1999 FORD CONTOUR Complaints

DRIVER SEAT BELT RIPPED/TORE. NO INJURIES. LOOKS LIKE IT WILL NOT SURVIVE ANOTHER INCIDENT. HAVE A FRIEND THAT THIS ALSO HAPPENED TO ON A FORD VEHICLE AS WELL. *JB

VIBRATION WHEN BRAKES APPLIED. THIS PROBLEM STARTED BEFORE I EVEN PULLED OFF THE LOT WHEN I BOUGHT IT USED. THE DEALERSHIP HAD SUPPOSEDLY FIXED IT. NOW, THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THAT I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS. THE FIRST TIME I BOUGHT A SET OF TIRES, THEN GOT AN ALIGNMENT. WAS TOLD I NEEDED DIFFERENT TIRES SINCE THE VIBRATION DID NOT STOP. BOUGHT MORE TIRES ,AND WAS TOLD THAT IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE ALIGNMENT. TODAY, MY CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND I IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT TO A REPAIR SHOP. IT'S GOING TO COST $120 JUST TO HAVE DIAGNOSTICS DONE. I ALSO HEARD STRANGE NOISES FROM THE BACK OF THE CAR EVERY TIME I BRAKE. I'M SHOPPING FOR A NEW CAR TOMORROW. I HAVE YET TO MEET SOMEONE WHO CAN TELL ME EXACTLY WHAT WAS WRONG WITH MY CAR AND FIX IT!*AK

DASHBOARD HAS DETACHED AT THE WINDSHIELD. IT HAS EXPERIENCED A SEVERE WARPAGE AND IS NOW RESTING UPWARD ABOUT 5 INCHES HIGHER THAN ITS NORMAL POSITION. THE DEFROSTER GRILL POPPED OUT - IT IS BLOCKING THE VIEW AND REDIRECTED THE DEFROSTER SO THAT IT WILL TAKE MUCH LONGER TO CLEAR WINDSHIELD, BUT NOT COMPLETELY. IT HAS PEELED BACK SO FAR THAT IT IS NOW IN THE AREA OF THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG, WHICH I FELT IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE. DEALER HAS CONSISTENTLY BLOWN ME OFF. *JB

ON MY 1999 FORD CONTOUR WITH 95,000 KM, BOTH REAR COIL SPRINGS HAVE BROKEN, PUNCTURING BOTH REAR TIRES. THIS CAR HAS BEEN DRIVEN VERY NICELY AND GIVEN INCREDIBLE TLC. THE COST OF THESE REPAIRS TOTALED $1000, AND SHOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED IF THE SPRINGS WERE MANUFACTURED PROPERLY. *JB

DASHBOARD IS WARPED AND IN COLD WEATHER WARPS AND HAS WARPED EVEN WORSE. IT OBSTRUCTS THE DRIVER'S VIEW, POTENTIALLY DECREASES FLOW FROM DEFROSTING VENTS, AND THE VIEW IS ADDITIONALLY OBSTRUCTED AS THE PLASTIC VENT COVER ACROSS THE DASH AS IT IS NO LONGER RETAINED BY THE WARPED MATERIAL. AIRBAGS MAY PROJECT PIECES IN CASE OF DEPLOYMENTS AS CRACKS ARE VISIBLE IN THE DASH.

1. DASH WARP CAUSES VISIBILITY PROBLEMS, DEFROSTER MALFUNCTION, LOOSE TRIM. I DROVE OVER A SEAM IN THE ROADWAY AT AN OVERPASS (SMALL BUMP) & THE VENT TRIM POPPED LOOSE. THIS IS SIMPLY AN AGING ISSUE AS THERE WAS NO UNUSUAL EVENT. MY CAR IS A 1999 FORD CONTOUR, BUT THIS ISSUE IS ALSO PREVALENT ON THE MERCURY MYSTIQUE 1999 & 2000 , AND SOME 1998 MODELS WITH THE NEWER STYLE DASH. 2. THE TRIM POPPED LOOSE FROM THE DASH WHILE COMMUTING ON I-45 TO WORK. THE VENT TRIM CAME TO REST IN FRONT OF THE AIR BAG & ON MY ARMS AS I DROVE, BUT FORTUNATELY DID NOT CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. 3. THE VENT TRIM WAS PLACED LOOSELY ONTO THE DASH SO THE DEFROSTER WOULD STILL BE USABLE, BUT THE WARPED DASH PREVENTS IT FROM BEING PROPERLY SECURED. A NEW VENT TRIM WILL NOT FIX THIS PROBLEM. THERE WAS AN OLD RECALL WHICH INCLUDED A 'REPAIR KIT', BUT IT HAS EXPIRED. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE RECALL RE-INSTATED. *JB

