1996 Ford Contour

I BOUGHT A 1996 FORD CONTOUR FROM AND INDIVIDUAL IN JULY OF THIS YEAR. IT RAN WELL, FOR A FEW DAYS, AND THEN THE OD LIGHT KEPT COMING ON, AND IT FELT LIKE IT WAS SHIFTING INTO LOW. I KEPT MASHING THE BUTTON ON THE SHIFT ARM AND THE LIGHT WOULD GO OUT AND THEN COME BACK ON THIS WOULD GO ON FOR SEVERAL DAYS, THEN IT WOULD BE OK FOR SEVERAL DAYS, JUST TO START UP ALL OVER AGAIN. THEN I HAD THE OLD CHANGED IN NOVEMBER AND THE WOULD NOT STAY CRANKED FOR ME TO GET HOME. THE WIRES UNDER THE HOOD ARE ALL FLAKING OF THERE PLASTIC COVERING. I ASSUME THIS IS WHY IT WILL NOT STAYED CRANKED. I CAN NOT DRIVE IT IN THIS CONDITION. *NM

THIS PROBLEM STARTED WAY BACK AT THE DATE BELOW AND I COULD NOT GET FORD TO FIX THIS PROBLEM SO I HAVE BEEN ATTEMPTING TO KEEP THE CAR RUNNING BY ELECTRICAL TAPING THE EXPOSING WIRES. I WONDER WHY AMERCIAN MADE VEHICLES ARE LOOSING TO FOREIGN COMPANIES... SELF EXPLANATORY I THINK. NO PRIDE IN THE AMERICAN WORKER. JUST DO THE JOB AND MAKE LIVING. COMPLAINT IS FORD CONTOUR GL ENGINE WIRING HARNESSES SEVERELY DETERIORATING. I WORK WITH ELECTRICAL WIRING ON AIRCRAFT DAILY AND HAVE NEVER SEEN WIRING LIKE THIS. I'VE WORKED IN AREAS WHERE AIRCRAFT WIRING GO THROUGH SEVERE TEMPERATURE CHANGES, HIGH HUMIDITY, AND SEA SPRAY TO NAME A FEW. NO AIRCRAFT THAT I'VE WORKED ON HAS HAD WIRING LIKE THIS. TRANSPORTATION SUCH AS AIRCRAFT DON'T OR SHOULD SAY CANNOT HAVE WIRING LIKE THIS WHY CAN CARS? OBVIOUS SAFETY HAZARD FOR CAR OWNERS AROUND THE COUNTRY, CAR FAILS FROM WIRING IN THE MIDDLE OF RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC AND WHAT HAPPENS TO THE OWNER AND POSSIBLE OTHER INNOCENT DRIVERS AROUND THEM? THIS INCIDENT I BELIEVE REQUIRES IMMEDIATE ACTION. AS I STATED I AM CURRENTLY USING ELECTRICAL TAPE TO ATTEMPT TO KEEP THE WIRES FROM TOUCHING AND CAUSING A FIRE OR DAMAGE TO OTHER ENGINE COMPONENTS. CURRENTLY CHASING AIR CONDITIONING, ENGINE FAN, AND FUEL INJECTOR PROBLEMS WITH THIS WIRING. A VEHICLES WIRING SHOULD NEVER BECOME THIS BRITTLE. THIS GOES TO PROVE WHY FORD IS CLOSING PLANTS AND NISSAN AND TOYOTA ARE ON TOP OF THE AUTOMOTIVE SALES. THINK ABOUT IT FORD, TRYING TO GET BY WITH CHEAP STUFF AND SEE WHERE YOU ARE NOW, VERGE OF BANKRUPTCY. *JB

DT: 1996 FORD CONTOUR. THE CONTACT STATES THE WIRING HARNESS FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED, AND THIS WAS HOW THEY FOUND THE PROBLEM. RECALL 01V230000 WAS ISSUED, BUT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED. THERE HAS BEEN NOTHING DONE TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. THE CONTACT STATED IT WILL COST $1700 TO FIX IT. THIS PROBLEM WAS DISCOVERED APPROXIMATELY A YEAR AGO. THERE HAS NOT BEEN A FIRE YET, BUT THIS COULD BE THE CONSEQUENCE OF THE RECALL.*AK UPDATED 11/16/2005. *NM

CONSUMER HAS HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THE 1996 FORD CONTOUR.*MR THERE HAS BEEN SO MANY RECALLS ON CONSUMER'S VEHICLE THAT SHE WASN'T AWARE OF BECAUSE THE MANUFACTURER NEVER SENT NOTICES. SINCE THEN CONSUMER HAS BEEN PAYING FOR ENTIRE FULL PRICE AND IS ASKING FOR REIMBURSEMENT. HOWEVER, THE BIGGEST PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE IS THE GAS FUMES WHICH IS LEAKING THEREFORE LEAVING POISONOUS CARBON MONOXIDE FUMES COMING IN THROUGH THE HEATER VENTS. THESE HARSH CHEMICALS ARE DAMAGING TO THE LUNGS, BRAIN, RESPIRATORY SYSTEM AND ITS MAKING CONSUMER VERY TIRED AMONG OTHER SYMPTOMS. *TT

THE PROBLEM STARTED ON THE INCIDENT DATE, WIRE PROBLEM CAUSE THE ENTIRE FAN/AC/HEATER PANEL SO NO LONGER WORK, THE WIRE GOT SO HOT HOT IT MELTED OUR UNDER-DASH FUSE BOX, WE WENT FOR 9 MONTHS AND A BABY WITH NO A/C IN HOT AND NO HEAT IN THE COLD, HUSBAND(JOSH MURPHY) WENT TO JUNK YARD AFTER BEING TURNED AWAY BY DEALERSHIP AND GOT REPLACEMENT PARTS OFF AN IDENTICAL CAR. THAT WAS IN JUNE OF 2005. ON THAT DATE WE SAW THAT ALL OF THE WIRES UNDER THE HOOD WERE SEVERELY CRACKED AND DAMAGED AFTER ELTRCIAL TAPING A FEW OF THE EXPOSED WIRED THERE BECAME A SHORT THAT NOW CUASES A COMPUTER PROBLEM AND A LOSS OF POWER THEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE ANF PULL INTO TRAFFIC, OR JUST ANYTIME IT WANTS TO. THE OVER-DRIVE LIGHT COMES ON AND TRANSMISSION STARTS TO GET REALLY JERKY AND THE ODOMETER AND EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE PANAL STARTS TO MALFUNCTION, MOST OF THE TIME WE DONT EVEN KNOW HOW FAST WE ARE GOING OR HOW MANY MILES WE HAVE GONE. WE HAVE A 18 MONTH OLD AND A NEW BABY DUE IN JUST WEEKS AND I AM SCARED THAT ONE TIME WHEN I GO TO PULL OUT THE CAR JUST ISNT GOING TO GO AT ALL AND WE MIGHT GET HIT BY SOMEONE, O AND SOMETIMES IT JUST TURNS ITSELF OFF IN TRAFFIC TOO. THE DEAALERSHIP TELL ME THAT ALL OF THOSE WIRES WERE REPLACED IN 2000 BUT THEY SHOULD HAVE MADE IT LONGER THAT 4 YEARS WITHOUT DEGENERATING AGAIN. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP ALSO TELLS ME THAT I WOULD HAVE TO JUST PAY FOR THE WORK AND BEING A NEW FAMILY WE CANNOT AFFORD SOMETHING LIKE THAT, ESPECIALLY SINCE IT WAS A RECALL ITEM AT ONE TIME. PLEASE THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING DONE ABOUT THIS, I KNOW WE ARE NOT THE ONLY 96 FORD CONTOUR OWNERS WITH THIS EXACT PROBLEM EITHER.

DT: CONSUMER STATES THAT SHE HAS HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. SHE HAS HAD THE VEHICLE IN TO THE MECHANIC SEVERAL TIMES AND THE MECHANIC CALLED A LOCAL FORD DEALER AND INQUIRED ON RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE. AT THAT TIME THEY WERE TOLD THERE WERE TWO RECALLS, 01I009000 AND 01V230000. CONSUMER CALLED THE CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT FORD AND WAS TOLD THE RECALL HAD EXPIRED AND SHE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE RECALL WORK. *JB

I OWN A 1996 FORD CONTOUR [XXX] THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS AND TAIL LIGHTS WENT OUT ON. THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS ITEM (RECALL 99S14) BACK IN 1999. UPON BRINGING THE CAR INTO AN BROOKDALE FORD (BROOKLYN CENTER, MN), THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM FREE OF CHARGE BECAUSE IT DID NOT APPLY TO MY VEHICLE. I THEN CALLED FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE PROBLEM WAS ALREADY FIXED ON MY CAR (EVEN THOUGH I NEVER BROUGHT THE CAR IN FOR THIS SERVICE). THEY REFUSED TO HELP. EVEN IF THE RECALL WAS FIXED ON MY CAR, THE FACT THAT THE SAME TWO PARTS OF MY CAR (INSTRUMENT PANEL AND TAIL LIGHTS) FAILED, TELLS ME THAT THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT DONE CORRECTLY.*AK *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)