1995 Ford Contour

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT CERTIFIED MECHANIC FOR A NORMAL TUNE UP; IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESS WAS DETERIORATED. DUE TO THE POTENTIAL RISK OF FIRE WHILE REPAIRING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED TO GO TO THE DEALER. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP, THE PARTS TO REPAIR THE DETERIORATED ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESS WERE DISCONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, AND PROVIDED A TELEPHONE NUMBER TO A PARTS STORE. THE STORE DID NOT CARRY THE PARTS EITHER. THE JUNK YARD WAS ALSO CHECKED FOR AVAILABILITY OF REPLACEMENT PARTS. THE PARTS AT THE JUNK YARD WERE IN A WORST CONDITION THAN THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE.

FORD "OWNER NOTIFICATION PROGRAM" 99M03 DESCRIBES, AND OFFERS TO FIX FOR FREE, A PROBLEM IN WHICH ENGINE WIRING HARNESS INSULATION ROTS DUE TO CERTAIN ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS. PROGRAM INVOLVES A WARRANTY EXTENSION TO 10 YEARS BEYOND ORIGINAL WARRANTY, OR 100,000 MILES, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST. SYMPTOMS OF THE PROBLEM VARY WIDELY. IN MY CASE, THE CAR JUST SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING. WHILE THERE WERE NO INJURIES, THIS WAS AN OBVIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. IF IT HAD HAPPENED ON THE INTERSTATE INSTEAD OF ON A SIDE ROAD, THE RESULT COULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS. IN RESPONSE TO THIS PROBLEM, FORD ISSUED 99M03, WHICH THEY CALL AN "OWNER NOTIFICATION PROGRAM". THE PROBLEM IS THAT, ACCORDING TO MY OWN EXPERIENCE, AND ACCORDING TO THE PERSONNEL AT MY LOCAL DEALER'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT, OWNERS WERE NOT NOTIFIED UNLESS THEY BROUGHT THE CAR IN FOR SOMETHING THAT TURNED OUT TO BE CAUSED BY THE WIRING HARNESS PROBLEM. THIS PROGRAM NEEDS TO BE ELEVATED TO A RECALL SO THAT ALL OWNERS ARE AWARE OF THE RISKS AND ARE ABLE TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION TO PROTECT THEMSELVES. *NM

I OWN A 1995 FORD CONTOUR GL THAT WAS PURCHASED NEW. I RECENTLY OPENED THE HOOD TO FIND THAT THE ELECTRICAL WIRING INSULATION IS BRITTLE AND FALLING APART AND EXPOSING THE BARE WIRE. THIS MAY CAUSE A FIRE IF TWO OF THE EXPOSED WIRES TOUCH AND CREATE A SPARK. I TALKED TO FORD MOTOR COMPANY WHO TOLD ME THAT A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION BULLETIN WAS SEND OUT IN 1999. THIS SHOULD BE A SAFETY RECALL AND NOT A SERVICE BULLETIN. THE BULLETIN EXPIRES AT 100,000 MILES OR 10 YEARS AFTER WARRANTY. THE WIRING IS MADE SO THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE REACHES A CERTAIN AGE, THE PLASTIC WILL FALL OFF AND THE METAL WIRES CAN BE RECYCLED. THE CARS ARE KNOWN TO MECHANICS AT FORDS DEALERSHIPS AS THROWAWAY CARS AFTER TEN YEARS, BECAUSE OF THE BIO-DEGRADABLE WIRING. *NM

DETERIORATION OF THE WIRING HARNESS, FORD CONTOUR 95 WERE MADE WITH A DEFICIENT ENGINE WIRING HARNESS ISOLATION SYSTEM. VERY DANGEROUS ! SHORT CIRCUITS! THEY JUST EXTENDED THE WARRANTY FOR 7 YEARS OR 100,000 MILES, MY CAR HAS ONLY 45,000 AND THE WIRING HARNESS IS IN SUCH BAD CONDITIONS I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE MY CAR, AS RECOMMENDED BY MECHANICS. THE FORD AND DEALER SAYS IT HAS TO BE CHANGED OUTSIDE OF THE ALREADY EXPIRED WARRANTY, ABOUT 3,500 DOLLARS (BY TROPICAL FORD IN ORLANDO) IT IS IMPOSSIBLE, THE CAR PRICE IS 3,500 D. ( TOTAL LOST) IT IS FABRICATION DEFECT , THE CAR HAS ONLY 45,000. WHY IT IS NOT A RECALL ? THE AFFECTED CUSTOMERS WERE NOT TOLD THE CAR WILL EXPIRE IN 2005! BECAUSE NOBODY WILL PAY THE CAR VALUE TO FIX IT! I SHOULD KEEP DRIVING UNTIL THE SHORT CIRCUIT COMES ! WOULD YOU BE COMFORTABLE WITH YOUR DAUGHTER DRIVING THIS CAR? I BELIEVE IT IS NOT FAIR! FORD SHOULD FIX THE PROBLEM IF THE CAR HAS LESS THAN 100,000 M AT LEAST! CURRENTLY I HAVE LIGHTS TURNING ON BY THEMSELVES ON MY DASHBOARD!*JB

