1996 FORD CONTOUR Complaints

CONSUMER HAS HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THE 1996 FORD CONTOUR.*MR THERE HAS BEEN SO MANY RECALLS ON CONSUMER'S VEHICLE THAT SHE WASN'T AWARE OF BECAUSE THE MANUFACTURER NEVER SENT NOTICES. SINCE THEN CONSUMER HAS BEEN PAYING FOR ENTIRE FULL PRICE AND IS ASKING FOR REIMBURSEMENT. HOWEVER, THE BIGGEST PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE IS THE GAS FUMES WHICH IS LEAKING THEREFORE LEAVING POISONOUS CARBON MONOXIDE FUMES COMING IN THROUGH THE HEATER VENTS. THESE HARSH CHEMICALS ARE DAMAGING TO THE LUNGS, BRAIN, RESPIRATORY SYSTEM AND ITS MAKING CONSUMER VERY TIRED AMONG OTHER SYMPTOMS. *TT

THE PROBLEM STARTED ON THE INCIDENT DATE, WIRE PROBLEM CAUSE THE ENTIRE FAN/AC/HEATER PANEL SO NO LONGER WORK, THE WIRE GOT SO HOT HOT IT MELTED OUR UNDER-DASH FUSE BOX, WE WENT FOR 9 MONTHS AND A BABY WITH NO A/C IN HOT AND NO HEAT IN THE COLD, HUSBAND(JOSH MURPHY) WENT TO JUNK YARD AFTER BEING TURNED AWAY BY DEALERSHIP AND GOT REPLACEMENT PARTS OFF AN IDENTICAL CAR. THAT WAS IN JUNE OF 2005. ON THAT DATE WE SAW THAT ALL OF THE WIRES UNDER THE HOOD WERE SEVERELY CRACKED AND DAMAGED AFTER ELTRCIAL TAPING A FEW OF THE EXPOSED WIRED THERE BECAME A SHORT THAT NOW CUASES A COMPUTER PROBLEM AND A LOSS OF POWER THEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE ANF PULL INTO TRAFFIC, OR JUST ANYTIME IT WANTS TO. THE OVER-DRIVE LIGHT COMES ON AND TRANSMISSION STARTS TO GET REALLY JERKY AND THE ODOMETER AND EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE PANAL STARTS TO MALFUNCTION, MOST OF THE TIME WE DONT EVEN KNOW HOW FAST WE ARE GOING OR HOW MANY MILES WE HAVE GONE. WE HAVE A 18 MONTH OLD AND A NEW BABY DUE IN JUST WEEKS AND I AM SCARED THAT ONE TIME WHEN I GO TO PULL OUT THE CAR JUST ISNT GOING TO GO AT ALL AND WE MIGHT GET HIT BY SOMEONE, O AND SOMETIMES IT JUST TURNS ITSELF OFF IN TRAFFIC TOO. THE DEAALERSHIP TELL ME THAT ALL OF THOSE WIRES WERE REPLACED IN 2000 BUT THEY SHOULD HAVE MADE IT LONGER THAT 4 YEARS WITHOUT DEGENERATING AGAIN. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP ALSO TELLS ME THAT I WOULD HAVE TO JUST PAY FOR THE WORK AND BEING A NEW FAMILY WE CANNOT AFFORD SOMETHING LIKE THAT, ESPECIALLY SINCE IT WAS A RECALL ITEM AT ONE TIME. PLEASE THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING DONE ABOUT THIS, I KNOW WE ARE NOT THE ONLY 96 FORD CONTOUR OWNERS WITH THIS EXACT PROBLEM EITHER.

PRNDL INDICATOR IS BROKEN, SIMILAR COMPLAINT TO NHTSA # 98V233000, FOUND FORD RECALL # 98S26, DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WILL NOT COVER VEHICLE UNDER THIS RECALL CAMPAIGN.

AFTER THE VEHICLE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO REV AT HIGH RMPS. THIS WAS DUE TO THE DEFECT DESCRIBED IN THE ACCELERATOR CABLE RECALL 00V425000, BUT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL.*AK N *JB

MAJOR HARNESS & ELECTRICAL WIRING WHICH IS UNDER RECALL THAT THE FORD DEALERSHIP WILL NOT HONOR.

DT: CONSUMER STATES THAT SHE HAS HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. SHE HAS HAD THE VEHICLE IN TO THE MECHANIC SEVERAL TIMES AND THE MECHANIC CALLED A LOCAL FORD DEALER AND INQUIRED ON RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE. AT THAT TIME THEY WERE TOLD THERE WERE TWO RECALLS, 01I009000 AND 01V230000. CONSUMER CALLED THE CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT FORD AND WAS TOLD THE RECALL HAD EXPIRED AND SHE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE RECALL WORK. *JB

LEFT AND RIGHT FRONT ABS STATORS HAVE CRACKS WHICH ARE CLEARLY VISIBLE. THIS CAUSES THE ABS SYSTEM TO ACTIVATE ON A LOW SPEED STOP. AT ABOUT 40 MPH THE ABS LIGHT COMES ON AND THE SYSTEM DOESN'T WORK.THE BRAKES WORK IN REGULAR MODE.THIS WAS DISCOVERED ON 6/21/05 BUT HAD BEEN HAPPENING . MECHANIC CHANGED AN ABS SENSOR WIRE WITH A CUT IN IT . HAD TO LOOK FURTHER TO FIND CRACKED STATORS.MECHANIC SAID THAT THE FORD DEALERSHIP HE CALLED ADMITTED THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH SOME MODELS,CRACKED STATORS ON WINDSTARS,OFFERED NO SOLUTION. I CALLED MY FORD DEALER AND WAS NOT HELPED .A PART LIKE THIS BEARS NO WEIGHT AND SHOULD NOT BE FAILING.THE CRACKS MAKE THE COMPUTER THINK THERE IS A REASON TO ACTIVATE AND THEN AT 40MPH TO SHUT DOWN.THE REAR STATORS WERE NOT CHECKED FOR CRACKS YET. THANK YOU

