1995 Ford Contour

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 50MPH ON HIGHWAY AND NOTICED A SMOKE SMELL COMING THROUGH THE VENTS. HE PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER AND VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK PRIOR TO RECALL 00V367, ENGINE WAS OVERHEATING AND BURNING EXCESS OIL FROM OVERHEATED PISTON RINGS, AFTER RECALL REPAIRS, THERE WAS AN INTERNAL ANTIFREEZE LEAK THAT WAS GOING INTO MOTOR OIL, ENGINE COOLING FANS WERE OPERATING INTERMITTENTLY WHEN ENGINE WAS HOT, DEALER FOUND UPPER RADIATOR HOSE AT WATER PUMP HAD A PINHOLE LEAK, ENGINE COOLING FAN WIRING OVERHEATED AND BURNED OUT AT FAN RELAY AND FAN CONNECTORS, THEN CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL 01I009 AND HAD THESE REPAIRS COMPLETED ON VEHICLE, AFTER RECALL REPAIRS, ENGINE AND IN-DASH WIRING OVERHEATED AND BURNED, DEALER INSTALLED RECALL PARTS FOR BLOWER MOTOR AGAIN, CONSUMER LATER INFORMED A NEW MOTOR WAS NEEDED DUE TO NO COMPRESSION DUE TO OVERHEATING DAMAGE. THIS TOOK PLACE PRIOR TO VEHICLE FIRE. HEADLIGHT AND TAILLIGHT LENSES REPLACED. OVERDRIVE LIGHT WAS INOPERATIVE, SHIFT LEVER INTERNAL SLIDING BEZEL HAD A STRESS CRACK, AT TIMES IT WAS HARD TO GET OUT OF PARK WHEN TEMPERATURE WAS COLD. A/C DID NOT BLOW COLD AIR AND WAS NOISY. FUEL DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN AT TIMES. SPEEDOMETER CABLE WAS REPLACED DUE TO A TICKING NOISE. *JB

VEHICLE DEVELOPED A NOISE AND DEALER REPLACED THE POWER STEERING PUMP, HOWEVER NOISE DID NOT GO AWAY, DEALER STATED NOISE WAS DUE TO PULLEY THAT HAD RUSTED AND CORRODED, RECALL 00V367, REGARDING THE FAN MOTOR, CAUSED THE PULLEY TO RUST AND CORRODE, THEREFORE CAUSING THE NOISE, VEHICLE HAD OVERHEATED AND DEALER HAD TO REPLACE THE ENGINE AND MANY OTHER COMPONENTS DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE RECALL COMPONENT, CONSUMER STATES THE ENGINE LIGHT HAS ILLUMINATED. *SLC

SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE FLUCTUATED WILDLY, THEN IT REGISTERED ZERO. TEN SECONDS LATER THE CAR'S DRIVEABLITY WENT DOWN DUE TO THE ON-BOARD COMPUTER RECEIVING ZERO SPEED INPUT: LIMITED ACCELLERATION, NO CRUISE CONTROL, ETC. END RESULT: BOTH SPEED CABLE AND SPEED CONTROL SENSOR BROKEN; CONNECTION PIN FROM TRANSMISSION TO SENSOR STUCK OR SNAPPED --> WILL NEED TO DROP TRANSMISSION AND TEAR IT OPEN JUST TO GET AT A $25 PART!*AK

WHILE DRIVING, THREE MOUNTS ON THE TRANS MOUNT AXLE RUSTED AND SHEARED OFF, CAUSING THE INTAKE MANIFOLD TO CUT THE BRAKE LINES, CONSUMER WENT THROUGH A RED LIGHT, LUCKILY THERE WAS NOT AN ACCIDENT, CONSUMER STATES THE SHEARED MOUNTS CAUSED OTHER DAMAGES AS WELL BUT DID NOT ELABORATE, CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL 00S03 AFTER THE ACCIDENT AND HAS CONTACTED FORD, HOWEVER THEY WILL NOT RESPOND BACK, CONSUMER NO LONGER OWNS THIS VEHICLE. *SLC

TRANSMISSION GEAR SELECTION BECAME DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE. LEVER WOULD INDICATE DRIVE AND WOULD ACTUALLY BE IN 1ST OR 2ND GEAR. LEVER BECAME STIFF AND DIFFICULT TO OPERATE. CONTACTED FORD ABOUT NHTSA RECALL FOR PROBLEM AND WAS TOLD THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED BY RECALL. DON'T UNDERSTAND. PROBLEM IS EXACTLY AS DESCRIBED AND COVERS THE MANUFACTURERING PERIOD INDICATED IN NHSTA 98V233000. *AK

FIRST THE A/C STARTED FLOODING THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. RESULT THE CONDENSER WAS REPLACED BY PLANTATION FORD, WHO TOLD ME THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES. THEN THE TRANSMISSION STARTED LURCHING IN REVERSE. RESULT $2000, AND AGAIN FORD TOLD ME THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE CONTOUR. FINALLY THE ENGINE QUIT ON THE HIGHWAY, AND THE HEAD GASKET WAS BLOWN. MUCH LATER FORD ISSUE A RECALL FOR THE COOLING FAN FUSE, AAND THE WIRING HARNESS. BOTH OF WHICH I WAS NOT INFORMED ABOUT, BUT HAD TO LEARN FROM A MECHANIC. AND WHEN I DID TAKE THE CAR TO PLANTATION FORN THEY TOLD ME THEY COULD NOT TELL IF THE HEAD GAASKET WAS BLOWN BECAUSE OF THE COOLING FAN FUSE, AND THAT THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS RECALL HAD EXPIRED AT 100,000 MAKING MY VEHICLE INELIGIBLE SINCE IT HAD 106,000. I HAVE E:MAILED YOU PICTURES OF THE HARNESS, WHICH ARE SO BRITTLE, AND CORRODED I WOULD BE SCARED TO START ANY MOTOR WITH IT FOR FEAR OF A FIRE.