1999 FORD CONTOUR Complaints

THE TRANSMISSION ON MY FORD CONTOUR WENT OUT AFTER JUST 70,000 MILES. OF COURSE IT WAS AFTER THE WARRANTY HAD ENDED. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT OTHER CONTOURS WERE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. FORD DID NOT RECALL AND I PAID 3000 DOLLARS FOR FORD TO REPLACE IT. ALONG WITH THE STARTER. ALSO THE BATTERY FOR THE CAR IS AN INTERNATIONAL BATTERY WHICH IS FOR BMW'S AND "INTERNATIONAL" VEHICLES. FORD IS AMERICAN YET MADE A CAR THAT NEEDED AN INTERNATIONAL BATTERY. SO A YEAR AND A HALF AFTER THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED SEARS HAS INFORMED ME THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS LEAKING FLUID AND RECOMMENDS I NOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE ANY MORE. WHILE THAT HAPPENED THE ALTERNATOR WENT OUT ON IT. THIS CAR IS JUNK AND FORD KNOWS IT!! YET THEY HAVE DONE NOTHING ABOUT IT!!! *NM

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY, IT LOST POWER AND WOULD NOT RESPOND TO THE GAS PEDAL. I HAD TO STEER IT TO THE SHOULDER AND AFTER A WHILE IT RESPONDED LONG ENOUGH FOR ME TO TAKE IT TO A SERVICE STATION WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED TO HAVE A DEFECTIVE FUEL PUMP AND FLYWHEEL. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED AFTER PURCHASING TWO CONTINENTAL TIRES, THE STEERING WHEEL WOBBLED AND VIBRATED SO BADLY THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE CONTROLLED. AN INDEPENDENT TIRE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE BELTS FRAYED AND ONE TIRE HAD A BROKEN BELT. THE VEHICLE WAS PROPERLY ALIGNED AFTER PURCHASING THE TIRES. THE TIRES WERE CONTINENTAL, SIZE 205/6015. CONTINENTAL ASKED THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE TIRES TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP. THIS DEALERSHIP REQUESTED THE CONTACT SEND THE TIRES TO THEM. UPDATED 10/18/2006 - *NM

INSTRUMENT PANEL PADDING PULLING LOOSE AND CURLING AT WINDSHIELD. ALSO DEFROSTER GRILLE POPPED OFF. INTERFERES WITH DEFROST AIR FLOW. PADDING GLUED AND STAPLED AND OLD DEFROSTER GRILL ATTACHED WITH SCREWS. WINDSHIELD WAS REPLACED TO HAVE WORKING ROOM. REPAIR WAS MADE BY AN AUTO TRIM SHOP WITH A COST OF $400.00 *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ABOUT THE VEHICLE'S INSTRUMENT PANEL WARPAGE INTERFERING WITH AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO EXPRESSED THAT THE INCIDENT WOULD NOT AFFECT THE VEHICLE.*AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED, WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH BLUE SMOKE ISSUED FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND FROM THE EXHAUST PIPE. THERE WAS ALSO A RATTLING SOUND EMITTING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE MOTOR THEN BOGGED DOWN AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE ABOVE 20 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE SERVICE DEALER WHERE UPON INSPECTION, THE SERVICE DEALER'S MECHANIC DETERMINED THERE WAS NO PROBLEM FOUND. ON 7/13/06, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME EVENTS AND STALLED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND WAS UNABLE TO BE RESTARTED.

I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM FORD IN AUGUST 2001 THAT STATED THE FOLLOWING "THE COVER OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL HAS WARPED....AT NO COST TO YOU, YOUR DEALERSHIP WILL EVALUATE THIS CONDITION AND REPAIR AS REQUIRED. THIS PROGRAM WILL BE IN EFFECT UNTIL AUGUST 31, 2002, REGARDLESS OF MILEAGE." THE DEALERSHIP EVALUATED MY CAR IN LATE 2001 AND STATED THAT A REPAIR WAS NOT NECESSARY. HOWEVER, BY THE SUMMER OF 2004, THE WARPING HAS BECOME SO BAD THAT THE DEFROSTER GRILL BEZEL CAN NO LONGER BE RETAINED BY THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. ENGINEERS AT MY COMPANY (WHICH MAKE INSTRUMENT PANELS) STATED THAT THE WARPING CREATES A SAFETY CONCERN AS THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT MAY BE AFFECTED. FORD NOW REFUSES TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE AT THEIR COST. I FEEL THEY SHOULD BE LIABLE AS MY VEHICLE WAS STORED IN THE GARAGE AND THEREFORE DIDN'T RECEIVE THE CUMULATIVE THERMAL ENERGY REQUIRED TO WARP THE PART PRIOR TO FORD'S REPLACEMENT PROGRAM EXPIRING. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GLUE THAT HOLDS THE FRONT OF THE DASHBOARD DRIED OUT, ALLOWING THE DASHBOARD TO CURL UP BY FIVE INCHES. THE CURL IN THE DASHBOARD PARTIALLY OBSCURED THE WINDSHIELD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN IN FOR SERVICE.*AK

STARTER ENGAGED WITH NO KEYS IN IGNITION WIRE HARNESS MELT DOWN FROM BATTERY. STARTER STARTED TO SMOKE. MECHANIC ME INFORMED THAT CONTOUR HAS A RECALL BUT DEALER(FORD) HAS NOT THIS CAR. *JB

THERE IS NO INCIDENTS TO REPORT. HOWEVER THE DASH ON THIS VEHICLE IS WARPED. I HAVE SEEN THIS SAME PROBLEM ON FORD CONTOURS AND MERCURY MSYTIQUE'S THAT WAS MANUFACTURED IN 1999. THE WARPAGE REDUCING DRIVER VISIBILITY AND PREVENTS THE DEFOGGER FROM OPERATING PROPERLY. *JB