1998 FORD CONTOUR Complaints

WHILE DRIVING ON I75 AROUND ATLANTA, CAR STEERING FAILED MAKING CAR FEEL LIKE IT WAS HYDROPLANING BUT IT WASN'T. ROAD CONDITIONS WERE WET WITH LIGHT DRIZZLE. CAR VEERED TO LEFT AND HIT CONCRETE MEDIAN. BUMPER WAS LEFT HANGING BY A THREAD. CAR WASN'T SAFE TO DRIVE AND HAD TOWED TO BODY SHOP. FEEL THIS IS RELATED TO SIMILAR INCIDENTS WHERE THE CONTOUR STEERING FAILED AFTER WATER HITS THE BELTS & PULLEYS.

I BELIEVE THIS IS A PREMATURE FAILURE OF A MAJOR COMPONENT OF THE VEHICLE. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK

REAR BRAKES WERE ASSEMBLED BACKWARDS CAUSING BRAKES TO PARTIALLY FAIL AT HIGHER SPEEDS, DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *TT

SINCE THE BEGINNING OF JULY, 2001 THIS CAR HAS EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM AND HAS BEEN IN FOR DEALER SERVICE 4 TIMES FOR THAT PROBLEM. DEALER STATED THE PROBLEM WAS FIRST THE CAMSHAFT SENSOR SWITCH (WHICH WAS REPLACED TWICE, I WAS TOLD), THEN STATED THAT THE ACTUAL PROBLEM WAS THE CAM SHAFT ITSELF. THAT WAS REPLACED THE FOURTH TIME THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR SERVICE. I WAS TOLD THE DEALER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND A MANUFACTURER'S REP CONSULTED ON THE FOURTH REPAIR, WHICH TOOK 6 WEEKS TO COMPLETE. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED AND OCCURS AT VARIOUS SPEEDS/UNPREDICTABLE TIMES. IT HAS HAPPENED OFTEN WHEN TURNING INTO AN INTERSECTION, BUT ALSO WHEN TRAVELING AT 60+ MPH ON BUSY FREEWAYS. I CONSIDER THIS A SERIOUS PROBLEM LIKELY TO RESULT IN INJURY IF NOT FIXED. I DON'T BELIEVE THE DEALER CAN FIX THE PROBLEM SINCE THEY HAVE ATTEMPTED TO FOUR TIMES WITHOUT SUCCESS. DEALER HAS ONLY CHARGED FOR DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND HAS PAID FOR RENTAL CAR DURING TWO TIMES WHEN THEY HAD THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE. REGARDLESS, THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT I FEEL FORD MOTOR COMPANY MUST ADDRESS. AFTER CHECKING YOUR DATABASE OF CONSUMER COMPLAINTS, I FOUND MANY ENTRIES THAT DESCRIBED THE SAME TYPE OF PROBLEM. THE CONTOUR IS NO LONGER BEING MANUFACTURED BY FORD, WHICH TO ME INDICATES THAT THEY KNOW THIS VEHICLE HAS SERIOUS ENGINEERING FLAWS. *AK

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE JERKED FORWARD VERY HARD ALMOST LOSING CONTROL OF VEHICLE. UPON STOPPING AND RESTARTING VEHICLE GEAR WENT FROM PARK TO REVERSE. TOOK TO DEALER. TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED. VEHICLE CONTINUES TO DO THE SAME THING, JERKING. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

TRANSMISSION IS GONE. VEHICLE WILL NOT GO INTO GEAR. WHEN PUT VEHICLE INTO FIRST OR SECOND GEAR IT MAKES A NOISE. VEHICLE WILL NOT PULL. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER STATED TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

ENGINE CHECK LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED ON DASH,AND BRAKE FLUID WAS LEAKING. DEALER HAS REPLACED REAR BRAKE PRESSURE CONTROL VALVE. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE BREAKS WERE FINE NOW SINCE REPLACING THE DEFECTIVE BRAKE VALVE. THE BLOWER MOTOR HAD NO 3RD SPEED DUE TO BLOWER MOTOR SWITCH FAILURE. IT WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE TAKES FUEL VERY SLOW DUE TO FUEL PIPE FLAPPER VALVE FAILURE. *YH

POWER STEERING UNIT MAKES A LOUD NOISE IF BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED ON ICE AND SNOW. A NOISE CAN BE HEARD ONCE THE CAR IS STARTED. POWER STEERING FLUID HAS BEEN CHANGED, BUT THAT DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

AFTER GETTER THE RECALL PART REPLACED FOR THE FUEL SYSTEM, NOTICED THAT WHEN THE TANK IS FILLED THE CAR WOULD LEAK FUEL FROM AROUND THE FUEL PUMP. VEHICLE IS LEAKING WATER IN TRUNK AREA DURING RAIN, FAILED SEAL, REPLACE REAR BACK GLASS SEAL AND RESEAL BACK GLASS. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON, WEAK, REPLACE CANNISTER PURGE AND VAPOR CANISTER.

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE IT IDLES VERY HIGH AND MAKES VERY LOUD NOISES. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK