1995 FORD CONTOUR Complaints

MY '95 FORD CONTOUR HAS BEEN OVERHEATING, SMELLING HOT, WITH THE STEERING COLUMN HEATING UP TO THE POINT OF THE CAR KEY, IN THE IGNITION, GETTING TOO HOTTO HANDLE--FOR SOME TIME, NOW. FEARING THAT THERE MIGHT BE A FIRE HAZARD, I TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL FORD DEALER. HE SAID MY CAR, PER IT'S VIN NO., HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED; SO HE DID NOTHING ABOUT MY CONCERNS. NOW, A WEEK AGO TODAY (12/3/09), AND A WEEK OR SO AFTER BRINGING MY CAR IN FOR THE FIRST TIME, I WAS DRIVING 20-30 MPH, DOWN A CITY STREET IN MY SMALL TOWN, WHEN, SUDDENLY, I HEARD A POPPING SOUND; AND THE ELECTRICITY IN THE CAR TURNED OFF. THE CAR STOPPED DEAD IN IT'S TRACKS, AS I WAS TURNING INTO A PARKING LOT! I TRIED TO PUT THE HAZARD LIGHT ON; BUT IT WOULD NOT TURN ON. THE STEERING WHEEL & STEERING COLUMN WERE VERY HOT. I TURNED THE KEY, IN THE IGNITION, IN AN ATTEMPT TO TURN THE CAR BACK ON. INSTEAD, IT MADE ANOTHER POPPING SOUND; AND DIED COMPLETELY! SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. WHEN I OPENED THE HOOD, THE BATTERY WATER WAS BOILING OVER, SIZZLING, AND SMOKING. WHEN I CALLED MY INS. ROADSIDE ASSIST, AND TOLD THEM WHAT HAPPENED, THEY TOLD ME TO CALL THE FIRE DEPT. SO, I CALLED THE FIRE DEPT. THEY CAME AND DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY; AND NOTED THAT THE BATTERY WAS SMOKING. THEY PUSHED MY CAR TO A PARKING SPOT, FROM WHERE I HAD IT TOWED IT TO MY LOCAL FORD DEALER. THE FORD DEALER MAN SAID THEY COULD DO NOTHING ABOUT IT; AND I LEFT IT THERE, IN THEIR PARKING LOT. I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR, FOR FEAR IT MIGHT START ON FIRE, SINCE I HAVE SEEN, ON THE INTERNET, THAT THE '95 FORD CONTOUR HAS BEEN RECALLED FOR IGNITION FIRES!!! BEING CAUGHT IN A BURNING FIRE, WITH MY SEAT BELT ON, IS VERY SCARY TO ME! THE QUESTIONS, AT THE BOTTOM, RIGHT, OF MY SCREEN, ARE CUT OFF, SO I CAN ONLY SEE HALF OF THE QUESTIONS, STARTING WITH: "WAS THERE...." "PROPERTY DA...." "WAS THERE A..." "REPORTED TO...." I'M SORRY,I HAVE NO WAY OF ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS, HERE. *TR

I HAVE A 1995 FORD CONTOUR WHICH HAS A FAULTY WIRING HARNESS THAT LED TO VEHICLE PROBLEMS. AFTER RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET I FOUND THAT A RECALL (99M03) WAS ISSUED FOR FAULTY WIRES. MY CAR WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THAT RECALL EVEN THOUGH IT HAS THE SAME PROBLEM THAT WAS MENTIONED IN THE RECALL. WHY WERE NOT ALL OF THE CARS WITH THIS DEFECT RECALLED? *TR

I TOOK MY 1995 FORD CONTOUR IN TO MY LOCAL PERRY LINCOLN FORD DEALER, ON HITCHCOCK ST., IN SANTA BARBARA, CA--TODAY (10/12/09. I STATED TO THE REPAIRMAN THAT I NOTICED, ON THE INTERNET, THAT THE '95 FORD CONTOURS HAD BEEN RECALLED FOR IGNITION FIRES. I TOLD HIM THAT MY IGNITION SWITCH HEATS UP, EVERY TIME I DRIVE IT, EVEN A SHORT DISTANCE OF 3 MILES TO WORK, EVERY DAY. I TOLD HIM THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH GETS SO HOT, THAT MY KEY IS TOO HOT TO HANDLE!! THE ENTIRE DRIVER'S WHEEL COMPONENT, THAT INCLUDES THE IGNITION SWITCH, GETS HOT. THE REPAIRMAN, AT FORD, TOOK MY VIN NO.; AND RESEARCHED MY CAR, ON HIS FORD COMPUTER; AND MY VIN NO. DID NOT SHOW A RECALL. I TOLD HIM, I THOUGHT THE RECALL WAS FOR ALL 1995 FORD CONTOURS, NOT JUST SOME. DO I HAVE TO WAIT FOR A FIRE TO START, IN THE IGNITION SWITCH, BEFORE ANYTHING IS DONE ABOUT IT? I AM A WORKING REGISTERED NURSE; AND WOULD RATHER PREVENT A FIRE THAN WAIT FOR ONE TO BURN MY FACE AND BODY; AND DESTROY MY ENTIRE CAR. THE FORD REPAIRMAN DID NOTHING ABOUT MY CONCERNS. HE JUST SAID THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL ON MY PARTICULAR CAR!!! WHAT CAN I DO TO PROTECT MYSELF FROM INJURY AND HARM, ESPECIALLY SINCE MY IGNITION SWITCH, CAR KEY--AND ENTIRE DRIVER'S WHEEL DEVICE OVERHEATS? ALL YOUR 4 QUESTIONS, BELOW AND TO THE RIGHT OF THIS BOX ARE CUT OFF EXCEPT FOR THE "APPROX. INCIDENT DATE!!"! YOUR QUESTIONNAIRE ALSO DOES NOT ALLOW ME TO CHOOSE "IGNITION SWITCH" FOR THE DEFECTIVE PART!! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 FORD CONTOUR. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 00V367000(ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) IN 2004. FIVE YEARS LATER, THE FAN MOTORS HAVE OVERHEATED AND CAUSED THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS TO MELT. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY REPAIRS BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED ACCORDING TO THE RECALL. THE CONTACT IS IN THE PROCESS OF HAVING THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 58,109. UPDATED 07/28/09 *BF UPDATED 07/30/09.*JB

THIS WAS AN "OWNER NOTIFICATION" OR A FORD RECALL (NOT ORDERED BY THE FED GOV.) NUMBER 99M03, WHEREIN FORD REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY THE MAIN WIRING HARNESS ON 1995 FORD CONTOUR VEHICLES. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND HAS NOT BEEN PERFORMED ON THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AFTER THE NOTIFICATION TO OWNERS EXPIRED AND WISH TO HAVE FORD STAND BY THEIR WARRANTY AND COMPLETE THIS TASK UNDER THE WARRANTY/RECALL. *TR

ITS 1995 FORD CONTOUR ALL WIRING UNDER HOOD HAS INSULATION CRACKING AND FALLING OFF ALL THE WAY TO HOT CABLES AT POWER DISTRIBUTION BOX. CHECKED SEVERAL CARS AT WRECKING YARD FOR GOOD HARNESS ALL WERE THE SAME CAR DOESN'T RUN NOW WIRES GOING TO CRANK SENSOR SHORTED OUT CAR HAS 57,000 MILES ON IT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 FORD CONTOUR. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUT OFF. THE CONTACT WAS NOT ACCELERATING OR DECELERATING PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, BUT MAINTAINED THE SAME SPEED THE ENTIRE TIME. ALL POWER WAS LOST, INCLUDING THE BRAKES. THE VEHICLE TOOK APPROXIMATELY TWO HOURS TO RESTART AND WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE FORD MANUFACTURER WAS CALLED AND STATED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL, IN WHICH THE PREVIOUS OWNER DID NOT HAVE REPAIRED. THE RECALL DATE HAS CURRENTLY EXPIRED AND THE CONTACT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR COST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 FORD CONTOUR. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE CONTACT SMELLED A STRONG ODOR OF FUEL COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. SHE ALSO OBSERVED A SMALL AMOUNT OF FUEL SPILLING FROM THE FUEL TANK. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO THE FILLER PIPE IN THE FUEL TANK SYSTEM. THE TECHNICIAN DISCOVERED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 94V203000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:FILLER PIPE AND CAP) FOR THE IDENTICAL FAILURES; HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM THE RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 37,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 38,000.

TURN CAR ON WHEN CAR REACHES TO NORMAL TEMP CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND STALLS MOST OF THE TIME AT A COMPLETE STOP SHUT ENGINE OFF AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS OFF TILL RUN FOR A MIN WHEN ENGINE IS CALLED LIGHT STAYS OFF TILL ENGINE IS WARM AGAIN. *TR

LTR FROM REGARDING COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IN HIS 1995 FORD CONTOUR. THE CONSUMER STATED THE UNDERHOOD WIRING HARNESS WAS BRITTLE AND THE INSULATION COATING WAS PEELING OFF EXPOSING THE WIRE HARNESS. *JB