AIRBAG LIGHT WAS FLASHING WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER. DEALER COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM WITH THE AIRBAG. *AK CONSUMER STATES AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND STAYED ON FOR APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES, CONSUMER SHUT ENGINE OFF AND RESTARTED VEHICLE TO FIND THE AIRBAG LIGHT FLASHING, DEALER DROVE VEHICLE OVER 100 MI…
Read full complaint
AIRBAG LIGHT WAS FLASHING WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER. DEALER COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM WITH THE AIRBAG. *AK CONSUMER STATES AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND STAYED ON FOR APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES, CONSUMER SHUT ENGINE OFF AND RESTARTED VEHICLE TO FIND THE AIRBAG LIGHT FLASHING, DEALER DROVE VEHICLE OVER 100 MILES AND AIRBAG LIGHT WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE, CONSUMER IS CONCERNED BECAUSE SHE HAS TO SIT CLOSE TO THE STEERING WHEEL. *SLC
NHTSA ODI #899392
Mileage unknown · Sep 5, 2001
Air Bags
AIRBAG LIGHT IS FLASHING, NOT TAKEN TO DEALER YET.*AK
NHTSA ODI #895736
Mileage unknown · Mar 26, 2001
Air BagsCrashInjury
WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35-40 MPH HIT AN ENBANKMENT AND WENT UP RAILROAD TRACK , TEARING BUMPER., AND MADE A HOLE IN OIL PAN. ALSO ,ABOUT $3,000 WORTH OF DAMAGE TO FRONT END. UPON IMPACT, DUAL AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.*AK
NHTSA ODI #884135
Mileage unknown · Oct 7, 1999
Air BagsService Brakes, HydraulicCrash
DRIVER WAS IN AN FRONT END ACCIDENT THAT WAS CAUSED BY APPLICATION OF THE BRAKES WHICH FAILED. CONSUMER LOST CONTROL AND HIT A GAURDRAIL HEAD-ON. UPON IMPACT, PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED, BUT DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. *AK
NHTSA ODI #850180
Mileage unknown · Sep 29, 1999
Air BagsEngine And Engine Cooling
SMELLS LIKE RAW GAS ALL THE TIME. HAD THE VEHICLE AT THE DEALER WAS NOT ABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM. TWO WEEKS AGO VEHICLE WENT TO THE SHOP FOR A FUEL PUMP. ON HIGHWAY WHILE TRYING TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER, SOMETHING HAD POPPED OUT AND STARTED SMOKING UNDER THE HOOD, HIT THE CONCRETE AND BOTH AIRBAGS CAME OUT. *AK
NHTSA ODI #849264
Mileage unknown · Sep 8, 1999
Air Bags
DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AIRBAGS DEPLOYED BUT BUSTED OPEN, CAUSING THE FUMES AND SMOKE TO ENTER INTO THE VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
NHTSA ODI #847091
Mileage unknown · Sep 1, 1999
Air Bags
PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG IS VISIBLE DUE TO A HALF IN CRACK WITH THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER, DEALER HAS YET TO REPLACE PARTS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
NHTSA ODI #846310
Mileage unknown · Jan 18, 1998
Air Bags
VEHICLE COLLIDED WITH A LIGHT POLE WITH ENOUGH FORCE TO BREAK THE LAMP FROM THE POLE, HOWEVER THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLY AND THE DRIVER SUSTAINED A BROKEN NOSE.
