1998 FORD CONTOUR Complaints

MY COMPLIANT IS THAT I WAS BACKING MY CAR UP AND THE FRONT BRAKES LOCKED UP SPECIFICALLY THE RIGHT FRONT. THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE. YOU COULD SMELL BURNING AND SEE SMOKE FROM THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL. I HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO MY MECHANIC. AFTER EXTENSIVE WORK ON THE CAR WE FOUND OUT THAT THE BRAKE CALIPER PISTON WOULD NOT RETRACT INTO THE CALIPER, AFTER THE MECHANIC REASSEMBLED THE CAR, HE FOUND OUT THE RIGHT CALIPER WOULD NOT BLEED OUT, AFTER EXTENSIVE TESTING THE CONCLUSION WAS REACHED NO FLUID WOULD COME OUT OF THE PORT ON THE HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT TO THAT WHEEL. REPLACEMENT OF THE HCU AND MODULE ASSEMBLY WAS NECESSARY. MY CAR WAS TOWED TO THE MECHANICS ON 2-06-2003 AND WAS FINALLY FINISHED ON 2-20-2003. THE DELAY IN GETTING THE CAR FINISHED WAS BECAUSE IT WAS THE CONTOUR SVT MODEL 1998, CHANGES IN THE BRAKE PARTS HAD BEEN MADE AND WERE NOT EASY TO OBTAIN. THE FORD DEALER DID NOT HAVE THE PARTS NEEDED TO COMPLETE THE JOB THEY HAD TO BE ORDERED. I HAVE ALL THE PARTS THAT WERE PULLED OFF THE CAR. ALSO LETTER FROM MY MECHANIC. *JB

THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME STUCK IN ONE DIRECTION. CONSUMER HAD TO USE EXCESSIVE FORCE TO GET STEERING BACK TO THE CENTER. *JB

THE HEATER WENT OUT IN OUR CAR, SO WE DECIDED TO FIX IT AT HOME. AFTER TAKING OUT THE BAD PART, WE DISCOVERED IT WAS MELTED. I DECIDED TO CHECK THE WEB TO SEE IF YET ANOTHER RECALL HAD BEEN ISSUED. INDEED IT HAD. WE DON'T REMEMBER BEING NOTIFIED. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP TO SCHEDULE A REPAIR. THEY FIXED IT. ONE MONTH LATER, OUR HEATER BLOWER MOTOR WENT OUT. WE BELIEVE THIS IS IN DIRECT CORRELATION TO THE HEATER BLOWER RESISTOR THAT WAS MELTED. WE ENDED UP PAYING OUT OF POCKET TO GET A NEW HEATER BLOWER MOTOR, BUT NOT AFTER TRYING TO CONTACT FORD CUSTOMER SERVICES. WHEN WE CONTACTED THEM, WE COULD NOT TALK TO A MANAGER ( THEY WOULD HAVE TO CALL US BACK WHEN IT WAS CONVENIENT FOR THEM). THEY CALLED BACK THREE TIMES. ALL THREE TIMES WE WERE OUT, WHEN WE CALLED THEM BACK WE WERE TOLD THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO WAIT TO BE CALLED BACK AT FORDS CONVENIENCE. AFTER THE THIRD TIME THEY CALLED AND WE WEREN'T HOME, THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T BE BOTHERED WITH OUR COMPLAINT ANYMORE. WHILE WE WERE AT THE DEALERSHIP TO PICK UP OUR CAR, WE INSISTED SOMEONE FROM FORD TALK TO US. THEY LIED AND SAID OUR COMPLAINT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE RECALL AND THEY KNOW THIS BECAUSE THEY TALKED TO THE SERVICE MANAGER. WE KNOW THEY LIED BECAUSE HE WAS OUT ALL DAY, AND WE ASKED HIM IF HE TALKED TO FORD AND HE SAID NO. THE SERVICE MANAGER DID FINALLY SAY THAT THE PART THAT WAS MELTED DID CONTRIBUTE GREATLY TO THE DEMISE OF THE HEATER BLOWER MOTOR, BUT THAT FORD WOULD NOT PAY FOR IT. HE SAID OTHER PEOPLE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM. I AM NOT SURE OF THE EXACT DATES.*JB

THE VEHICLE STALLED, WHICH ALMOST CAUSED CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE.*JB

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING PROBLEMS WITH HEAD LIGHT SWITCH BEING INOPERABLE (CONNECTOR WAS BURNED CAUSING NO FUNCTION TO THE TAIL LIGHT. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. TS

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLES ACCELERATOR CABLE BROKE CAUSING THE PEDAL TO GO TO THE FLOOR RESULTING IN LOSS OF SPEED AND ACCELERATION. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS *NLM

CONSUMER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE'S CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON SINCE OCTOBER 2002. DEALER STATES PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. TS

CONSUMER STATES TIMING BELT FAILURE IS CAUSING VEHICLE TO HESITATES OR MAY NOT START INTERMITTENLY DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. TS

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE DEALERSHIP DIDN'T DO THE RECALL FOR THE HEATER BLOWER PROPERLY, AND AFTER THE RECALL WAS DONE THE HEATER BLOWER WAS INOPERVATIVE. TS

VEHICLE OPERATOR NOTICED ODOR OF NATURAL GAS IN PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. VEHICLE BROUGHT TO FRAMINGHAM FORD VIA FLAT BED DETERMINATION FUEL TANK LEAKING. NOT UNDER WARRANTY. HAS EXTENDED WARRANTY, EXPIRES MAY 2003. FORD DENIES COVERAGE. THIS CONSTITUTES A SAFETY HAZARD.----- DIMS 11 IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS-----------------769739. *AK