1996 FORD CONTOUR Complaints

CONSUMER HAD JUST PARKED CAR AND TURN IT OFF AND HEARD A POPPING NOISE. THEN, 10 TO 15 MINUTES LATER, CONSUMER SAW SMOKE AND FIRE COMING FROM ENGINE. CALLED FIRE DEPARTMENT. *AK

WHILE DRIVING THE REAR WINDOW FELL OUT OF THE HOUSING ONTO THE ROADWAY, THE CONSUMER HAD REPLACED THE WINDOW IN JULY 2000, THE OFFICER INSPECTED THE WINDOW AND FOUND THAT THE WINDOW SEAL APPEARED OLD AND RUSTY. (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT) *MJS

WHILE DRIVING WITH HEADLIGHTS ON TAIL LIGHTS AND DASHBOARD LIGHTS WENT OUT WITHOUT A PRIOR WARNING. DEALER HAD BEEN CONTACTED, AND CAUSE COULD NOT BE FOUND. *AK

I GOT THIS CAR IN APRIL 96. I HAVE HAD IT IN THE SHOP SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE THE CAR JUST COMPLETELY LOSES POWER WITHOUT ANY WARNING AT ALL. IT LOCKS UP THE STEERING AND BRAKES. IT HAPPENS AT ALL SPEEDS AND IN VARYING TEMPERATURES. THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM. THE MOST RECENT EPISODE WAS JAN 14, 2001. SOMETIMES I HAVE TO TOW THE CAR, OTHER TIMES IT WILL START BACK UP. THIS LAST TIME IT STARTED BACK UP AFTER ABOUT 5 MINUTES. FORTUNATELY, OTHER DRIVERS HAVE BEEN PAYING ATTENTION, AND I HAVEN'T BEEN KILLED. THIS CAR HAS ALSO EXPERIENCED: CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ALWAYS ON...DEALER CANNOT FIND PROBLEM, BUT CHARGES $110 TO DIAGNOSE IT EACH TIME!....THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL CABLE BROKE IN 2000. AGAIN, FORTUNATELY, I WAS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND NO CARS NAILED ME. THE PAINT ON THIS CAR IS BEGINNING TO PEEL/CRACK EVEN THOUGH IT IS GARAGE KEPT. I HAVE HAD TO PUT 3 SETS OF BRAKES ON THIS CAR...HAVE ALSO HAD THE DASH AND TAIL LIGHTS GO OUT (WHICH THEY DID FIX) ALSO THE AC KNOB BROKE (WHICH THEY FIXED) I HAVE TAKEN IT IN FOR ALL KNOWN RECALLS. FORD HAS NEVER RESPONDED TO MY CONCERNS ABOUT THE COMPLETE POWER LOSS I KEEP EXPERIENCING AND THE DEALER JUST SUGGESTS TOTALLY USELESS REPAIRS THAT COST ALOT AND DO NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

PANEL LIGHTS AND TAIL LIGHTS FAILED, PART (F5RZ-14A411-BA) WAS REPLACED IN 8/99 ACCORDING TO RECALL (99V-103), PART FAILED 1 YEAR AND 5 MONTHS LATER, OWNER WOULD LIKE TO BE REIMIBURSED FOR REPAIRS ON 1/12/01. CJ

MY FORD CONTOUR HAS BEEN STALLING OUT AND DYING ON ME WHILE MOVING ALONG IN TRAFFIC, AT STOP SIGNS, AND WHILE STOPPED AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS. THE LOUD FOG HORN SOUND USUALLY BEGINS WHEN I AM SLOWING DOWN TO STOP OR WHILE I AM STOPPED, BUT IT HAS BEGUN EVEN WHEN I AM AT FULL DRIVE SPEED OF APPROX. 35 MILES PER HOUR. THE STALLING OUT AND DYING SEEMS TO HAPPEN MORE OFTEN WHEN THE TEMPERATURES OUTSIDE ARE VERY COLD. THE CAR ALSO TENDS TO REV ITSELF (UP TO 1500 RPMS) WHEN I'M STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN, ETC. AFTER I HAD THE MAF SENSOR REPLACED THE FIRST TIME, BACK IN JAN. 2000, THE CAR CONTINUED TO REV ITSELF AND TRIED TO STALL OUT. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE AUTO SERVICE CTR. AND WAS TOLD THEY NEEDED TO REPROGRAM THE COMPUTER AND THAT WOULD TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEMS. WHILE THE CAR DID NOT REV ITSELF AT STOP OR IDLE, AS MUCH AS BEFORE, IT DID STILL CONTINUE TO REV AT A FULL STOP. THE VEHICLE HAS ALSO BEEN ROARING LIKE A FOG HORN AND COMPLETLY STALLED OUT AND DIED ON ME WHEN I WAS STOPPED AT STOP SIGNS, TRAFFIC LIGHTS, IN PARKING GARAGES IN LONG LINES OF TRAFFIC, AND WHILE I WAS DRIVING AT SLOW SPEEDS. I RECENTLY TOOK THE VEH. BACK TO THE SERVICE CTR. AND WAS TOLD IT WAS AGAIN THE MAF SENSOR AND THAT A REPLACEMENT WOULD INDEED FIX THE PROBLEMS. THE CAR IS STILL ROARING AND STALLING/DYING ON ME WHEN I'M OUT IN TRAFFIC. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND I CERTAINLY CONSIDER IT A SAFETY HAZARD. I FINALLY WENT TO THE NHTSA WEBSITE AFTER THE 2ND MAF SENSOR (01/01) DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEMS. SERVICE BULLETINS ON THE NHTSA INDICATE THE SAME PROBLEMS (STALLING/DYING OUT) ARE HAPPENING IN OTHER CONTOURS. NOW, THE FORD SERVICE CTR. IS TELLING ME THAT I NEED A DUCT AND RESONATOR ASSEMBY (PART # F-6RZ-9B659-CA) TO CORRECT THE NOISE AND STALLING OUT PROBLEMS THAT I WAS TOLD THE MAF SENSOR WOULD CORRECT. EVIDENTLY, THE ENTIRE AIR INTAKE SYSTEM HAS A REAL PROBLEM IN THIS CONTOUR. PLEASE REVIEW AND DO A RECALL. *AK