IN JULY 2002, I PURCHASED A 1999 FORD CONTOUR FROM A FORD DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS A FORD CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED VEHICLE. WITHIN SIX MONTHS OF THE PURCHASE, THE DASH BEGAN TO WARP CAUSING THE DEFROST VENT COVER TO POP OUT AND NOT FIT CORRECTLY. THE FORD DEALER NEVER MADE ME AWARE OF A FORD CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM (#01B78). ALSO, I NEVER RECEIVED ANY NOTIFICATION FROM FORD. OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS THE DASH HAS CONTINUED TO WARP BADLY. THE WARPING HAS BECOME SO BAD IT COULD INTERFERE WITH THE OPERATION OF THE PASSENGER AIRBAG. ALSO, PART OF THE DASH IS COVERING THE DEFROST VENT. I THINK FORD NEEDS TO RE-OPEN THE OFFER TO REPAIR THIS DEFECT FOR SAFETY REASON. I AGREE WITH THE PETITIONER IN NHTSA ACTION NUMBER DP06004, THAT ". . . IMPROPERLY RETAINED INSTRUMENT PANEL COMPONENTS CAN BE DETRIMENTAL TO THE DESIRED PERFORMANCE OF FRONT AIR BAG DEPLOYMENTS AS WELL AS BECOME PROJECTILES DURING AIR BAG DEPLOYMENTS." *NM

I HAVE A 1999 FORD CONTOUR. A FEW YEARS AGO THE TOP OF THE DASH WARPED, CAME UP REALLY HIGH. IT WAS AN UNSIGHTLY MESS, NOISY, AND IT ALSO RAISED QUESTIONS ON WHETHER THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WOULD WORK CORRECTLY. AT THAT TIME IT WAS REPAIRED BY FORD. HOWEVER WITH TIME, THE REPAIR JOB MAKES SOME NOISES AND DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT'S HOLDING AS WELL AS WHEN IT WAS DONE. FORD HAS WASHED THEIR HANDS OF THIS. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE AND BELIEVE FORD SHOULD STAND BEHIND THIS DASHBOARD PROBLEM FOR THE LIFE OF THE CAR. THANK YOU. *NM

1. DASH WARP CAUSES VISIBILITY PROBLEMS, DEFROSTER MALFUNCTION, LOOSE TRIM 2. WITH THE DASH WARP THE VENT TRIM IS CONTINUALLY POPPING OUT . THERE HAS BEEN NO ACCIDENT OR INCIDENT BUT IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT I DON'T WANT THE VENT TRIM POPPING OUT AND PREVENTING AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT OR CAUSING ANY FURTHER HARM TO ME OR MY FAMILY. THERE HAVE BEEN REPEATED INCIDENTS OF DEFROSTER CAUSING VISIBILITY PROBLEMS BECAUSE OF THE VENT TRIM NOT PROPERLY DISPERSING AIR. THE VENT TRIM WAS PLACED LOOSELY ONTO THE DASH SO THE DEFROSTER WOULD STILL BE USABLE, BUT THE WARPED DASH PREVENTS IT FROM BEING PROPERLY SECURED. A NEW VENT TRIM WILL NOT FIX THIS PROBLEM. THERE WAS AN OLD RECALL WHICH INCLUDED A 'REPAIR KIT', BUT IT HAS EXPIRED. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE RECALL RE-INSTATED. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE IN GEAR. A POP NOISE WAS HEARD AND SMOKE CAME OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE THEN CAUGHT FIRE. THE INSURANCE COMPANY DEEMED THE VEHICLE A TOTAL LOSS AND IT WAS NEVER TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER. A FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORT WAS PROCESSED.*AK UPDATED 12/11/06. *JB