1998 FORD CONTOUR Complaints

WHILE DRIVING DURING RAIN HEAVY WATER GETS UNDER THE TRANSMISSION, CAUSING IT TO JERK AND SHIFT HARD. ALSO, LEAKING TRANSMISSION FLUID AND A BURNING SMELL COMING THROUGH THE HEATER VENTS. CONTACTED DEALER AND MANUFACTURER. *AK *ML

THE DEALERSHIP HAD INSTALLED AN AFTERMARKET REAR SPOILER ON THE VEHICLE WITHOUT DISCLOSING THIS INFORMATION. AFTER HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE THIRD BRAKE LIGHT IN THE SPOILER IN LEARNED IT WAS NOT A FACTORY PART. THE DEALERSHIP STATED TO ME THAT IT WAS FACTORY. I WAS NOT ABLE TO GET THE PART REPLACED UNTIL I CALLED FORD DIRECTLY AND THREATENED TO SUE THE DEALERSHIP FOR FRAUD. *AK

TIRES HAVE FLAT SPOTS. CONSUMER CAN HEAR THE DIFFERENCE. WHEN DRIVING ON SLIPPERY ROADS VEHICLE WILL SLIDE AND COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. DEALER SAID TIRES WERE OUT OF LINE. THEN, DEALER SAID THE STRUTS WERE BAD. *AK

THE PAINT ON THE 1998 CONTOR IS CRACKING ON THE HOOD, ROOF AND TRUNK OF THE VEHICAL AND IS CASING THE PAINT TO BEGIN PEELING. NO SAFETY DEFECT. *AK

WHILE DRIVING BACK FROM CHICAGO ON I55, THE WATER PUMP (WHICH SUPPOSEDLY HAD A RECALL OF WHICH I WAS NOT NOTIFIED) WENT OUT. WARNING LIGHTS DID NOT APPEAR ANYWHERE ON THE DASHBOARD, AND THE ONLY INDICATION THAT ANYTHING MIGHT BE WRONG WAS A WHINING SOUND UNDER THE HOOD WHICH STOPPED AFTER A SHORT INTERVAL. WITHIN AN HOUR, THE ENTIRE CAR WAS DESTROYED. A NEW ENGINE, WATER PUMP, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, AND RADIATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ALL OF THAT IS STILL BEING DONE, TWO WEEKS LATER. THEY HAVE DONE THE WORK WITHOUT CHARGE, AND HAVE GIVEN ME A RENTAL CAR TO USE IN THE MEANTIME, HOWEVER, WITH A NEW ENGINE, THEY ARE ONLY WILLING TO GIVE ME A 9,000 MILE WARRANTY ON THE CAR REPAIRED. SINCE THIS WAS NOT MY FAULT, A FAIRLY NEW CAR, AND A LACK OF COMMUNICATION ON THE FORD MANUFACTURER THAT THIS WAS A PROBLEM, I FEEL THAT A FULL WARRANTY ON THE REPAIRS IS JUSTIFIED. ADDITIONALY, AT THE TIME OF THIS OCCURRENCE, I HAD FOUR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS IN MY CARE. THE THOUGHT THAT THE CAR COULD HAVE QUIT IN THE MIDDLE OF A SIX LAND TRAFFIC PATTERN IN CHICAGO WITHOUT WARNING, WOULD HAVE BEEN A DISASTROUS ACCIDENT WITH ALL OF US POSSIBLY BEING KILLED. I THINK THAT THE FORD MANUFACTURER NEEDS TO DEAL WITH THIS PROBLEM AND IMMEDIATELY. THANK YOU. GINGER GRANGER

CONSUMER HAD A HEAD-ON COLLISON, AND THE AIR BAGS CAME OUT WITH SUCH A FORCE THAT IT KNOCKED OFF CAP ON DRIVER'S HEAD AND HIS GLASSES. CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE 3 MONTHS AFTER THE RECALL WAS ISSUED. RECALL 99V243000. *AK *ML

CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER IN REFERENCE TO FOUR SEPERATE NHTSA RECALL NOTICES 99V243000/ 99V194000/ 99V103000 AND 98V233000. ALSO, MANUFACTURER'S RECALLS 99S23/99S19/99S14 AND 98S26. DEALER REFUSED TO CORRECT THE RECALL PROBLEMS WITHOUT THE CONSUMER CORRECTING THE PROBLEM WITH TRANSMISSION . PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

MACPHERSON STRUT AND TRANS AXLE BROKE WITHIN 45000 MILES.PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

RECALL 99V194000/THROTTLE CABLE ; CORRECTIVE ACTION DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. WHILE DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC THROTTLE CABLE BROKE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

WHLE DRIVING IN FIRST GEAR TRANSMISSION FELT LIKE IT WAS SLIPPING OUT OF GEAR. THE SAME HAPPEND WHEN IT WAS IN THIRD GEAR. *AK