DT: CONSUMER FELT VEHICLE HAD BAD WIRING HARNESS. THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND OFF. THERE WERE NO AIR CONDITIONER/ HEATER/ COMPRESSOR OR FAN . TOOK VEHICLE TO AN A MECHANIC, IT WAS THERE THAT MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS WAS FAULTY, AND HAD A POTENTIAL FOR CATCHING ON FIRE. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALERSHIP AND FORD MANUFACTURER ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. CONSUMER WAS ADVISED OF AN EXTENDED WARRANTY THROUGH CUSTOMER RELATIONS FOR 10 YEARS OR 100,000 MILES. CONSUMER DID NOT APPLY FOR EXTENDED WARRANTY BECAUSE VEHICLE WAS OVER 100,000 MILES, AND DEALER NEVER MADE CONSUMER AWARE OF THIS IN THE PAST. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. *JB

DT: CONTACT STATES UNDERNEATH THE HOOD THE HARNESS WIRING MELTED. . RECALL CAMPAIGN 011009000 WAS ISSUED. CONSUMER DID NOT RECEIVE A RECALL NOTICE FROM THE MANUFACTURER. HOWEVER, MANUFACTURER PROVIDED CONSUMER WITH RECALL 00S44, CONCERNING ELECTRICAL FUSE CONNECTORS AND RECALL 99M03 REGARDING UNDERHOOD WIRE HARNESS. THE SERVICE DEALER STATED THE RECALL CAMPAIGN HAS EXPIRED. *AK

1995 FORD CONTOUR. RECALL 99M03 (UNDERHOOD WIRING HARNESS) WAS COMPLETED BY FORD DEALERSHIP OCTOBER 2000. IN 2003 AND SINCE, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON, ABS LIGHT COMES ON, BLOWS FUSES RANDOMLY, FINALLY THE STEERING COLUMN STARTED SMOKING AND THE WIRING CAUGHT FIRE. AFTER INSPECTION, IT APPEARS FORD ONLY REPLACED PART OF THE WIRING HARNESS ON THE RECALL, NOT THE ENTIRE HARNESS AS THE INVOICE SHOWS. PART OF THE WIRING APPEARS IN VERY GOOD SHAPE, WHILE SOME SECTIONS OF THE HARNESS ARE FRAYED, INSULATION IS FALLING OFF, AND BARE WIRE IS EXPOSED. IF THIS IS THE NORM AND NOT JUST AN INDIVIDUAL INCIDENT, IT IS A VERY MISLEADING AND DANGEROUS DECEPTION. IT WOULD APPEAR THEY ONLY PATCHED A PROBLEM THAT WAS, FOR SAFETY'S SAKE SUPPOSE TO BE REPLACED. THE INVOICE THAT WAS PROVIDED WHEN REPAIRS WERE DONE, DOES INDICATE THAT THE ENTIRE HARNESS WAS, IN FACT REPLACED. THE BOTTOM LINE IS, FORD HAS FAILED TO REPAIR WHAT CAN POTENTIALLY BE A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM. THEY ONLY PATCHED THE PROBLEM. NOW THE ONLY OPTION AVAILABLE TO THE CONSUMER IS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE HARNESS, BECAUSE FORD DOES NOT MAKE SECTIONS OF THE HARNESS AVAILABLE. THE WIRING HARNESS ON AN AUTOMOBILE IS NOT SOMETHING THAT AN OWNER SHOULD HAVE TO BE CONCERNED WITH FAILING. OF ALL THE AUTOMOBILES THAT CURRENTLY RESIDE IN SALVAGE YARDS, MOST OF WHICH ARE CONSIDERABLY OLDER THAN A 1995 CONTOUR, I WOULD SUSPECT THAT A VERY SMALL PERCENT ARE THERE BECAUSE OF A WIRING HARNESS FAILURE. I STILL HAVE THE ENTIRE HARNESS, PHOTOS OF THE HARNESS, AND THE INVOICE WHERE THE WORK WAS DONE. THE VEHICLE WILL NOT RUN UNTIL THE ABS SECTION IS REPLACED. AS I STATED BEFORE, THE ONLY WAY TO REPAIR THE CAR IS TO PURCHASE THE ENTIRE HARNESS FROM FORD, WHICH I HAVE NOT YET BEEN ABLE TO DO. IF THIS WAS COMMON PRACTICE, FORD NEEDS TO GO BACK AND REPLACE THE SECTIONS THAT WERE NOT REPLACED. AFTER ALL THAT IS WHAT THE INVOICE SHOWS THEY DID. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.