1998 FORD CONTOUR Complaints

1998 FORD CONTOUR SE, 2.5L V6 - WATER PUMP IMPELLER SHATTERED WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY, CAUSING LOSS OF COOLANT FLOW. ENGINE OVERHEATED. FORTUNATELY THERE WAS A LINCOLN-MERCURY DEALER LESS THAN 1 MILE AWAY FROM THE LOCATION WHERE THE PART FAILED, SO ENGINE DID NOT RUN IN OVERHEATING CONDITION FOR VERY LONG. WATER PUMP WAS REPLACED BY THIS LOCAL DEALER ($371 TOTAL). THE CAR IS STILL MY DAILY DRIVER, AND NOW APPEARS TO BE OPERATING NORMALLY WITH THE NEW WATER PUMP.

THE BRAKE/SHIFT INTERLOCK WORKS INTERMITTENTLY. SEEMS TO STOP WORKING WHEN IT RAINS. WON'T LET THE CAR BE TAKEN OUT OF PARK. COULD LEAVE SOMEONE STRANDED.*AK

FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS FAILED AT ABOUT 40,000 MILES. ONE SIDE WAS COMPLETELY FAILED, OTHER SIDE WAS IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT. I NOTICED SUDDEN GRINDING NOISE AND CHECKED FOR CAUSE. HAD BEARINGS REPLACED. COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE IF I HAD NOT RECOGNIZED THE PROBLEM. NO WARNING AS TO FAILURE. WHEEL BEARINGS SHOULD LAST MORE THAN 40,000 AND SHOULD NOT FAIL SUDDENLY.

RACK AND PINION STEERING UNIT STARTED TO LEAK SOME FLUID. STEERING WHEEL WOULD MAKE ALOT OF NOISE WHEN TRYING TO MAKE TURNS. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING. *AKHE RACK AND PINION UNIT WAS REPLACED WITH A REBUIT UNIT, THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAS BEGUN TO HAVE PROBLEMS. *NLM

TRANSMISSION BREAKDOWN, CAR WOULD WORK IN REVERSE ONLY, NOT IN FORWARD GEARS. CAR TAKEN TO DEALER WHO INFORMED OWNER THAT A COMPONENT PART BROKE DOWN AND DAMAGED OTHER PARTS. DEALER RECOMMENDS REPLACING WITH A REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION AT SIGNIFICANT COST.*AK

I HAVE SPOKEN TO SEVERAL PEOPLE AT FORD ABS LST RECALL SUPR SIMON ID 3082 LAUGHED AT MY SITUATION AND I AM COMPLETELY DISSASTIFIED WITH THE LACK OF HELP ESPECIALLY SINCE THERE IS A SAFETY RECALL THAT CLD ENDANGER MY FAMILIESLIFE. *AK

DURING NORMAL OPERATION OF VEHICLE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT ON INSTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATES AND WILL NOT GO OFF. DEALERSHIP HAS YET TO EXAMINE VEHICLE FOR THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / DOCUMENTATION.*AK

THE WIRING OF THE MAIN FUSE PANEL CRYSTALIZES DUE TO EXCESSIVE HEAT FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WHICH CAUSES A BREAKAGE IN THE WIRING AND THE WIRING TO OVERHEAT. THIS HAS MANIFESTED ITSELF BY CAUSING AIR CONDITIONER BLOWER MOTOR NOT TO WORK. THE WIRING GETS EXTREMELY HOT WHEN THIS HAPPENS. I KNOW OF OTHER CONTOURS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SAME PROBLEM.*AK

AIR CONDITIONER UNIT GIVES OUT A MUSTY AND MILDEW ODOR. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK

WAS INFORMED BY DEALERSHIP OF RECALL 99V243000. MECHANIC REFUSED TO COMPLY WITH RECALL REGARDING DIAGNOSTIC MONITOR. MECHANIC INDICATED AIR BAG RECALL WAS FOR CRASH SENSORS ONLY. OWNER THEN CONTACTED MANUFACTURER, AND WAS INFORMED OF SAME RECALL. INDICATED TO OWNER THAT DIAGNOSTIC MONITOR FOR AIR BAGS COULD NOT BE INSTALLED DUE TO NOT HEARING FROM NHTSA. *AK