1998 FORD CONTOUR Complaints

TIMING BELT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. HAVE TAKEN THE CAR BACK 4 TIMES SINCE THEN FOR THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE TIMING BELT. *NLM

WHEN THE DRIVER APPLIED THE BRAKES THEY LOCKED UP AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO EXPERIENCE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. *NLM

WHILE DRIVING ANOTHER VEHICLE T-BONE THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE DRIVERS SIDE AIRBAG DIDN'T DEPLOY. *NLM

RE: YOUR #00V350000 I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM WITH ME FORD CONTOUR FOR 2 YEARS FORD REFUSES TO FIX BECAUSE THEY ONLY COVER THE PROBLEM UP TO 100,000 MILES. IT TAKES ME UP TO 25 MINUTES TO FILL MY GAS TANK BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE HAD ONE GAS STATION ATTENDANT ASK ME NOT TO FUEL AT HIS STATION UNTIL I GET IT FIXED. I DON'T HAVE THE EXTRA MONEY TO FIX. $300.00 PLUS. IT IS A FAULTY PART WHY IS IT NOT FIXED? *NLM

VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY JERKS WHEN SHIFTING, SOMETIME VERY VIOLENTLY. VEHICLE HAS ALSO STALLED WHEN NEGOTIATING A TURN IN AN INTERSECTION. VIBRATES OFTEN AT LOW SPEEDS (30 MPH), AS THOUGH IT'S IN TOO HIGH OF A GEAR FOR THE TERRAIN. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON INTERMITTENTLY, USUALLY FOR SEVERAL DAYS THEN GOES OFF FOR A FEW DAYS BEFORE COMING BACK ON AGAIN. I'VE GOTTEN TWO ESTIMATES FOR THE REPAIR, BOTH IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF $2,500 FOR A REBUILD OF MY TRANSMISSION OR INSTALLATION OF A RE-MANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION. RECENTLY HAD TO HAVE COOLANT SENSOR AND FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR REPLACED AS A RESULT OF REGULARLY OCCURRING CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. *NLM

CAR IS 5.5 YEARS OLD, AND THE FUEL TANK NEEDED REPLACING. THE TANK WAS LITERALLY FALLING APART AT THE SEAMS, LEADING TO GAS LEAKING FROM THE GAR AND GASOLINE FUMES THROUGHOUT THE HOUSE. IN ADDITION, NO REPLACEMENT PART WAS AVAILABLE DUE TO A NATIONWIDE SHORTAGE. *JB

THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER BECAUSE THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER RECALL 99V-234. THE AIR BAG LIGHT DID NOT RESET AND THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO THE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE THE AIR BAG DIAGNOSTIC MONITOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER REFUSED TO REPLACE THIS COMPONENT PER THE RECALL NOTICE AND REFUSED TO PROVIDE A COPY OF THE RECALL LETTER TO THE CONSUMER. PH *NLM

THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY, THE DRIVER WAS INJURED. *JB

WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD. THE DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *NLM

MY 1998 FORD CONTOUR 4-DOOR SEDAN RECENTLY EXPERIENCED A DEVASTATING FAILURE. WHILE MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING THROUGH A PARKING LOT AT LOW SPEED, A SUB-FRAME ASSEMBLY UNDER THE DASH FELL DOWN ON HER FEET. THE ASSEMBLY IS HELD IN PLACE WITH TWO BOLTS WHICH HAD COME LOOSE. AS A RESULT OF THIS, THE STEERING LINKAGE WAS ALLOWED TO DISCONNECT, PERMITTING THE STEERING WHEEL TO SPIN FREELY. HAD THIS HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY SHE WOULD HAVE COMPLETELY LOSS CONTROL, AND BECAUSE THE FRAME FELL ON HER FEET, SHE PROBABLY COULDN'T HAVE APPLIED THE BRAKE. NO STEERING AND NO BRAKE! I THINK THIS IS A POTENTIALLY FATAL DESIGN DEFECT. OF COURSE, THE DEALER AND FORD APOLOGIZED BUT REFUSED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY. *JB