NHTSA ODI #529145
Mileage unknown · Jun 19, 1997
Air Bags
WHILE DRIVING THE AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON ANF OFF. CONSUMER THINKS THAT THIS MEANS THAT SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE AIR BAG SENSOR. THIS VEHICLE IS A 1998, BUT IT IS NOT LISTED IN THE COMPUTER YET SO HAD TO KEY IN 1997 FOR YEAR. *AK
ON CERTAIN MY 1996-1998 PASSENGER VEHICLES BUILT AT THE KANSAS CITY, CUAUTITLAN ASSEMBLY PLANTS OR ON MY 1999 PASSENGER VEHCLES BUILT AT THE AUTOMOTIVE ALLIANCE INTERNATIONAL ASSEMBLY PLANTS, THE ROUGH SURFACE OF THE HEATER BLOWER RESISTOR'S STAINLESS STEEL BLADES CAN DAMAGE THE COPPER SURFACE OF THE WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR. THE DAMAGE COULD, OVER TIME, CAUSE INCREASED RESISTANCE IN THE CONNECTOR AND, DUE TO SUBSEQUENT TERMINAL RELAXATION, RESULT IN AN OPEN CIRCUIT CONDITION.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE OPEN CIRCUIT COULD LEAD TO ELECTRICAL ARCING THAT COULD MELT THE CONNECTOR HOUSING MATERIAL CREASING THE POTENTIAL FOR A FIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW HEATER BLOWER RESISTOR AND A NEW WIRE JUMPER HARNESS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN AUGUST 29, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES NOT EQUIPPED WITH THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS). A PRESSURE CONSCIOUS REDUCING VALVE (PCRV) IN THE REAR BRAKES MAY BE SUBJECT TO CORROSION AND RESULT IN MALFUNCTION, WHEN OPERATED IN AREAS THAT USE SALT COMPOUNDS ON THE ROADWAY FOR DE-ICING OR DUST CONTROL.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF BOTH PCRV'S MALFUNCTION, VEHICLE HANDLING COULD BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED DURING BRAKING AS A RESULT OF THE REAR WHEELS LOCKING, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL IMPROVED PCRV'S IN THE REAR BRAKE SYSTEM. THIS RECALL WAS EXPANDED IN SEPTEMBER 2000 TO INCLUDE 1999 AND 2000 FORD CONTOUR, MERCURY MYSTIQUE AND COUGAR VEHICLES.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE TERMINALS AT THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH AND WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR CAN EXPERIENCE HEAT DAMAGE AS A RESULT OF OVERHEATING.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE DAMAGE COULD RESULT IN DISTORTION OF THE TERMINAL CAUSING AN OPEN CIRCUIT IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATION, PARKING LAMP, AND TAIL LAMP CIRCUITS.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A HEADLAMP SWITCH WIRING CONNECTOR CONTAINING BRONZE TERMINALS AND AN INSPECTION, AND REPLACEMENT IF NECESSARY, OF THE HEADLAMP SWITCH.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE FLOOR SHIFT AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION CONTROL CAN BE DAMAGED IF SUBJECTED TO CERTAIN INTERIOR CLEANING PRODUCTS. THE GEAR POSITION INDICATOR CAN DETERIORATE AND NOT CORRECTLY INDICATE THE ACTUAL GEAR POSITION.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION CAN RESULT IN INCORRECT GEAR SELECTION.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLOOR SHIFT CONTROL.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: BI-FUEL VEHICLES MODIFIED TO RUN ON EITHER GASOLINE OR COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS (CNG). THE NATURAL GAS FUEL TANKS HAVE A SOLENOID SHUT-OFF VALVE THAT STOPS FUEL FLOW FROM THE FUEL TANK IN THE EVENT OF CERTAIN MODERATE TO SEVERE COLLISIONS. IF THE VEHICLE IS IN A COLLISION AND THE NATURAL GAS FUEL LINE IS DAMAGED, THE SYSTEM COULD LEAK NATURAL GAS.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.
Remedy: FORD HAS REQUESTED OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES TO HAVE THE CNG FUEL SYSTEM DISABLED UNDER A PREVIOUS RECALL CAMPAIGN AND TO ONLY USE GASOLINE FUEL UNTIL A PERMANENT CORRECTIVE ACTION IS DEVELOPED. OWNERS ARE BEING ALERTED TO THIS SOLENOID VALVE CONCERN AT THIS TIME. THE TIMING OF CORRECTIVE ACTIONS IS BEING DELAYED TO ALLOW BOTH CONDITIONS TO BE REMEDIED AT ONE TIME. IN THE MEANTIME, THERE IS NOT RISK AS LONG AS THE NATURAL GAS SYSTEM HAS BEEN DISABLED AND THE VHEICLE IS ONLY OPERATED ON GASOLINE.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
4
RQ02006 · Incorrect Gear Indication
Opened Feb 26, 2002 · Closed Sep 12, 2002
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Power Train
There is no summary currently available
EA01001 · Blower Switch/resistor Or Wiring Harness
Opened Jan 5, 2001 · Closed Jul 31, 2001
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System
There is no summary currently available
Additional source detail variants (2)
Electrical System
There is no summary currently available
Electrical System
There is no summary currently available
PE00023 · Blower Switch/resistor Or Wiring Harness
Opened Jun 14, 2000 · Closed Jan 5, 2001
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System
There is no summary currently available
RQ99019 · Various Intermittent Electrical Issues
Opened Sep 15, 1999 · Closed Mar 7, 2001
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Unknown Or Other
There is no summary currently available
1997 Ford Contour Problems, Complaints & Recalls | Skip That Year