WITHOUT WARNING ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON CAUSING VEHICLE TO START TO KNOCK AND MAKE ALOT OF NOISE. PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT, VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER TO BE CHECKED FOR EXCESSIVE USE OF OIL.*AK

MY 1996 FORD CONTOUR'S (W/V6 2.5L DURATEC MOTOR) ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON AROUND JAN 2 OF 2001. I SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT AT THE CLOSEST FORD DEALERSHIP IN MODESTO, CA. AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THE NEXT AVAILABLE APPOINTMENT WAS ON FRIDAY JAN 05, 2001, LATER ON THAT WEEK. ONCE I TOOK IT IN, THEY HAD DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS BEING MY (3) CATALYTIC CONVERTERS AND MY THROTTLE BODY. THE SERVICE ADVISOR THEN TOLD ME THAT HE HAD TO CHECK WITH FORD BECAUSE HE BELIEVED THAT THE WORK WAS COVERED UNDER A FORD RECALL 97E61. THE NEXT DAY HE RESPONDED TO ME AND TOLD ME THAT FORD HAD SAID THAT IT WASN'T COVERED AND THAT MY BILL WOULD BE $1,300.00. I THEN ASKED HIM WHY IT WASN'T COVERED AND HE TOLD ME BECAUSE MY VIN# DOESN'T SHOW IT. HE THEN ASKED ME TO TAKE IT UP WITH FORD THE ACTUALL COMPANY. SO I'VE BEEN DOING RESEARCH ON IT MYSELF AND HAVE COME UP WITH A LITTLE BIT OF INFO. FORD'S CUSTOMER SERVICE HAS TOLD ME THAT THE REASON MY CAR IS NOT COVERED IS BECAUSE IT DOESN'T FALL UNDER THE 97E61 CRITERIA FOR RECALL. SO I ASKED WHAT ACTUALL PART DOES NOT FALL UNDEER THE CRITERIA. THEY ASKED ME TO TAKE IT UP WITH NHTSA AND THEY CAN GIVE ME THAT INFO. WHAT I HAVE FOUND IS THAT CARS THAT WERE BUILT AT 2 FORD PLANTS, CAUTLIN, AND KANSAS CITY PLANTS ARE THE ONES THAT ARE AFFECTED. WELL MY CAR WAS BUILT AT THE KANSAS CITY PLANT. THE OTHER CRITERIA I KNOW ABOUT IS IF THE CAR WAS BUILT WITHIN MARCH OF 95 THRU MARCH OF 96. WELL MY CAR WAS FIRST SOLD IN FEB. 96 AND IT'S A 96 MODEL SO IT WOULD HAVE TO FALL WITHIN THAT TIME FRAME. I AM CURRENTLY HAVING MY CAR FIXED AT A DIFFERENT FORD DEALERSHIP BUT MY COST IS STILL OVER $1,100.00. PLESAE HELP ME. CESAR GARCIA CALL ME ANY TIME AT 408-674-9315 TO LET ME KNOW YOU HAVE RECEIVED MY LETTER. I WOULD ALSO LIKE A COPY E-MAILED TO ME OF WHAT I HAVE WRITTEN SO I HAVE A RECORD AT [email protected]. *AK

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 20 MPH NEXT TO A CLOSE CURVE SAW A DEER IN FRONT OF VEHICLE ON ROAD. TRIED TO AVOID HITTING IT BY STEPPING ON BRAKES. THEY LOCKED UP, AND VEHICLE ROLLED OVER. NONE OF FRONT AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE MAKES A WHINNING SOUND, AND LOSES POWER. DEALR HAS BEEN CONTACTED.*AK