1998 FORD CONTOUR Complaints

WHENEVER IGNITION IS TURNED OFF, IT WOULD LOCK UP. KEY WOULD STILL BE IN IGNITION SWITCH. HAD TURNED TO LOCK POSITION WHILE NOTHING WAS IN USE AT THE TIME. BEEN TO DEALER 4 OR 5 TIMES FOR PROBLEM, BUT MECHANIC COULD NOT LOCATE CAUSE OF PROBLEM. *AK

ENGINE CHCEK LIGHT IS ON, AND THERE IS SOME TYPE OF GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. *AK

UNABLE TO FILL TANK UP WITH GAS DUE TO A DEFECTIVE FUEL TANK PRESSURE SENSOR. *YC

BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS ARE WEARING EXCESSIVELY. DEALER HAS REPLACED THE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

WHILE DRIVING DASH CAUGHT FIRE RIGHT BEHIND THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT. FIRE WAS ELECTRICAL. DEALER REPLACED WIRING HARNESS AND 3 RESISTOR BOARDS. *AK

MANUAL GEAR SHIFT ON THIS VEHICLE STICKS, WHEN THE CLUTCH IS APPLIED TO SHIFT INTO FIRST IT, WILL NOT ALLOW THIS COMMAND . ONCE IT GETS INTO FIRST THERE IS A PROBLEM GETTING IT OUT. THIS ALSO HAPPENS WITH THE REVERSE GEAR. THE PROBLEM DOES NOT ALWAYS OCCUR. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY THE CLICKING STARTS AT A SPEED OF 55MPH.THE CLICKING IS A CONSTANT NOISE AND CONTINUES TO GET WORSE.DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THE WARRANTY WAS UP. *AK

POSIBLE AIR BAG SENSOR FAILED CAUSING THE AIR BAG LIGHT TO BLINK INTERMITTENTLY. YH

THIS IS THE SECOND CD4E TRANSMISSION WE HAVE HAD THAT FAILED AT APPROXIMATELY THE SAME MILEAGE. THE FIRST WAS A 1995 MAZDA 626, SERIAL# 11YVGE22C6S5374843. IN BOTH CASES THE TRANSMISSION HAD A COMPLETE FAILURE DUE TO AN INADEQUATE SUPPLY OF TRANSMISSION OIL CAUSED BY THE COMPUTER SYSTEM'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AN ADEQUATE SUPPLY OF TRANSMISSION OIL TO THE SYSTEM. BOTHE FORD AND MAZDA WERE CONTACTED BY PHONE ABOUT THE PROBLEMS AND BOTH COMPANIES STATED THAT THEY STAND BY THEIR WARRANTY AND WOULD NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE WITH REPAIRS, DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE CAR'S WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED AND WE DID NOT PURCHASE ANY EXTENDED WARRANTY. IF JUST SEEMS ODD THAT TWO CARS WITH THE SAME TRANSMISSION SHOULD, WITH APPROXIMATELY THE SAME MILEAGE, SUDDENLY REQUIRE A NEW TRANSMISSION. I ADMIT THAT I PUT MORE THAN THE AVERAGE MILES ON A CAR IN A GIVEN YEAR, HOWEVER THE MILES ARE MAINLY HIGHWAY/INTERSTATE MILES AT A CRUISING SPEED, GENERALLY WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ON, A MANNER OF DRIVING THAT DOES NOT CAUSE THE TRANSMISSION TO HAVE TO SHIFT AS IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

WHENEVER THE AUTOMOBILE IS DRIVEN THROUGH A PUDDLE OF WATER OR UPON PROLONGED DRIVING ON A WET ROAD, THE POWER STEERING LOCKS UP. WHEN THIS OCCURS, THE POWER STEERING REMAINS LOCKED FOR SEVERAL SECONDS UP TO OVER ONE MINUTE BEFORE RETURNING TO NORMAL. THESE CONDITIONS ALSO CAUSE THE "BATTERY" LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. I RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER IN APPROXIMATELY JUNE 1998, BUT THEIR FIX ACTION "REPLACING A HEADLIGHT WIRING ASSEMBLY" DID NOT APPEAR TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM AND THE PROBLEM REOCCURRED IMMEDIATELY THE NEXT TIME THAT THE AUTOMBILE WAS DRIVEN ON A RAINY DAY. UPON RETURNING THE AUTOMOBILE A SECOND TME, I WAS INFORMED BY BOTH A SERVICE TECHNICIAN AND A SERVICE MANAGER THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT THE FORD COMPANY IS AWARE OF BUT IS MAKING NO ATTEMPT TO INFORM THE AUTOMOBILE OWNERS UNTIL THEY ACTUALLY EXPERIENCE THE PROBLEM.