1998 FORD CONTOUR Complaints

FORD COUNTOUR COIL SPRINGS FAILED IN PARKING LOT AFTER BEING DRIVEN ON THE EXPRESSWAY AT 70 MPH...THE BODY FELL ONTO BOTH TIRES SHREDDING THEM AT 3 MPH...IF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED AT XWAY SPEEDS I WOULDN`T BE HERE TODAY. FORD DISAVOWS ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE COIL ASSEMBLIES BUT MY INDEPENDENT REPAIR STATION MECHANIC TOLD ME OF MANY CONTOURS WITH SAME PROBLEMS...IT ALSO TOOK FORD MOTOR OVER A WEEK TO GET THE PART IN STOCK...FOR AN AREA THE SIZE OF GREATER DETROIT THAT IN ITSELF IS AWFUL SUSPICIOUS...PLEASE HELP OTHER PEOPLE BEFORE SOMETHING LIKE THIS KILLS SOME INNOCENT PERSON...I AM NOT A TEEN AS I AM 53 AND CERTAINLY NOT A HOT RODDER . *AK

I OWN A 1998 FORD CONTOUR, VIN #[XXX]. ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF AGO, I WAS PREPARING TO TRAVEL ONTO INTERSTATE 79 TO GO FROM MEADVILLE TO ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA. LESS THAN A MILE FROM MY HOME ON HARMONSBURG ROAD, I HEARD A "POP" AND MY VEHICLE FELT LIKE IT HAD A FLAT TIRE. I TRAVELED ABOUT ANOTHER QUARTER OF A MILE TO A GAS STATION AND CHECKED THE TIRE. IT APPEARED TO BE OKAY. AS THE VEHICLE WAS BECOMING HARD TO STEER, I DECIDED TO RETURN HOME. I PUT ON MY FLASHERS AND TRAVELED AT 25 MPH BACK TO MY HOME, A STRAIGHT ONE MILE DRIVE FROM THE GAS STATION. WHEN I TURNED LEFT INTO MY DRIVEWAY, I HEARD A GRINDING SOUND AND MY VEHICLE WOULD NO LONGER STEER. AS SOON AS I WAS OFF THE ROAD, I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. THE TIRE WAS FLAT, AND THE CAR LEANED TO THE RIGHT-FRONT. AT A VERY LOW SPEED, THE CAR SERIOUSLY TIPPED TOWARD THE GROUND ON THE RIGHT FRONT SIDE. AT A FASTER SPEED, IT COULD EASILY HAVE FLIPPED SEVERAL TIMES. I WAS VERY SHAKEN BY THIS INCIDENT, AND I HAVE BEEN UNCOMFORTABLE DRIVING THIS CAR SINCE THIS FIRST INCIDENT. MY HUSBAND ATTEMPTED TO CHANGE THE TIRE AND FOUND THAT THE SUSPENSION COIL SPRING HAD SNAPPED AND EMBEDDED ITSELF INTO THE TIRE. WE CALLED THE AAA TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO LAKE VIEW FORD IN CONNEAUT LAKE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

WIRING HARNESS LOCATED BEHIND THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH MELTED, CAUSING FAILURE OF HEADLIGHT AND PARKING LIGHTS. DEALERSHIP REPAIRED THIS PROBLEM, AND MANUFACTURER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT HIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL 99V103000. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK

TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 20MPH CONSUMER WAS PREPARING TO STOP, WHEN IT ALMOST LOST CONTROL. CONSUMER WILL BE CONTACTING DEALER TO DETERMINE CAUSE. *AK

LEFT FRONT COIL SPRING BROKETHROOUGH TIRE. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED, AND COIL SPRING REPLACED. *AK

RIGHT FRONT SPRING BROKE WHILE CAR WAS IN DRIVEWAY, NOT MOVING. DAMAGED SWAY BAR LINK AND TIRE. *AK

I KNOW A LOT OF OTHER OWNER OF THE SAME CAR ENCOUNTERED THE EXACTLY SAME VCT PROBLEM (CODE P1381), AND IT COST THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO BE FIXED. IF ANYONE TAKE TIME READ THE CONTOUR OWNER'S PROBLEM FORUM LOCATED ON THE WEB (WWW.CONTOUR.ORG), HE FINDS TONS OF COMPLAINTS ON THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT PROBLEM OF THIS CAR. IT'S DEFINITELY OUTRAGOUS IN THE SENSE OF STATISTICS. ENGINE CHECK LIGHT OF THIS CAR IS WAY ABOVE THE WILDEST IMAGINE ON THE FREQUENCY THAT IT COULD EVER HAPPED TO ANY EXISTING MODEL OF CAR. THIS IS DEFINITELY A PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED, AT LEAST IN THE SENSE OF A NATIONAL RECALL. CEL, THE BIGGEST NIGHTMARE OF FORD CONTOUR! ANYONE WHO MADE THIS CAR SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO GET AWAY WITH IT.*AK

AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON/ HORN, AND CRUISE CONTROL ARE NOT WORKING. CONSUEMR STATED THIS WAS SAME PROBLEM AS STATED IN RECALL 99 V 243 000. CONSUMER WAS SCARED THAT AIRBAG MAY DEPLOY IN FACE.*AK

LEFT FRONT COIL SPRING SNAPPED. THIS OCCURRED TWO MONTHS AFTER THE RIGHT FRONT COIL SPRING SNAPPED. VEHICLE IS ALWAYS DRIVEN ON PAVED ROADS.*AK

WHEN TURNING OR BEARING TO LEFT THERE WAS A LOUD GRINDING NOISE. SOUND GOT LOUDER, AND VEHICLE STARTED PULLING TO LEFT. CONSUMER WENT TO FIRESTONE TO HAVE VEHICLE CHECKED OUT FOR VIBRATION. FIRESTONE TOOK IT FOR A DRIVE TO LISTEN TO IT. BEARINGS AND SEALS WERE SHOT, AND NEEDED REPLACEMET. ALSO, LUBRICATION HAD DRIED UP. *AK *JB