1996 FORD CONTOUR Complaints

WHAT EXACTLY ARE THEY RECALLING ON THE 1996-1998 FORD CONTOUR? IS IT THE WHOLE CAR OR JUST THE ELECTRIC SYSTEM? IS THAT CONSIDERED THE WIRING HARNESS? THE REASON WE'RE SO INTERESTED IS BECAUSE WE'VE HAD MANY MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH OUR 1996 FORD CONTOUR. WE SENT OUR CAR TO THE FORD OF OCALA,FL FOR THE WIRING HARNESS RECALL, AND THEY GAVE US A VERY HARD TIME ABOUT FIXING IT. THEY WERE TRYING TO GET US TO REPLACE PARTS THAT WEREN'T EVEN BAD, AT THE COST OF $400.00 FOR ONE PART. BUT THEN THEY SAID THERE WAS A WHOLE LIST OF THINGS THAT WERE WRONG WITH IT, AND AFTER THEY FIXED EACH OF THESE PARTS, IF OUR CAR STILL DIDN'T START, THEN THEY'D GET TO FIXING THE WIRING HARNESS. WE HAD 2 MECHANICS CHECK THESE PARTS AND THEY WEREN'T BAD AT ALL. IT TOOK THEM 2 AND A HALF WEEKS BEFORE THEY GAVE US OUR CAR BACK.THEN WHEN WE GOT IT BACK, WE HAD TO TAKE IT TO OUR REGULAR MECHANIC WHO SAID THEY WIRED IT WRONG, AND LEFT THE WIRING TO THE AIR-CONDITIONING AND THE ALTERNATOR UNDONE. THAT WAS 2 MONTHS AGO, AND WE JUST HAD TO REPLACE OUR ALTERNATOR. THE MECHANIC THAT FIXED THE ALTERNATOR SAID THEY DID A LOUSY JOB, BECAUSE HALF THE WIRING WASN'T EVEN DONE RIGHT. THERE IS WIRING IN OUR CAR THAT IS BARE, AND HE SAID IT COULD CAUSE OUR CAR TO CATCH ON FIRE. ALSO, THE WIRING LEADING TO THE ALTERNATOR IS BARE, WHICH HE SAID MOST LIKELY SHORTED OUT THE ALTERNATOR. SO NOW WE NEED TO HAVE THE WIRING REDONE, AND ALL OF THIS HAS COST US HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS. THIS CAR IS THE WORST CAR EVER MADE, WE'VE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH IT FROM THE DAY WE GOTIT! WE HAD THE AIR FIXED, AND AFTER THEY DID THE RECALL, THE AIR NO LONGER WORKED ANYMORE. ALSO, AFTER THEY WORKED ON THE RECALL, THERE ARE MANY WIRES THAT ARE STILL CRACKED AND BRITTLE, AND LEFT BARE. THE WIRING TO THE BATTERY IS COMPLETELY BARE, ALSO, AND WE'VE HAD TO REPLACE THE BATTERY 3 TIMES SINCE WE'VE HAD THE CAR. THE SEATBELT LOCKS UP WHILE DRIVING WHERE IT IS SO TIGHT I CAN'T MOVE AT ALL.WE'RE AFRAID IT WILL CATCH FIRE! ALSO MORE PROBLEMS!

I HAVE PREVIOUSLY HAD PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE AND HAVE TAKEN IT MORE THAN EIGHT DIFFERENT TIMES TO BE SERVICE AND PROBLEM STILL HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED EVEN AFTER HAVING ENGINE REPLACED I AM HAVING SOME OF THE SAME PROBLEMS. CAR HAS BEEN SERVICED ON A REGULAR BASIS AND STILL IT HAS PROBLEMS.E . .

LOSS OF POWER WHILE TRAVELING. PROBLEM HAVE OCCURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, AND BEEN IN / OUT OF DEALER'S SHOP ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, AND STILL UNABLE TO FIND CAUSE OR DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

WHILE USING AIR CONDITIONER IT STOPPED BLOWING AIR , AFTER BEING REPAIRED AIR WAS NOT COMING FROM THE VENTS. *AK

LIGHT ON THE DASH AND TAILIGHT WILL GO OUT INTERMITTENTLY DUE TO HEADLIGHT SWITCH. NHTSA RECALL 99V103000/ MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 99S14 REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED IN NOVEMBER 1999 ,BUT DEFECT HAS REOCCURRED. DEALER OR MANUFACTURER HAVE REFUSED TO FIX IT AGAIN.*AK

STEERING WHEEL, COLUMN, DASH BOARD, AND NOW I CAN FEEL IT IN THE DRIVERS SEAT ,VIBRATE WHEN CAR IS AT A COMPLETE STOP. VIBRATION LESSENS SLIGHTLY WHEN THE CAR IS PLACED IN PARK. THE FORD SERVICE DEALER IN WARNER ROBINS, GA DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS "CORRECTION DIAG AND NEEDS AIR BAG, RADIATOR SUPPORT AND STEERING WHEEL DAMPER" I WAS ALSO ADVISED NONE OF THE REPAIRS WERE COVERED UNDER MY ESP PLAN AS THESE WERE EXTERNAL PROBALMS AND THE WARRANTY ONLY COVERS INTERNAL. MY WARRANTY RUNS AT AT EITHER 72000 OR ON NOV 10, 2000. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE AIR BAG SPECIFICALLY. WILL IT DEPLOY WHEN IT SHOULD, OR SHOULDN'T OR NOT AT ALL? I ASKED THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT IF THEIR RECORDS INDICATE ANY SERIOUS DAMAGE WOULD BE DONE IF I DID NOT HAVE THE REPAIRS DONE AND THEY TOLD ME NO. THIS I DON'T BELEIVE AS I FEEL THE PROBLEM GETTING WORSE. HOW WILL I BE ABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR IF THIS PROBLEM CONTINUES TO GET WORSE? I FEEL FORD SHOULD LOOK INTO THIS PROBLEM, IF IT IS A MAJOR DEFECT IT COULD RESULT IN A MAJOR LAWSUIT.

THE BLOWER FAN WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALER BECAUSE OF A RECALL. IT LASTED ABOUT 3 MONTHS AND PROCEEDED TO BREAK AGAIN. THIS TIME THE DEALER STATED THAT I HAD TO REPLACE THE FUSE PANEL IN THE CAR. I TOOK THE CAR TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND HE REAFFIRM THE DEFECT. THEY ALSO STATED THAT THEY RARELY HAD TO REPLACE A FUSE PANEL. IN ADDITION TO THIS REPAIR, BOTH POWER WINDOW REGULATORS WENT OUT ON THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER FRONT SIDES OF THE CAR. THE COMPANY THAT DID THE REPAIR SAID THIS IS VERY COMMON IN FORD VEHICLES. I CONTACTED THE REGIONAL OFFICE OF FORD AND THEY WOULD NOT GIVE ME ANY RESTITUTION ON THESE REPAIRS.

I HAVE PROBLEMS WITH POWER WINDOWS, FRONT LEFT SIDE, THIS CAR HAS HAD 5 PREVIOUS OWNER'S

WHEN DEPRESSING BRAKES WITH NORMAL FORCE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO TRAVEL, CAUSING A CRASH. *AK

ACCELERATOR CABLE BROKE WHILE DRIVING. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK THE VEHICLE HAS STEERING PROBLEM TOO, BUT THE DEALER WOULD NOT FIX IT UNLESS THE OWNER PAYS FOR THE REPAIR. *YH