1996 FORD CONTOUR Complaints

WHILE DRIVING TAIL LIGHTS/ODOMETER LIGHTS, AND PARKING LIGHTS WENT OUT. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLETO DEALER, AND THEY REPLACED A SWITCH. CONSUMER DID NOT KNOW WHICH SWITCH, ON NOV 1, 2000 SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED. TOOK VEHICLE TO ANOTHER DEALER, AND THEY REPLACED HEADLIGHT SWITCH, AND A F5RZ14A411 *BA, HEAD LAMP SWITCH.*AK

RIGHT REAR LIGHT CONTINUED TO GO OUT. REPLACE BULB FEW TIMES. RIGHT WHEEL BEARING HAD TO BE REPLACED. MAJOR FAN BELT REPLACED. ALTERNATOR REPLACED. LIGHT ON RADIO GOES OFF WHEN HEAD LIGHTS TURNED ON. THIS HAPPENED AFTER THEY FIXED MY RECALL FOR LIGHTS. GAS CAP COVER IS VERY HARD TO OPEN. TAKES SEVERAL TIMES TO TRY AND OPEN. WHEN AIR IS ON SMELLS COME THROUGH REALLY STRONG FROM OTHER CARS. OWNER NOTIFICATION RECALLS ARE NOT TAKEN CARE OF UNTIL THEY ACTUALLY HAPPEN. THESE ARE COIL CAN BREAK AND CAR GO DOWN BLOW OUT TIRES. ALSO ELECTRICAL HARNESS CAN BREAK AND WIRES WILL CONNECT WITH OTHER PARTS OF THE CAR AND CAUSE A FIRE. I HAVE SENT A LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT OF FORD AND EXPLAINED HOW I FELT THIS CAR WAS UNSAFE AND IF ANYTHING HAPPENED TO ME OR MY FAMILY THEY WOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE. I NEVER RECEIVED A RESPONSE FROM ANYONE. THEY SHOULD BE MADE TO TAKE BACK ALL CONTOURS AND GIVE US A SAFER CAR FOR US AND OUR FAMILIES TO DRIVE. I AM A SINGLE PARENT AND CANNOT AFFORD TO FINANCE ANOTHER CAR. THEY NEED TO PROVIDE A LOAN AND NEW CAR FOR US. I WILL BE CONTACTING FORD AGAIN IN THE NEAR FUTURE TO SEE IF THEY WILL HELP WITH TAKING MY CAR BACK AND GIVING ME ANOTHER CAR/LOAN. AS I TOLD THEM IN THE LETTER THEY JUST WANTED TO SELL AND MAKE MONEY THEY DIDN'T THINK OF THE FAMILY AND OR FAMILIES THAT THIS CAR AS IT FELL APART WOULD EFFECT. I APPRECIATE THAT YOU HAVE THIS WEB SITE THAT I CAN VOICE MY CONCERNS,PROBLEMS WITH THE FORD AND FEEL SOMEONE MAY PAY ATTENTION BEFORE SOMEONE IS HURT IN THESE CARS AS HAVE BEEN MANY WITH THE TIRE SITUATION. I WILL HELP YOU IN ANY WAY I CAN TO CLEAR UP ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS. I KEEP THE LETTER I SENT FORD IN MY CAR IN CASE SOMETHING HAPPENS SOMEONE WILL BE ABLE TO READ IT AND KNOW I DID TRY TO GET THIS PROBLEM DISSOLVED BEFORE IT WAS TO LATE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP. DEBBIE JENNINGS HEWITT

ENGINE CHECK LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON EVERY MONTH FOR THE LAST 6 MONTHS, HAD IT ON COMPUTER EVERY TIME, NO CODES FOUND. CAR RUNNING WITH NO POWER. CAR IS MISSING.*AK

I CAN TELL BY THE MARKS ON THE PASSANGER SIDE DOOR THAT THE WINDOW ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED PRIOR TO MY BUYING THE CAR. SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR THE DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW GOT STUCK DOWN AND SEEING THE COST OF THE PART AND LABOR I COULDN'T AFFORD TO GET IT FIXED SO THE GUY JUST PUT THE WINDOW IN THE UP POSSISION FOR ME. THE BACK DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW IS SO LOOSE THAT I CAN'T ROLL IT DOWN BECAUSE IT RATTLES TOO MUCH. THE GAS PEDEL STICKS ALL THE TIME. I CAN BE GOING WHATEVER SPEED L;IMIT AND HAVE TO HIT THE GAS REAL QUICK TO GET IT TO SLOW DOWN AND WHEN I GET READY TO GO THE PEDEL IS STUCK AGAIN AND I HAVE TO PUSH HARD AND THEN IT ALL OF A SUDDEN GOES WITH A JERK. THIS HAS BEEN THE CAR FROM HELL.*AK

