1998 FORD CONTOUR Complaints

I PURCHASED MY CAR IN JUNE 98 AND BEFORE LEAVING THE LOT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAD TO REPLACE BOTH OF THE REAR TIRES DUE TO DEFECTS. THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE THE EXACT PROBLEM. THEREFORE THE TIRES WERE REPLACED. SINCE THEN I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE FRONT TIRES IN FEB 2000. THIS WAS DUE TO THE TREAD SEPERATION AND EXTENSIVE WEAR. AT THE SAME TIME I WAS TOLD THAT THE FRONT BRAKES WERE BAD AND THAT I NEEDED NEW BRAKES AND ROTORS. THE TIRES AND BRAKE JOB COST 481.93. NOW I HAD 2 FLAT TIRES ON THE SAME TIRE WITHIN 3 WEEKS OF EACH OTHER AND NOW THE BACK BRAKES NEED REPLACING. I FEEL THAT THESE REPAIRS ARE DUE TO DEFECTIVE PARTS. I HAVE ALREADY TAKEN MY CAR BACK TO FORD FOR AT LEAST 6 MANUFACTURER RECALLS. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS CAR. THE CAR SENSOR LIGHT HAS BEEN REPLACED AND REPLACED BUT IT STILL COMES ON ALL THE TIME. FROM MY RESAERCH ON THIS COMPONENT THIS COULD CAUSE THE AIR BAGS TO ENGAGE WITHOUT CAUSE. BETWEEN THE RECALLS, TIRE, AND THE BRAKES THIS SEEMS TO ME TO BE A VERY UNSAFE VECHILE. I WAS THINKING THAT THE PROBLEMS WERE NORMAL BUT AFTER HAVING ALL THESE RECALLS AND NOW THE RECALL ON SOME OF FIRESTONE TIRES I THOUGHT THAT I SHOULD LET SOMEONE KNOW OF THE PROBLEMS THAT I'VE HAD WITH MY CAR.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P20560R15 )

VERY DIFFICULT FILLING GAS TANK, WHEN FILLING PUMP KEEPS SHUTTING OFF , AT TIMES GAS WILL COME RIGHT BACK OUT ALL OVER THE SIDE OF THE CAR. *AK

ENGINE CHECK LIGHT STAYED ON THE DASHBOARD CONSTANTLY. VEHICLE WILL NOT MOVE BEYOND 30 MPH IN FIRST GEAR. THEN WHEN VEHICLE IS IN SECOND GEAR IT GOES UP TO 70MPH. *AK

VEHICLE JUMPED INTO REVERSE INADVERTENDLY WHILE IN PARK, RESULTING IN A COLLISION. MANFUACTURER AND DEALER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

THE FUSE TO TURN SIGNALS CONTINUE TO BLOW, AND THERE IS NO WARNING UNTIL ATTEMPED TO USE THE SIGNAL. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER IN MAY 2000 FOR SHIFT INDICATOR PROBLEM RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO THE DEALER AGAIN SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE THE PROBLEM CONTINUED AND APPROXIMNATELY 12 FUSES BLEW OVER ALL. *YH

(3)OF THE FOUR TIRES SEPERATED WHERE THE TREAD MEETS THE SIDEWALL AT 7000MILES. DEALER WILL REPLACE ONLY TWO OF THE TIRES.

WHEELS HAVE 12 HOLES ON A 14 INCHES WHEELS WHERE THEY ARE CRACKING AND CAN POP OUT OF VEHICLE. *AK

HAVE HAD 5 RECALLS SINCE BUYING THE CAR. ALSO, HAVE HAD TO HAVE THE WATER PUMP CHANGED. THE PROBLEM IS TRYING TO GET THE RECALLS DONE. I HAD TAKEN THE CAR IN PREVIOUSLY ONLY TO BE TOLD THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE PARTS AND HAD TO RESCHEDULE. THE LAST TWO RECALLS I STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING THESE DONE WHEN SCHEDULE. THE AIR BAG AND THE BRAKES WERE THE LAST TWO. I SCHEDULED THEM FINALLY IN APRIL THIS YEAR. ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON I WENT TO PICK UP MY CAR ONLY TO BE TOLD THEY DID NOT HAVE THE PARTS. I EXPRESSED AGAIN HOW HARD IT WAS FOR ME TO COME IN BECAUSE I WORK 5-6 DAYS A WEEK. AGAIN I RESCHEDULED FOR JULY. I CALLED AND MADE AN APPOINTMENT VERIFIED THE PARTS WERE THERE. I BROUGHT THE CAR IN. AGAIN LATE SATURDAY AFTERNOON WENT TO PICK UP THE CAR ONLY TO BE TOLD AGAIN THEY DID NOT HAVE PARTS. IT SEEMS TO BE THESE RECALLS ARE NOT THAT IMPORTANT. I ALSO ASKED WHY MY BRAKES SCRUBBED WHEN I STOPPED, THEY COMMENT WAS WE COULDN'T GET IT TOO. MY POINT IS IT I DO NOT BELIEVE THE FORD PLACE CARES ONE WAY OR THE OTHER WHAT HAPPENS TO ME OR MY CAR.

TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER TO HAVE PROBLEM RESOLVED, GAVE INFO ON TSB ABOUT PROBLEM ABSOLUTELLY NOTHING WAS DONE TO VEHICLE. CABLE ASSEMBLY AT BLOWER RESISTOR MELTED WHILE A/C WAS RUNNING EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON. WILL DEFINITELY HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH DEALER TOMORROW. THERE ARE TWO TSB'S ON BLOWER MOTORS IN THE 98 CONTOUR. WHY DOESN'T THE DEALERS KNOW HOW TO CHECK TO SEE IF THEY APPLY TO A PARTICULAR VEHICLE. I INFORMED THE ASST SERVICE MANAGER OF THE TSB'S ON MY VEHICLE 99M07 & 99M08 BOTH OF WHICH DEAL WITH BLOWER AND BLOWER RESISTOR PROBLEMS. SEEMS MY TRIP TO GARY SMITH THIS DATE WAS A WASTE OF TIME AND ALMOST A WASTE OF MY VEHICLE. THERE COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN AN ELECTRICAL FIRE DUE TO THE OVERHEATING CABLE ASSEMBLY AND BLOWER RESISTOR. MAYBE NHTSA CAN HELP RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT!!!!*AK

THE PART FOR THIS CAR IS BACK ORDERED AS OF TODAY NO PART AVAILABLE. CAR IS NOT OPERATIVE. BACKORDER IS WHO NATION AND CANADA. PAYING FOR A VEHICLE THAT YOU CAN'T EVEN USE. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED IN SUMMARY. *AK