1998 FORD CONTOUR Complaints

A COIL ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE BROKE AND BLEW THE TIRE, SPARE WAS INSTALL AND BLEW ALSO DUE TO COIL. *YH

THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN A "LEMON" SINCE PURCHASED NEW IN AUGUST, 1997 FROM SAM GALLOWAY FORD IN FORT MYERS, FLORIDA. FROM THE BEGINNING, THE CAR DROVE "ROUGH" NOT SMOOTH. THE VEHICLE CONSTANTLY WAS VIBRATING, AND SIMPLY GOT WORSE OVER TIME. THE VIBRATIONS WOULD OCCUR AT SPEEDS AS LOW AS ABOUT 40 MILES PER HOUR, INCREASING THE FASTER YOU DROVE. YOU COULD ACTUALLY FEEL AND SEE YOUR BODY SHAKE. THE RIDE WAS THE TOTAL OPPOSITE OF A SMOOTH ONE. ROUGH AND BUMPY, EVEN ON SMOOTH, FLORIDA ROADS. THE VEHICLE FELT LIKE YOU WERE "PUSHING" OR "FORCING" IT TO DRIVE. THE GEAR SHIFT HAS ALWAYS BEEN DIFFICULT TO MANUVER, GENERALLY STICKING WHILE TRYING TO CHANGE GEARS. A COUPLE OF TIMES, THIS NEARLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT, DUE TO THE INABILITY TO CHANGE GEARS. WHEN REPORTED TO FORD, THE ONLY RESPONSE THAT THAT "PER THE MANUAL, THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED SOME TYPE OF OVERHAUL, AT A COST OF ABOUT $500. ALSO, SEVERAL TIMES, THERE WAS SMOKE AND A BURNING RUBBER TYPE SMELL EMITTING FROM THE AIR VENTS. THIS WAS BROUGHT INTO FORD SEVERAL TIMES, AND NOT FIXED. THE FINAL TIME, THE ENTIRE CAR FILLED WITH SMOKE--I CALLED THE SERVICE MANAGER, MARLON HANSON, FROM THE VEHICLE ON MY CELL PHONE, BECAUSE I WAS SCARED THAT THE CAR MAY BURST INTO FLAMES. HIS REMARKS MADE IT SOUND LIKE "NO BIG DEAL" JUST BRING IN THE CAR. MEANWHILE, I HAD TO PULL OVER, I WAS SO SCARED, NOT KNOWING IF THE VEHICLE WAS GOING TO START ON FIRE OR EVEN BLOW UP. THIS VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT IN TWICE MORE FOR THIS REPAIR, AND FINALLY APPEARS TO BE FIXED. WE WERE TOLD THAT IT WAS SOME WIRING THAT WAS BURNING, OR STARTING ON FIRE. OUR ONLY COMPENSATION FOR THAT WAS A FREE RENTAL CAR, AFTER I PRESSURED THE SERVICE MANAGER. THE CASSETTE PORTION OF THE RADIO BROKE EARLY ON. NEVER ADDRESSED THAT ISSUE WITH DEALER OR FORD. STEERING COLUMN IS INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO MANUEVER-VERY HARD TO TURN. AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT INTERMITTENDLY COMES ON, AT ANY SPEED. TIRES HAVE BEEN REPLACED, BUT NEWER TIRE KEEPS DEFLATING--PER TBS, COIL SPRING PROBLEM?*A

VEHICLE STALLS FOR NO REASON. CONSUMER WILL GO TO START VEHICLE, AND IT WILL NOT START. WHEN GOING IN LOW SPEED OR COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP VEHICLE STALLS. SOMETIMES WHEN TRYING TO PULL OFF VEHICLE STALLS. CONTACTED DEALER.*AK

VEHICLE STALLS OUT WHILE DRIVING. ENGINE CHECK LIGHT WAS FIXED SO CONSUMER WOULD SEE THE WARNING SIGN. PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT, BUT CURRENTLY AN ONGOING ISSUE. ENGINE NEEDS A VCT SOLENOID REPLACED AT THE CONSUMER'S COST.*AK

WAS DRIVING AND APPLIED TBRAKES, AND BRAKES LOCKED UP. VEHICLE SLID INTO A DITCH. THIS CAUSED FRONT END TO BE DAMAGED. VEHICLE WAS DRIVABLE. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC CHECKED VEHICLE AND INDICATED THAT BRAKE PADS WERE THE PROBLEM.

WHILE TRAVELING AT ABOUT 65 MPH IN POURING RAIN, THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT STARTED TO FLASH A CODE 5 AND 2. NEXT MORNING LIGHT WAS OFF. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. CONSUMER FELT LIKE AIRBAG SYSTEM WAS DISABLED, AND MAY NOT DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT. DEALER REPLACED FRONT AIRBAGS UNDER RECALL 99 V 243 000.*AK *SLC

INTERMITTENTLY VEHICLE WILL STALL OUT AND DIE WITHOUT WARNING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. VEHICLE WILL START UP IMMEDIATELY AFTER . DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.*AK

INTERMITTENTLY UNDER WET CONDITIONS VEHICLE WILL STALL OUT AND DIE. DEALER HAS INSPECTED VEHICLE AND ADJUSTED BELTS. PLEASE SPECIFY WHICH BELTS, AND PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *AK

CONSUMER HAD JUST PUT ON NEW BRAKES. BUT, 2 DAYS EARLIER BRAKES FAILED WHILE WIFE WAS DRIVING, RESULTING IN A HEAD-ON COLLISION. DRIVER AND PASSENGER OF OTHER VEHICLE WERE INJURED. *AK CONSUMER STATES A VEHICLE SUDDENLY STOPPED IN FRONT OF THEM AND WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE LEFT AND HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE HEAD ON. *SLC

COIL SPRING BROKE PUCTURING NEW $ 50.00 TIRE. WHILE PARKED. IS RIGHT SPRING A CONCERN? IS FORD RESPONSIBLE FOR DEFECT?*AK