1999 FORD CONTOUR Complaints

RECALL 00V350000: FUEL GROMMET LEAKAGE IS FOR BI-FUEL CARS (CONTOURS) AND MY VEHICLE WAS AT THE MECHANICS AND I AM HAVING THE SAME ISSUE BUT MY VEHICLE IS NOT A BI-FUEL VEHICLE. WHILE I WAS HAVE MY VEHICLE WORKED ON I ASKED TO CHECK THE FUEL BECAUSE AS I STORE MY VEHICLE IN THE GARAGE FOR THE WINTER I NOTICED A GASOLINE SMELL. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THERE WAS A RECALL AND I CONTACTED 2 FORD DEALERS AND FORD ITSELF AND WAS INFORMED THAT THIS VEHICLE IS NOT ON THE RECALL. THE IS A VERY SERIOUS ISSUE AND SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL AS IT IS THE SAME SPECIFIC INFORMATION ON THE RECALL BUT NOT FOR MY VEHICLE. *JB

1999 FORD CONTOUR LEFT HUB BEARING WAS LOOSE. THIS IS THE FIFTH TIME THIS HAS BEEN REPLACED. *TS ***NO ANSWER REQUIRED*** *JB

THE DASHBOARD VINYL HAS SEPARATED FROM THE DASH AND CURLED UP WHICH AFFECTS VISIBILITY AS WELL AS REDUCING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE DEFROSTER. *JB

DASHBOARD CURLS UP AND IMPAIRS VISION OUT OF THE FRONT OF THE CAR. CAN'T USE DEFROSTER UP FRONT OR ELSE THE DASH CURLS UP EVEN MORE. THIS IS DANGEROUS FOR CONTOUR OWNERS AND SHOULD BE FIXED IMMEDIATELY. *NM

DASH WARP / CURL / DELAMINATION DISLODGES DEFROSTER VENT PANEL. UNDER HIGH HUMIDITY CONDITIONS AND DURING RAIN EVENTS, THE DEFROSTER / DEFOGGING SYSTEM IS COMPROMISED AND VISIBILITY IS POOR. *NM

1999 FORD CONTOUR SVT, DASHBOARD WARPING. JUST STARTED THIS PAST SUMMER (2005). FORD HAD A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE BUT IT EXPIRED IN AUGUST OF 2002. DASHBOARD HAS PEELED UP SO IT HAS LIMITED SITE TO ABOUT 4" ABOVE THE BOTTOM OF THE WINDSHIELD. *NM

DASH BOARD WARPING ON 1999 FORD CONTOUR. REPAIR WAS ATTEMPTED, BUT ONLY A TEMPORARY SOLUTION. DASH HAS CONTINUED TO WARP AND HAS CRACKED IN ONE PLACE AS WELL. *JB

THE DASH BOARD STARTED WARPING A FEW YEARS AFTER THE CAR WAS PURCHASED. A DASHBOARD TEMPORARY FIX TO STOP THE WARPING HAS CAUSED THE REST OF THE DASH TO PULL AWAY FROM THE SPEEDOMETER AND TACHOMETER. *JB

NHTSA WEBSITE CONFIRMS 79 SIMILAR COMPLAINTS OF FORD'S KNOWN MANUFACTURE DEFECTS IN DASHBOARD ASSEMBLY IS A SAFETY HAZARD THAT COMPROMISES THE OCCUPANT/PEDESTRIAN SAFTEY: WARPED DASH PANEL AND SPRUNG OUT FRONT DEFROST GRILL OBSTRUCTS DRIVER'S VIEW; LOOSE GRILL STRIKES WINDSHIELD WHILE CAR IN MOTION AND COULD BREAK IT; DEFLECTS PROPER AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT; PROPER AIRFLOW OF DEFROST IS DEFLECTED; FORD KNOWINGLY MANUFACTURES AND SELLS DEFECTIVE VEHICLES. THEN IMMEDIATELY ISSUES A "CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM" NOTICE (IN THIS CASE CPS # 01B78) THAT HAS AN EXPIRATION DATE DESIGNED TO PREEMPT MANIFESTATION OF THE DEFECTS BY THE CUSTOMER. ON MY 1999 FORD CONTOUR SE, THE DEFROSTER GRILL HAS SPRUNG OUT AND JUTS OUT OF ALIGNMENT SO THAT THE AIRFLOW FROM DEFROST MECHANISM IS OBSTRUCTED. DASHBOARD WARPED AND SEPARATED FROM WINDSHIELD ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE WITH THE FISSURE SPREADING TOWARD THE PASSENGER SIDE. FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE DECLINED TO DO REPAIRS/REPLACEMENT AT NO CHARGE, STATING FORD IS NO LONGER LIABLE BECAUSE THE CUSTOMER SERVICE PROGRAM EXPIRED AUGUST 2002. INSTEAD, THE FORD DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT OFFERED ME THE LOYAL CUSTOMER SERVICE DEAL OF MAKING THE REPAIR FOR COST OF ONLY $1638.12. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW IN FEBRUARY 1999 FOR $18077.16 (FINANCED PRICE OF $24318.40)!!! MY CAR LOAN HAS BEEN PAID IN FULL FEBRUARY 2004 WITH NO LATE PAYMENTS. MY VEHICLE'S ROUTINE MAINTENANCE WAS DONE BY THE FORD DEALER'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT. I AM A SECOND TIME FORD OWNER; MY PREVIOUS VEHICLE WAS A 1992 FORD TEMPO. HOWEVER, LORD WILLING, THE 1999 CONTOUR WILL BE MY LAST. THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE ADDITIONAL EXPENSES I INCURRED SELDOM USED A/C REPAIR $275 FAULTY ENGINE LIGHT 02 SENSORS REPLACE $500 DEALER CUT BRAKE ROTERS TOO LOW $800. *NM

AUGUST 2001 FORD NOTIFIED US OF A DEFECT IN THE COVER OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THAT THE PANEL MAY WARP AND COME UNDONE FIRST AROUND THE DEFROSTER GRILL OPENING. FORD IDENTIFIED PROGRAM #01B78 TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. WE BROUGHT VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE AS INSTRUCTED BY LETTER AND SERVICE WAS DENIED AS THE GAP IN THE WARPAGE WAS ONLY 1.75 AND NEEDED TO BE 2 IN ORDER TO BE REPLACED. NOW, IN 2005 THE DASHBOARD PANEL HAS COMPLETELY WARPED UP AND OFF. IT OBSTRUCTS DRIVER'S FIELD OF VISION THROUGH WINDSHIELD AND PREVENTS THE DEFROSTER FROM WORKING PROPERLY. THIS IS A DEFINITE SAFETY ISSUE. FORD REFUSES TO COVER KNOWN DEFECT NOW. *JB