SHIFT INDICATOR DOES NOT MOVE WHEN CAR IS SHIFTED, DRIVER HAS TO COUNT THE CLICKS TO BE ABLE TO TELL IF THEY'RE IN WHAT DRIVE THEY'RE IN. SAW IT IN A RECALL, TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT MY MODEL ISN'T COVERED IN THE RECALL. AFTER GETTING OFF THE HIGHWAY, CAR MADE LOAD MOANING NOISES, ENGINE REVED, RPMS JUMPED AROUND AND CAR STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. STARTED UP RIGHT AFTER. DID NOT TAKE TO GET LOOKED AT. IF THE TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE IS UNDER 40 DEGREES, THE CAR WILL MOAN LOUDLY, THE ENGINE WILL REV, THE STEERING WILL GO OUT, AND THEN THE CAR STALLS, HAPPENS MOSTLY WHEN BREAKING. SOMETIMES INSTEAD OF STALLING, THE CAR WILL LURCH FORWARD. ALMOST CAUSED ATLEAST 3 ACCIDENTS. TOOK TO A REPAIR SHOP, THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. WHEN FIRST PURCHASED THE CAR, THE ENGINE LIGHT WOULD COME ON ALL THE TIME. TOOK IT FOR REPAIR, THEY SAID IT WAS A SENSOR. HAD TO GET THE SENSOR REPLACED 6 TIMES BEFORE THE PROBLEM STOPPED, AT CONUMERS EXPENSE.

I HOPE YOU CAN HELP ME. I HAVE A COMPLAINT I'D LIKE TO REGISTER WITH YOU ABOUT THE SAFETY OF A CAR MADE BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY. THE VIN (VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER) IS [XXX]. I AM THE OWNER OF A 1996 FORD CONTOUR LX AND RECENTLY I BECAME AWARE (ON MY OWN ACCORD) THAT FORD MOTOR COMPANY HAS THE FOLLOWING TWO SAFETY RECALLS ON MY VEHICLE 1. RECALL 99S14 - HEAD LIGHT SWITCH AND WIRE ASSEMBLY 2. RECALL 98S26 - AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE SHIFT INDICATOR (PRNDL) BEZEL. UPON ACQUIRING THIS INFORMATION I CONTACTED FORD MOTOR COMPANY'S LOCAL DEALER KINGSTON INDUSTRIAL GARAGE IN ORDER TO ASCERTAIN WHETHER MY VEHICLE QUALIFIES FOR THESE RECALLS. I WAS SUBSEQUENTLY ADVISED BY THEM THAT WHILE MY VEHICLE QUALIFIED FOR RECALL 99S14-HEAD LAMP SWITCH AND WIRE ASSEMBLY, HOWEVER IT DOES QUALIFY FOR RECALL 98S26 - AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE SHIFT INDICATOR (PRNDL) BEZEL. THIS IS OCCURRING DESPITE THE FACT THAT MY VEHICLE MEETS ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS AS STATED IN A LETTER ISSUED TO DEALERS AND CUSTOMERS BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY'S MR. A. R. KADUK-MANAGER OF VEHICLE SERVICE AND PROGRAMS DATED OCTOBER, 1998 WHICH READS "CERTAIN 1995-1998 MODEL YEAR CONTOUR VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION BUILT FROM SEPTEMBER 1, 1994 THROUGH JANUARY 8, 1998 AT THE KANSAS CITY ASSEMBLY PLANT, USA" AND IT IS THIS STATEMENT THAT MAKES MY VEHICLE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS RECALL, AND HOW CAN THEY JUSTIFY HONORING ONE SAFETY RECALL AND NOT ANOTHER. AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THEIR REFUSAL TO HONOR THIS SAFETY RECALL I AM PRESENTLY FORCED TO DRIVE AN EXTREMELY UNSAFE VEHICLE DUE TO THE FACT THAT I AM UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE SELECTION OF GEARS AS A RESULT OF THE DEFECTIVE AUTOMATIC SHIFT INDICATOR (PRNDL) BEZEL WHICH IF NOT ADDRESSED WITH DISPATCH WILL SOONER OR LATER RESULT IN SEVERE DAMAGE TO MYSELF AND OTHERS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PROMPT ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU SOON. *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR EVERYTIME I DROVE OVER ANY SURFACE THAT WAS NOT FLAT. WITHOUT TAKING THE CAR APART A MECHANIC TOLD ME IT WAS POSSIBLY THE STRUTS THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IT TURNS OUT THAT THE RIGHT FRONT COIL SPRING WAS BROKEN AND I WAS TOLD THAT FORD WOULD HAVE TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM AND THIS WAS NOT NORMAL. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE FORD REPAIR SHOP AND THEY REPLACED BOTH FRONT COIL SPRINGS FOR $632.00. I WAS LATER TOLD THAT THEIR WAS A PROGRAM TO REPLACE DEFECTIVE COIL SPRINGS FOR FREE BUT IT ENDED MONTHS BEFORE MY COIL SPRINGS HAD BROKEN