1996 Ford Contour

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 FORD CONTOUR. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE CONTACT SMELLED A BURNING ODOR AND NOTICED SMOKE EMANATING FROM THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. AFTER CLOSE INSPECTION, HE NOTICED THAT THE BLOWER SWITCH AND ALL ASSOCIATED WIRING WERE MELTED. THE DEALER WOULD NOT ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY BECAUSE THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 01V230000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT ASSIST AND THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 109,688. 4/01/09 *NJ FORD STATED THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED BEFORE IT LEFT THE FACTORY AND THEY REFUSED TO REIMBURSE THE CONSUMER. UPDATED 04/07/09. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 FORD CONTOUR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS WAS MALFUNCTIONING, WHICH CAUSES THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR TO ILLUMINATE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, ENGINE FAILURE, AND ELECTRICAL FIRES UNDER THE HOOD. HE HAS BEEN REPAIRING THE FAILURE HIMSELF, BUT THE WIRING HARNESS CONTINUES TO MALFUNCTION. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS RELATED TO THE FAILURE AND THE REPAIR WOULD COST $1,500. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 FORD CONTOUR. AS HE STARTED HIS VEHICLE, THE TAIL LIGHTS OR THE DASHBOARD DID NOT LIGHT UP. HIS MECHANIC GAVE HIM A COPY OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN# 01V230000. THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT HIS VEHICLE WAS NOT A PART OF THE RECALL. THE RELATED NHTSA ACTION# IS EA01001. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 186,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 FORD CONTOUR. ONE MONTH AGO, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THERE IS A RECALL FOR HER VEHICLE. SHE STATED THAT THE ENGINE LIGHTS CONTINUE TO ILLUMINATE WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, AND A WIRING REPAIR WAS PERFORMED IN THE TRANSMISSION. SHE ALSO STATED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS WAS DAMAGED BY THE HEATER BLOWER. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED IN 2001 AND THE CONTACT HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING ENGINE FAILURE EVER SINCE. THE ENGINE SIZE IS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 110,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

TL* - THE CONTACT TOOK HIS 1997 FORD CONTOUR TO THE DEALERSHIP ON 12/20/06 BECAUSE THE VEHICLE HAD LOST COMPLETE POWER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO GET THE WIRING HARNESS REPLACED. THE DEALERSHIP CALLED THE MANUFACTURER TO SEE IF THE VEHICLE WOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER : 01V230000 AND THEY STATED THAT IT WOULDN'T BE COVERED UNDER RECALL DUE TO THE VEHICLE BEING MORE THAN 10 YEARS OLD. THE CONTACT CAN PROVIDE COPIES OF REPAIR INVOICES IF NEEDED. *JB UPDATED 2/16/2007 - *NM

I PAID TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED AGAIN TO GET A SECOND OPINION. WHILE DOING THIS I ALSO DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT MY CAR HAD A RECALL ON THE UNDER WIRE HARNESS BUT THAT THE RECALL HAD EXPIRED AFTER 100,000 MILES AFTER SEEING HOW MANY RECALLS WHERE DONE ON MY CAR I REALIZED THAT WHAT GENES EVANS FORD TOLD ME WAS THAT IT WOULD COST ME $2500.00 TO FIX THE UNDER WIRE HARNESS PROBLEM. I OBTAINED A SECOND OPINION WHICH CONFIRMED THE WIRE HARNESS, ISSUE AND FORD BUILT THE CAR., AND GENE EVANS FORD KNEW NOTHING ABOUT THE RECALLS! I WANT MY CAR FIXED! ON APRIL 28,2004 WHEN I WAS NOT SURE IF MY CAR HAD A PROBLEM I TOOK IT TO GENE EVANS FORD FOR A DIAGNOSTIC READING, THE ODOMETER READ 95904 AND ON MAY 3,2004 WHEN THE ODOMETER READ 96037, WHICH IS CONSIDERABLY LESS THAN THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS WITH REGARD TO THE ELECTRICAL PROBLEM AS WELL AS THE UNDER WIRE HARNESS RECALL,99M03, WHICH IS 100,000 MILES OR TEN YEARS. IF THE AUTOMOTIVE TECHNICIAN AT FORD SERVICE COULD NOT ELABORATE THAT THERE WAS A RECALL THAT MAY CAUSE PROBLEMS . HOW WAS I TO KNOW? I CONTINUED TO DRIVE MY CAR, TRUSTING FORD'S OPINION ON ANY CONCERNS I MAY HAVE HAD. THIS SITUATION HAS COST ME ENDLESS DISTRESS AS WELL AS FINANCIAL SETBACKS, FIXING PROBLEMS THAT NOW I SEE WHERE RELATED TO ONE RECALL OR ANOTHER . I HAVE BUT ONE CAR, PAY MY PREMIUMS ON TIME AND A CLEAN DRIVING RECORD. I FEEL THAT THIS CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE AND I AM MOST DISSATISFIED , WITH THE WAY GENE EVANS FORD HAS HANDLED THIS MATTER. I WANT MY CAR FIXED! OR IF NEED BE REPLACED, WITH FUNCTIONING NON-DEFECTIVE PARTS, SHOULD MY CAR GET FIXED I WANT ALL RECALLS ON MY CAR RESEARCHED AND FIXED SINCE THE UNDERWIRE HARNESS WAS NOT THE ONLY RECALL I FOUND ON MY CAR,AND I WANT IT ALL IN WRITING! THANKING YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR CAREFUL CONSIDERATION IN THIS MATTER. MY CAR IS NOW COMPLETELY DEAD. WITH NO ATTEMPT AT GENE EVANS FORD OR DEARBORN MICHIGAN ADDRESSING MY CONCERNS.*JB