1996 FORD CONTOUR Complaints

The contact owned a 1996 Ford Contour. The contact stated that while driving at 25 mph, going downhill, the vehicle hit black ice, then crashed into a parked vehicle. The air bags deployed and detached upon impact, slicing the contact's head open, snapped his fifth and sixth vertebrae, and the seatbelt fractured his ribs. The police were called to the scene of the collision. The police officer informed the contact that the air bag had detached from the steering wheel and was in the rear passenger seat. A police report was filed. The contact was transported to the hospital for injuries sustained. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and deemed totaled. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

MY CAR WAS RECALLED IN 2001. THE PAST 6 MO MY ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SMELLS LIKE ITS BURNING OR SOMETHING MELTING. ALMOST LIKE ITS GOING TO CATCH ON FIRE

THE WIRE HARNESS MOTOR, TRANSMISSION AND FUEL INJECTION ARE BAD ,AND WAS STATIONARY 5 YEAR AGO LIKE MANY MANY MANY CONTOURS AND MISTYQUES IN MY COUNTRY , I NEED A SOLUTION PLEASE, COUSE RESPONSABILITY IS FROM FORD COMPANY IN ALL THE WORLD. THANK YOU. I AM IN MEXICO.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 FORD CONTOUR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, IT WOULD FAIL TO START DUE TO A MELTED WIRE IN THE ENGINE. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ODOMETER FAILED TO PROVIDE THE ACCURATE READING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

CAR WAS PURCHASED FROM A USED CAR DEALER ON 8/11/15. THE CAR HAS 58606 MILES ON IT. THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO ELECTRICAL ISSUES CAUSED BY A FAULTY WIRING HARNESS. WIRING HARNESS WAS UNDER THE OWNER NOTIFICATION AND NOT REPAIRED. FORD HAS NOT OFFERED ANY TYPE OF ASSISTANCE AND MECHANIC SAYS THE CAR IS A FIRE HAZARD AND HARNESS HAS TO BE REPLACED. CONTACTED FORD WHO SAID THE CAR WAS NOT UNDER ANY TYPE OF RECALL AND THEY NO LONGER MAKE THE PART.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 FORD CONTOUR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH, THE TAILLIGHT AND FRONT PANEL FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 68,000.

CORROSION UNDER THE CAR (POLICE INCEPTOR ). CAR WAS PURCHASE FROM A LOCAL DEALER IN BAMBERG, SC THAT SELL MANY CROWN VICTORIAS. HE INDICATED MY CAR CAME FROM UP NORTH, PENNSYLVANIA. *TR

I PURCHASED A USED 1996 FORD CONTOUR FOR MY GRANDDAUGHTER AND AFTER A FEW DAYS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. MY MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AND FIXED IT. A FEW MILES DOWN THE ROAD IT CAME BACK ON. AFTER FURTHER DIAGNOSTICS IT WAS FOUND THAT THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS WAS BAD. THE INSULATION ON THE WIRES WAS FLAKING OFF AND IN ONE SPOT THE WIRE BUNDLE COVERING HAD MELTED. RESEARCH ON LINE SHOWED THAT FORD HAD A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM (99M03) AND EXTENDED THE RECALL FOR 10 YEARS. IN AN ATTEMPT TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM WITH A DIFFERENT WIRING HARNESS HAS PROVED TO BE A LOOSING BATTLE I CONTACTED FORD AND THEY SAID THAT THEY NO LONGER BUILD THIS PART AND THAT THEY HAD NO PARTS IN STOCK THROUGHOUT THE USA. I TRIED SALVAGE YARDS AND THERE ARE NO GOOD PARTS OUT THERE. HOW CAN A USED CAR LOT SELL CARS WITHOUT LOOKING INTO SAFETY RECALLS ON THE VEHICLES. I HAVE NO RECOURSE BUT TO JUNK THE CAR AND TAKE A $3000 LOSS. IS THERE ANY HELP OUT THERE? *TR

MY CAR HAD BEEN HAVING MANY ISSUES .FIXING WHAT WE THOUGHT WERE THE PROBLEM WE FOUND THAT THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTED TO THE COOLING FAN WAS MELTED AS WELL AS MANY PROBLEMS IN WIRE HARNESSES IN FRONT OF ENGINE.. IT IS VERY APPARENT THE WIRING IS DEFECTIVE AND CAUSED MELTING N BURN WIRES THROUGHOUT THE WIRING SYSTEM. I HAVE HAD 4 MECHANICS LOOK AT IT AND WAS TOLD BY ALL THAT THIS MAKE N MODEL IS VERY WELL KNOWN FOR THIS ELECTRICAL ISSUE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 FORD CONTOUR. WHILE PARKED, THE CONTACT SMELLED SMOKE AND NOTICED FLAMES NEAR THE REAR OF THE RADIO AND THE CENTER COLUMN THAT DIVIDED THE FRONT AND REAR DRIVER SIDE DOORS. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FLAMES HERSELF. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS. THERE WAS A RECALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 01V230000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) THAT COULD POSSIBLY HAVE BEEN RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND ADVISED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE CONTACT STATED THE FAILURE AFFECTED THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING AND INTERIOR LIGHTING OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,922.