CAR HAS ALWAYS STALLED AND I WAS TOLD BY A MECHANIC THAT IT WAS BECAUSE THE CAR WAS MADE LIKE A STICK SHIFT SO IT STALLS AT STOP SIGNS AND LIGHTS SOMETIMES. NOW MY CAR IS STALLING AS I START GOING THROUGH LIGHTS AND I WAS ALMOST HIT BY A CAR FROM BEHIND

THE PLASTIC LENS IN THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY DEGRADED TO THE POINT THAT LIGHT COMING FROM THE HEADLIGHT WAS HARDLY DISTINGUISHABLE FROM THE LIGHT COMING FROM THE AMBER PARKING LIGHTS. VEHICLES BEHIND MY CAR, WHILE DRIVING WOULD CAST A SHADOW IN FRONT OF MY CAR. I REPLACED THE LIGHT BULBS ON THE FRONT OF MY CAR TO NO AVAIL. THE PROBLEM REMAINED THE SAME. I JUST RECENTLY PURCHASED NEW HEADLIGHT HOUSINGS AND INSTALLED THEM TO REPLACE THIS SERIOUS PROBLEM. FORD USED A VERY INEXPENSIVE OR UNTESTED PLASTIC WHICH FAILED/DEGRADED QUICKLY.

PRIOR TO RECEIVING RECALL NOTICE, THE LEFT FRONT FIRESTONE TIRE BLEW OUT CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE (00T-005). *YH

MY TRANSMISSION WENT OUT ON MY 1996 FORD COUNTOUR (66000+ MILES). I WAS TOLD THAT MY TRANSMISSION WENT TO HIGH LINE PRESSURE AND BLEW A PISTON DRUM IN THE TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSMISSION IN MY CAR IS A CD4E WHICH IS ALSO FOUND IN MADZA CARS. THE CD4E TRANSMISSION IS KNOWN FOR IT MANY PROBLEMS RELEATED TO GOING TO HIGH LINE PRESSURE AND BLOWING THE PISTON DRUMS IN ITS' EARLIER DESIGNS BETWEEN (1994 - 1998). WHY AREN'T THESE DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSIONS RECALLED FOR CORRECTION.*AK

MY CAR WAS IN THE SHOP 5 TIMES IN ONE MONTH - ALL ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. ALTERNATOR, BATTERY, STARTER, WIRING HARNESS, SPEED SENSOR AND OXYGEN SENSOR WERE ALL CHANGED. THE FORD DEALERSHIP DOES NOT UNDERSTAND WHY I AM HAVING ALL THESE PROBLEMS. IT WAS ALSO IN A GARAGE FIRE AT THE DEALERSHIP IN THIS TIME AND I HAD SMOKE DAMAGE TO MY CAR ON TOP OF THE ENGINE PROBLEMS. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I LOSS MONEY ON THE TRADE IN. THIS IS THE WORSE CAR I HAVE EVER OWNED AND WILL NEVER OWN ANOTHER FORD CAR OR TRUCK AGAIN. *AK

COOLING SYSTEM FAILED AT LOW MILEAGE FOR NO REASON. I WAS INFORMED BY A FRIEND THAT HE WAS TOLD BY A CAR DEALERSHIP THAT THERE WAS A "SILENT RECALL" ON THE COOLING SYSTEM AND HEAD GASKET, WHEN I CALLED THEY DENIED IT. WATER PUMP,TIMING BELT,SERPENTINE BELT, THERMOSTAT, SW 5030 SWITCH, DY719 SWITCH, FRR2 RELAY AND PRESSURE TEST COOLING SYSTEM AND INSPECTION WHERE DONE. I HAD ALL PARTS REPLACED WITH NEW FORD PARTS AT NON-FORD REPAIR STATION DUE TO WILLIAMS FORD BAD SERVICE AND REPUTATION OF NOT FIXING CARS PROPERLY AND OVER CHARGING. I FEEL THAT WILLIAMS FORD SHOULD BE INVESTGATED ON HOW THEY RUN THE MATIANCE DEPARTMENT, MYSELF AND PEOPLE I HAVE MEET HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS.