1996 FORD CONTOUR Complaints

CONSUME R WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 65MPH ON HIGHWAY AND HEARD A CLUNKING NOISE. THERE WAS NO PRIOR WARNING LIGHT AT ALL. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED. MECHANIC TOLD CONSUMER THAT ENGINE HEAD GASKET HAD BLOWN OUT. *AK

WHENEVER STARTING VEHICLE OR EVEN DRIVING ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WOULD START ACTING UP. WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD GO ON BY THEMSELVES, HAVE NOT BEEN TURNED ON. LIGHTS, INTERIOR & EXTERIOR, WOULD GO OUT. IGNITION WILL NOT START VEHICLE SOMETIMES.ALSO, WOULD HEAR A CLICKING NOISE. DID NOT HAVE A BATTERY PROBLEMS. HEATER BLOWER FAILED TO WORK. NO RECALLS ON VEHICLE FOR ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. *AK

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ON HIGHWAYAND VEHICLE STARTED SMOKING BLUE SMOKE. THEN, VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE DASHBOARD WAS BADLY BURNED. NO INJURIES. *AK

THE CAR OVERHEATED SEVERLY WHILE ON THE FREEWAY, I HAD IT TOWED AND SPENT 2 WEEKS AT 2 DIFFERENT AUTOMOTIVE COMPANIES (INCLUDING THE FORD DEALERSHIP IN BURIEN, WA) TRYING TO GET IT FIX BEFORE DISCOVERING IT HAD CRACKED THE BLOCK OF THE ENGINE. I SPENT ABOUT $1,300 AND HAD TO SALVAGE THE CAR. IS THERE A POSSIBLE WAY TO GET SOME COMPENSATION BACK FROM FORD? I HAVE ALL MY PAPER WORK SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR. THANK YOU FOR ANY HELP. GAIL BOWMAN*AK

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AND ENGINE OVERHEATED WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. VEHICLE WAS BLOWING OUT BLUE SMOKE AND MAKING CLUNKNIG NOISES.*AK

FRONT SUPPORT SYSTEM BOLT HAS STRIPPED OFF. CONSUMER HAD TO HAVE LEFT FRONT SUBFRAME REPLACED. *AK THE STRIPPED BOLT IN THE FRONT SUB FRAME WAS REPLACED WITH A NEW BOLT AND THE PROBLEM WAS SOLVED. *YH

FUEL VAPOR LEAKAGE OCCURS CAUSING HEAVY FUEL SMELL FROM UNDER VEHICLE. THIS WAS CAUSED BY FUEL PUMP WHICH HAD NO RUBBER CAP. *AK THE CAUSE FOR GAS VAPOR LEAK WAS FOUND TO BE DEFECTIVE FUEL TANK SEAL AT THE FUEL PUMP UNIT, AND WAS FIXED. THE CONSUMER STATES IT WAS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. *YH

ENGINE KEEPS OVERHEATING AND CAUSING SMOKE UNDER HOOD WHEN DRIVING. CONSUMER HAS TAKEN VEHICLE INTO FORD ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS, AND FORD CLAIMED THAT THEY REPAIRED PROBLEM. *AK

WHILE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN OVERDRIVE ACTIVATES, AND VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUTS DOWN IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

BOTH HEADLIGHT LENSES ARE DIRTY DUE TO HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY SEAL FAILURE. NIGHT TIME ILLUMINATION UNSAFE. THIS COMPLAINT IS CONSISTENT WITH OTHER NHTSA CONSUMER COMPLAINTS, ODI ID 864545, 734106, 531407 AND 532479. DEALER STATES THE PROBLEM IS NOT COVERED BY EXTENDED WARRENTY PURCHASED ALONG WITH VEHICLE. *AK