROM IGINITION SWITCH AFTER TURNING VEHICLE OFF. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER SHOP ON TWO OCCASIONS, AND INFORMED THAT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION ON THIS MATTER. *AK

DRIVER'S SEAT IS LOOSE, AFFECTING DRIVER CONTROL OF CAR. ADDITIONALLY, LOOSE SEAT ALSO PRESENTS SAFETY HAZARD IN EVENT OF A CRASH. TWO DEALERS ACKNOWLEDGE PROBLEM BUT BOTH WERE UNWILLING TO FIX. THEY JUSTIFIED THEIR REFUSAL TO FIX BY SUGGESTING THE NEED FOR A RECALL SINCE "ALL CONTOURS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM". ONE DEALER EVEN USED THE TERM DEFECT TO DESCRIBE THE PROBLEM. *AK

CAR RETURNED TO SHOP SECOND INCIDENT MAY 4 FAILURE TO START SHOP COULDNT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY GIVEN SPEED AND MAKING A TURN TO LEFT, CAR DOESN'T TURN LEFT. THEN, WHEN TURNING WHEEL SLIGHTLY MORE, VEHICLE WILL MAKE A SHARP TURN TO LEFT, CAUSING VEHICLE TO GET OUT OF THE INTENDED LANE TOWARDS VARIOUS OBJECTS, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH IF HITTING LEFT WALL OF FREEWAY. TO PREVENT A CRASH, CONSUMER MUST "FORCE" WHEEL TO RIGHT BECAUSE IT WILL NOT CORRECT ITSELF IF JUST LETTING GO. THIS DEFECT OCCURS EVERY TIME CONSUMER TURNS VEHICLE TO LEFT, AND IS ESPECIALLY BAD DURING WET CONDITIONS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS. *AK

ENGINE CHECK LIGHT HAS BEEN ON, AND VEHICLE RUNS ROUGHLY. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER 4 TIMES. DEALER STATED THAT CATALYTIC CONVERTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK