1996 FORD CONTOUR Complaints

WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE IN WET CONDITIONS, WATER IS BACKSPLASHED BY FRONT RIGHT TIRE INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, SPECIFICALLY WHERE THE MAIN DRIVE BELTS ARE. THIS CAUSES THE POWER STEERING PULLEY TO SLIP AND SIEZE, THEREBY CAUSING A LOCK UP ON THE STEERING MECHANISM. THIS HAS OCCURRED NUMEROUS TIMES AND CREATES A HAZARDOUS SITUATION BECAUSE YOU LOOSE CONTROL OF VEHICLE MOMENTARILY. WE LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE RECENTLY IN THE EXPRESSWAY, WHILE TRAVELING ON WET PAVEMENT AND PUDDLES. STEERING SIEZED AND CAR WENT OUT OF CONTROL. FORTUNATELY WE BROUGHT THE CAR UNDER CONTROL BEFORE CAUSING MAJOR ACCIDENT.

THROTTLE BODY HOSE ASSEMBLY : LOUD HOWLING SOUND, ENGINE SURGING. ENGINE: STALLS WHEN FIRST STARTED WHEN ENGINE IS COLD. *AK

WOULD BE DRIVING WHEN ALL LIGHTS IN VEHICLE WOULD GO OUT, AND THEN VEHICLE WOULD STALL. ALTERNATOR FAILED TO CHARGE BATTERY. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP, HAD BATTERY REPLACED FOR 4TH TIME IN 3 YEARS.*AK

IN OCTOBER 1999 I HAD MY HEATER FAN FIXED BECAUSE OF A RECALL. WITHIN 12 MONTHS IT BROKE AGAIN AND THE COMPANY FIXED AGAIN ON 8/30/00. IN DECEMBER IT BROKE AGAIN WHICH IS LESS THAN 6 MONTHS. I CALLED BRUNSWICK FORD AND THEY SAID I WOULD HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE IT FIXED BECAUSE FORD MOTOR WOULDN'T COVER ONLY ONCE TO FIX THE ITEM. I CALLED FORD MOTOR AND COMPLAINED BECAUSE IT KEEPS BREAKING AND THEY SAID THAT IT WAS FIXED AND DIDN'T CARE THAT IT HAD BROKEN 2 TIMES AND LESS TIME BETWEEN EACH. THEY SAID THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OLDER AND SO MANY MILES THAT THAT PROBABLY WAS WHY IT KEPT BREAKING. I WAS VERY FRUSTRATED AND FELT THERE WAS NO WHERE TO TURN. ONCE THE RECALL IS FIXED IS THERE A TIME LIMIT OR MILEAGE LIMIT THAT SHOULD PERTAIN?

THIS ENGINE SITUATION WAS INTRACTABLE BECAUSE THE FORD BULLETIN ADVISES THAT HEAD GASKET REMOVAL WARRANTS REPLACEMENT, THEREFORE EVEN FORD TECHNICIANS HAVE TO ?!@#$% FOOT AROUND TO SEE IF THE PROBLEM IS ELSEWHERE RATHER THAN GOING RIGHT TO THE SOURCE. I BORROWED $10,000 TO FINISH SCHOOL THIS YEAR AND MUCH OF THAT MONEY WAS SPENT ON THIS CAR. IT DESTROYED MY ACADEMIC YEAR AND I BARELY GRADUATED THANKS TO THIS MAJOR HEADACHE. THE WAS ONLY AT 49,000 MILES WHEN IT FINALLY WENT CAPUT. WHEN THE ENGINE WAS DISASSEMBLED IT WAS TOTALLY WARPED AND BLOWN. I BOUGHT A FORD REBUILT ENGINE BECAUSE I COULDN'T AFFORD THE EXTRA $700 FOR A JASPER REBUILT ENGINE... SEE THEY REBUILD THE SAME ENGINE AND MAKE A 7 YEAR 100,000 WARRANTY ON THE REBUILT ENGINE BECAUSE THEY USE A GRAPHITE HEAD GASKET AND MAKE OTHER IMPROVEMENTS THAT FORD DOESN'T MAKE. FORD NOT ONLY SELLS THEIR WEAKER REBUILT ENGINES BUT ONLY PUT A 1 YEAR 12,000 MILE WARRANTY ON IT. WELL, I'M BROKE AND IT'S TOTALLY FORD'S FAULT.*AK

WHEN THE WATER PUMP FAILED TH HEAD GASKET ALSO FAILED . AND POSSIBLY A CRACKED CYLINDER HEAD.*AK

WAS TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY 70MPH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING ALL LIGHTS CAME ON THE DASHBOARD AND THERE WAS A CLICKING NOISE . VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. *AK *JB

CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY A MECHANIC THAT STABALIZER BAR WAS BROKEN WHEN SHE TOOK VEHICLE INTO DEALER TO HAVE HAVE A REALIGNMENT. THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES. CONSUMER WAS CHARGED A TOTAL OF $463.26 TO HAVE THIS DEFECT REPAIRED. *AK *JB

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 25 MPH TRANSMISSION FELT LIKE IT WAS SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED. THEN, TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND FOUND OUT THAT PISTON ASSAMBLY WAS IN TRANSMISSION BROKE. *AK

TRANSMISSION WENT OUT, AND PRESSING ON GAS VEHICLE FELT LIKE IT WAS IN NEUTRAL. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK