1998 FORD CONTOUR Complaints

I HAVE A 1998 FORD CONTOUR THAT THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS AND REAR TAILLIGHTS HAVE STOPPED WORKING, WHILE THE HEADLIGHTS CONTINUE TO FUNCTION. THE CAUSE WAS THE WIRING OVERHEATING AND I HAD TO REPLACE THE WIRING HARNESS AND THE SWITCH. I DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND LOCATED A RECALL NHSTA CAMPAIGN 99V103000 FOR THE 1998 FORD CONTOUR FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM, BUT ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP MY CAR WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. I HAVE HAD TO PAY FOR THE WORK OUT OF POCKET, BUT I AM WONDERING IF IT WAS IN ERROR THAN MY CAR WAS NOT INCLUDED. *JB

ON 98 FORD CONTOURS BOTH OF THE HEADLIGHTS FORM CONDENSATION ON THE INSIDE AND THEN BECOME PITTED. THIS GREATLY REDUCES THE VISIBILITY AT NIGHT AND DURING STORMY WEATHER. WE HAVE CHANGED THE BULBS BUT NOT THE ENTIRE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY. WHEN WE WENT TO LOOK FOR A SET OF HEADLIGHTS WE DISCOVERED THAT ALL THE USED SETS HAVE THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. THE LIGHTS NEED TO BE REPLACED AND THIS PROBLEM IS OCCURRING ON ALL FORD CONTOURS AND ITS MERCURY COUNTERPART. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN SEEN BY A MECHANIC, BUT THE DEALERSHIP AND MANUFACTURER WERE ALERTED. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, # 98V233000, REGARDING THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLOOR SHIFT; HOWEVER, IT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.

MY DAUGHTER DROVE MY 1998 6 CYL CONTOUR AUTOMATIC ON ROUTE 95 FROM STONEHAM TO WAKEFIELD, MA (ONE HIGHWAY EXIT). THE CAR WAS BEHAVING NORMALLY AND HAD BEHAVED NORMALLY UNTIL THAT POINT. A SERVO COVER FELL OFF OF THE TRANSMISSION. THAT ALLOWED ALL OF THE TRANSMISSION FLUID TO POUR OUT OF THE TRANSMISSION IN SECONDS. THE SERVO COVER, A THREE INCH DIAMETER PIECE OF HEAVY METAL SHAPED LIKE A FRISBEE, NEARLY HIT A MOTOR CYCLIST. THE CAR COASTED TO A STOP NEAR 128 FORD OF WAKEFIELD, MA. THEIR SERVICE WRITER, LUDLOW, TOLD ME THAT THIS IS A RELATIVELY COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH THE FORD CONTOUR. THAT OPINION WAS REINFORCED BY TWO EMPLOYEES OF FNA TRANSMISSION REPAIR OF WAKEFIELD. I CALLED FORD. I WAS TOLD THAT THEY HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF THIS EVER HAPPENING TO A CONTOUR. I ASKED THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REP TO FILE A REPORT, AND I TOLD HIM THAT I WOULD AS WELL. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS DEFECT EXISTS AND IS A SERIOUS HAZARD TO MOTORCYCLISTS (I AM ONE.) I AM WORRIED THAT THE RAPID LOSS OF TRANSMISSION FLUID USUALLY LEADS TO SERIOUS TRANSMISSION DAMAGE. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE STALLED SEVERAL TIMES IMMEDIATELY AFTER BEING STARTED AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED CONSTANTLY. THEREFORE THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE BATTERY, ON-BOARD COMPUTER, AND ALTERNATOR WERE REPLACED. A REBUILT TRANSMISSION WAS ALSO INSTALLED. AFTER THE WORK WAS PERFORMED, THE PROBLEMS CONTINUED. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN # 98V233000, REGARDING THE POWER TRAIN: AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION: LEVER AND LINKAGE: FLOOR SHIFT RELATED TO THE MAKE AND MODEL OF THE VEHICLE, HOWEVER THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. THE WATER PUMP AND THERMOSTAT WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 05/03/06. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR BETWEEN 10-50 MPH. THE ENGINE REVVED WHEN THIS OCCURRED. THE GEAR SHIFTER IS MOVED TO A LOWER GEAR THEN BACK TO DRIVE, BUT THE TRANSMISSION DOES NOT GO BACK INTO GEAR. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN SEEN BY A MECHANIC.

FORD WILL NOT REPAIR A RECALL (99S14) ON MY 1998 CONTOUR SE DUE TO THE FACT THAT MY SPECIFIC VIN NUMBER IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL, ALTHOUGH THE YEAR IS IN THE RECALL. THE PROBLEM IS THE SAME. (INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS AND TAIL LIGHTS NOT WORKING WHEN HEADLIGHTS ARE TURNED ON.) THE DESCRIPTION OF THE FORD RECALL 99S14 IS THE SAME AS MY OBSERVED PROBLEM. UNSAFE TO DRIVE CAR AT NIGHT. NO CORRECTION HAS BEEN PERFORMED. FORD SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS KNOWN RECALL. *NM

RECURRING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS AND DANGEROUS EXPOSED WIRING RESULTING FROM DETERIORATING UNDER HOOD WIRING HARNESS. SAME PROBLEM EXISTING ON 1995-1997 CONTOURS ADDRESSED BY OWNER NOTIFICATION PROGRAM 99M03. FORD DEALER EXAMINED AND ACKNOWLEDGED PROBLEM EXISTS BUT WILL NOT REPAIR AS ONP 99M03 DOESN'T COVER 1998 CONTOUR. SEE HTTP://HENNING.WS/FORDCONTOUR.CFM FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE OF PROBLEM. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT WAS SITTING IN THE DRIVER SEAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. THE DRIVER SEAT SUDDENLY FELL BACKWARDS AND THE HINGE BROKE. THE SEAT FELT LOSE PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, BUT HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED. AFTER INSPECTION THE DEALERSHIP SAID THE BREAKAGE WAS DUE TO FATIGUE OF THE SEAT FRAME. THE ENTIRE SEAT WAS REPLACED. *AK UPDATED 2/21/2006 - *NM

THE 1998 FORD CONTOUR HAVE MANY KNOWN PROBLEMS, THE ONE I AM CURRENTLY HAVING AN ISSUE WITH IS A FAULTY HEADLIGHT SWITCH THAT CAUSES THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS TO GO OUT CREATING A SITUATION WHERE A DRIVER CAN NOT SEE THEIR SAFE SPEED AND WORSE THE RUNNING LIGHTS ALSO STOP WORKING, PREVENTING PEOPLE FROM SEEING YOUR CAR FROM BEHIND. THE BRAKE LIGHTS AND TURNING LIGHTS WORK BUT NOT THE RUNNING LIGHTS. ON A DARK ROAD THE CAR IS NOT VISIBLE FROM BEHIND. BOTH THESE CONDITIONS MAKE IT EXTREMELY UNSAFE TO OPERATE THE VEHICLE AT NIGHT. THERE IS A RECALL FROM FORD COVERING THIS EXACT PROBLEM HOWEVER FOR SOME REASON THE FORD CAN NOT TELL ME, MY CAR IS NOT INCLUDED. I HAVE A 1998 FORD CONTOUR. SO FAR NO ONE AT THE DEALER WILL HELP ME TO DETERMINE WHY MY CAR IS NOT INCLUDED ALTHOUGH THEY AGREE IT IS THE SAME PROBLEM AND CALLS TO FORD HAVE GOTTEN ME NO WHERE AS WELL. WHAT CAN I DO NOW? IT IS AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR AND A SAFETY ISSUE AS WELL. *NM