1995 FORD CONTOUR Complaints

WHILE DRIVING THE SMELL OF SMOKE CAME FROM THE DASH AND THEN THE HEATER BLOWER CONTROL SWITCH STOPPED WORKING. I HAD A LETTER FROM FORD DATED OCTOBER OF 1999 THAT THEY WERE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE SWITCHES. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY WOULD EXTEND THE WARRANTY ON THAT COMPONENT. NOW WHEN I ASK THEM ABOUT IT, NOBODY SEEMS TO KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I AM CONVINCED THAT A SMALL FIRE WAS UNDER MY DASH BOARD. ALSO, MY DEFROSTER WON'T FUNCTION CORRECTLY AND MAKES FOR DANGEROUS DRIVING. *AK

CONSUMER HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR RECALL 00 V 367 000/ ENGINE COOLING FAN REPAIRS. AFTER CONSUMER TOOK IT BACK TO DEALER, THEY FOUND OUT A BARE WIRE WICH WAS CAUSING PROBLEM. A GENERAL MANAGER SAID THAT THEY COULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT HAD HAPPENED, THEREFORE NOTHING COULD BE DONE.*AK CONSUMER STATES AFTER VEHICLE WAS RETURNED IT BEGAN TO OVERHEAT, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD COME AND FUSES WERE BLOWN, CONSUMER WAS INFOMRED THAT THE REASON THE FUSES WERE BLOWING WAS BECAUSE THE RECALL THAT WAS PERFORMED ON THE ENGINE COOLING FAN WAS DONE WRONG AND THAT WAS WHY VEHICLE WAS OVERHEATING, DELAER THEN STATED THAT ADDITIONAL REPAIRS WOULD NOT BE COVERED DUE TO THE MILEAGE.*JB

WE HAVE EXPERIENCED INTERMITTENT FAILURES OF THE HEATER / AIR CONDITIONER BLOWER OVER THE PAST YEAR. LAST FALL AND WINTER, THE BLOWER WOULD OCCASIONALLY CEASE WORKING FOR SHORT PERIODS OF TIME, BUT WOULD ALWAYS COME BACK ON IF THE SWITCH POSITION WAS CHANGED (OR OCCASSIONALLY IF THE IGNITION WAS TURNED OFF AND THEN TURNED BACK ON). AT THAT POINT, IT WAS CERTAINLY AN ANNOYANCE, BUT NOT A MAJOR PROBLEM. AS TIME PROGRESSED, IT BEGAN TO BECOME MORE DIFFICULT TO GET IT TO COME BACK ON AND WHEN THE CAR WAS IN FOR SERVICE AT CHARLIE WATSON FORD IN LEBANON, OH ON 2/19/2001 (MILEAGE - 100,477), I ASKED THE SERVICE WRITER ABOUT IT. HE INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD TAKE A LOOK AT IT, BUT WHEN I PICKED IT UP, THEY SAID THAT THE BLOWER OPERATED FINE WHENEVER THEY CHECKED IT AND THAT I SHOULD BRING IT BACK WHEN IT WASN'T WORKING. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO THEM ON 04/09/2001 (MILEAGE - 101,988) WHEN THE BLOWER STOPPED OPERATING AND WOULDN'T RESTART. WHEN I PICKED THE CAR UP, I PAID A $70.00 DIAGNOSTIC FEE AND WAS TOLD THAT ALTHOUGH FORD HAD AN UN-ANNOUNCED CAMPAIGN ON BLOWER FAILURES, MY VEHICLE DIDN'T QUALIFY BECAUSE 1) THE CAMPAIGN DIDN'T COVER VEHICLES OVER 100,000 MILES AND 2) THE WIRING ON OUR CAR FAILED AT THE FUSE BLOCK, NOT AT THE SWITCH. WHEN I PRESSED THEM, THEY INDICATED THAT THEY HAD SPOKEN WITH FORD ABOUT THE MILEAGE BEING JUST OVER 100,000 AND FELT THEY COULD OVERCOME THAT ISSUE BUT FORD WOULD ONLY FIX IT IF THE WIRING FAILURE WAS AT THE SWITCH. THEY QUOTED AN ESTIMATE OF $800.00 TO REPAIR / REPLACE THE WIRING AND FUSE BLOCK. AMAZINGLY, WHEN I GOT BACK INTO THE CAR, THE BLOWER WORKED FINE AND CONTINUED TO FOR ABOUT 6 WEEKS BEFORE WE STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS AGAIN. OVER THE PAST 4 - 6 WEEKS, IT HASN'T OPERATED AT ALL. ADDITIONALLY, I HAVE NOW BEGUN TO EXPERIENCE PROBLEMS WITH THE BLOWER (WORKS ON HIGH SPEED ONLY) ON MY 1998 CONTOUR. THIS IS AN OBVIOUS SAFETY CONCERN (NO DEFROSTER IN WET/COLD WEATHER). WHY IS FORD NOT BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE? THANKS.*AK

TRANSMISSION GEAR SELECTION BECAME DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE. LEVER WOULD INDICATE DRIVE AND WOULD ACTUALLY BE IN 1ST OR 2ND GEAR. LEVER BECAME STIFF AND DIFFICULT TO OPERATE. CONTACTED FORD ABOUT NHTSA RECALL FOR PROBLEM AND WAS TOLD THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED BY RECALL. DON'T UNDERSTAND. PROBLEM IS EXACTLY AS DESCRIBED AND COVERS THE MANUFACTURERING PERIOD INDICATED IN NHSTA 98V233000. *AK

THREE OF THESE TIRES FAILED WITH TREAD SEPARATION AND WERE REPLACED. I JUST NOTED THAT THESE TIRES WERE MADE AT FIRESTONE'S DECATUR PLANT WHICH PRODUCED THE RECALLED WILDERNESS TIRES. IT SEEMS THEIR PROBLEMS MAY BE WIDER THAN JUST THE EXPLORER ISSUE.*AK

THE DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW GRINDS WHEN GOING UP, THE GLASS TRACKS ARE UNEVEN GOING UP CAUSING THE REAR EDGES TO COME OUT OF THE TRACK, THE DEALER HAS REPLACED THE REGULATOR AND MOTOR 5 TIMES, THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THIS DEFECT IS AN ENGINEERING FLAW, THE CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT. NLM

DROVE INTO A SPACE, BEFORE TURNING OFF THE IGNITION, PUT GEAR SHIFT IN PARK, CAR SUDDENLY LUNGED FORWARD, ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL, RAN INTO A TREE

AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT REMAINS ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD, INDICATING A MALFUNCTION WITHIN SYSTEM, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

AFTER STARTING VEHICLE CONSUMER NOTICED A STRONG FUEL ODOR INSIDE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. CAUSE HAS YET TO BE DETERMINED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

AFTER RECEIVING RECAL ON 00 V 367 000/ ENGINE COOLING FAN CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR REPAIRS. UPON RECEIVING VEHICLE BACK FROM DEALER,. TWO DAYS LATER, VEHICLE OVERHEATED. HAD TO BE TOWED BACK TO DEALER. DEALER STATED NOTHING THEY DID WOULD HAVE CAUSED VEHICLE TO OVERHEAT. CONSUMER INSISTED HE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM UNTIL IT WAS TAKEN TO DEALER FOR RECALL REPAIRS ON ENGINE COOLING FAN. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK