1998 Ford Contour

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD CONTOUR. THE CONTACT PURCHASED BRAKESAFE FRONT DISC PADS FOR THE VEHICLE. APPROXIMATELY 30 MILES LATER, A GRINDING AND RATTLING NOISE WAS HEARD AND AN OUTER LINING ON THE PADDING FELL OFF. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE MECHANIC AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE PADS WERE DEFECTIVE. HE PURCHASED NEW PADS, WHICH HE FELT WORKED AS THEY SHOULD HAVE. HE ATTEMPTED TO CALL THE AUTO PARTS STORE FROM WHERE HE PURCHASED THE DEFECTIVE PADS, BUT THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST. HE ALSO CALLED THE CORPORATE OFFICE AND RECEIVED NO ASSISTANCE. THE CONTACT FILED COMPLAINTS WITH THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION AND OHIO ATTORNEY GENERAL. THE SERIAL NUMBER AND PART NUMBER WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 135,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 134,970. UPDATED 06/25/08. *CN THE CONSUMER STATED PASSENGER SIDE CALIPER WAS WARPED AND THE ROTOR WAS DAMAGED. UPDATED 06/25/08

I AM THE OWNER OF A 1998 FORD CONTOUR. I BOUGHT IT USED, AND WITHIN A 1 YEAR REMAINDER OF A 3 YEAR WARRANTY. I WAS NEVER OFFICIALLY NOTIFIED OF SEVERAL DEFECTS AND NHTSA RECALLS THAT ARE STILL IN EFFECT FOR THIS CAR MODEL YEAR. ONE OF THE REPAIRS FOR THE BLOWER RESISTOR WAS PERFORMED TWICE, HOWEVER IT WAS NEVER DONE TO MY SATISFACTION AND IT DID NOT MEET THE STANDARDS OF QUALITY AS EXPECTED FOR THE RECALL. THERE ARE SEVERAL SAFETY ISSUES WITH THIS CAR, AND I AM NOW AFRAID TO KEEP DRIVING IT AFTER WHAT I HAVE READ. THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY IS VERY NEGLIGENT IN FOLLOWING UP WITH CONSUMERS ON THESE ISSUES, AND THEY KEEP AN OUTDATED DATABASE OF FORMER OWNERS WHICH THEY FAIL TO UPDATE WITH THE CURRENT OWNERS IN CASES WHERE THE CAR OWNERSHIP HAS CHANGED HANDS. I AM KIND OF CLOSE TO HIRING A LAWYER TO SUE THEM OVER THESE RECALL ISSUES. WHAT SHOULD I DO? ARE THEY STILL OBLIGATED TO FIX THE RECALL ISSUES AT THEIR EXPENSE? I AM CERTAINLY NOT ABOUT TO PUT ONE DIME OF MY OWN MONEY INTO THAT CAR TO FIX ISSUES COVERED BY RECALLS. AGAIN, I DO NOT WISH TO FIGHT OR WRANGLE WITH A COMPANY THAT IS SO AWFUL WHO PUTS OUT A TERRIBLE AND CHEAP PRODUCT LIKE THE FORD CONTOUR, THEN WON'T STAND BEHIND THEIR CAR. HOWEVER, IF THERE ARE FORMAL RESPONSIBILITIES WHICH THEY ARE LEGALLY BOUND TO, I WILL RESERVE MY RIGHT TO PURSUE THIS UNDER THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW. PLEASE ADVISE. SINCERELY, MR. MCDONOUGH *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD CONTOUR. IN MARCH OF 2006, THE BLOWER MOTOR FAILED AND CAUSED THE AIR CONDITIONER NOT TO WORK. THE CONTACT JUST FOUND A SAFETY RECALL FOR HIS VEHICLE AND WILL CALL THE DEALER TO DETERMINE IF HIS VIN IS INCLUDED. THE VIN, POWERTRAIN, NHTSA RECALL NUMBER, AND PURCHASE DATE WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 80,207 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,300.

THERE WERE NO TRAUMATIC EVENTS SUCH AS CRASHES OR INJURIES. MY COMPLAINT IS ABOUT AN EQUIPMENT FAILURE DUE TO A DEFECT OF WHICH FORD WAS AWARE. *AK THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS OF MY 1998 FORD CONTOUR BROKE EARLY IN JULY 2004. THE CAR HAD 164000 MILES ON IT. ALTHOUGH THEY DID NOT ISSUE A RECALL, FORD DID ISSUE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS FOR 10 YEARS, 150,000 MILES. (THIS IS DOCUMENTED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER : 01I013000) THIS WAS ISSUED ON AUGUST 3, 2001. THAT IS ALSO THE DATE FOR A RECALL FOR THE INSTALLATION OF SPRING CATCHER BRACKETS IN CASE THE SPRINGS BROKE. (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER : 01V255000) I HAD MY VEHICLE IN FOR THE RECALL ON 3/29/2002. I CALLED THE TOLL-FREE NUMBER PROVIDED BY FORD ABOUT THIS PROBLEM (1-866-436-7332) AND ALSO HEARD ON A RECORDED MESSAGE AT THAT NUMBER THAT ANOTHER MAKE OF FORD CAR (TAURUS) IS CURRENTLY UNDER A REPAIR PROGRAM FOR THE SAME PROBLEM: COROSION OF THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS. THIS RECALL PROGRAM IS FOR 1999-2001 TAURS AND SABLES STARTED, ACCORDING TO THE RECORDING, IN THE FIRST WEEK OF AUGUST 2004. THIS TAURUS-SABLE PROGRAM OFFERS FREE REPLACEMENT OF THE COIL SPRING FOR TAURUS AND SABLE MODELS FOR 10 YEARS/150,000 MILES OR UNTIL JULY 31, 2005 IF THE VEHICLE IS OVER THE MILEAGE REQUIREMENT IN THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. ALSO DURING THE RECORDING AT THE TOLL FREE PHONE NUMBER, THERE IS NOTIFICATION OF A SAFETY SPRING SHIELD RECALL THAT WILL GO INTO EFFECT DECEMBER 2004. I BELIEVE IT IS BASICALLY THE SAME SAFETY RECALL PROGRAM OFFERED FOR THE SAME PROBLEM ON MY FORD CONTOUR IN 2001. IT IS MY CONTENTION THAT THE REASON THE TAURUS/SABLE WAS GIVEN A FREE REPAIR OFFER UNTIL JULY 31 2005 REGARDLESS OF MILEAGE IS BECAUSE THE TAURUS IS ONE OF FORD'S BANNER MODELS. I BELIEVE THAT THE OFFER OF FREE REPAIRS UNTIL JULY 31, 2005 WAS NOT MADE FOR THE CONTOUR BECAUSE THE CONTOUR IS A MODEL THAT WAS DISCONTINUED SOME TIME AGO. THERE ARE RELATIVELY FEW CONTOURS COMPARED TO THE FORD TAURUS AND SABLE, WHICH FORD STILL SELLS.

WE HAVE A 1998 FORD CONTOUR. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT GOES ON. IT FIRST CAME ON IN OCT 01 WE TOOK IT TO THE FORD GARAGE IN DELHI. THEY SAID IT NEEDED A CAM SENSOR/ SOLENOID SPROCKETS ETC. SINCE THAT WAS A LOT OF MONEY WE DECIDED TO TAKE IT TO CANADIAN TIRE TO SEE WHAT THEY THOUGHT. THEY THOUGHT IT WAS A CAM SENSOR. WE HAD THEM PUT THAT IN. $58. MILEAGE 111346. IT WORKED FINE FOR A COUPLE WEEKS. WE COMPLAINED TO FORD AND FOUND OUT ABOUT THE AWA.. AFTER WARRANTY ADJUSTMENT. THIS HAD NOT BEEN MENTIONED EARLIER. SO WE A NEW SOLENOID SPROCKET ETC. PUT IN BY FORD,, (JAN /02) . HOW IT CAME TO THAT MILEAGE WHEN CTC HAD IT BACK IN NOV/ 01 AND THEN IT WAS* 11134*???? THEY ALSO HAD IT IN DEC AND THE MILEAGE WAS 112279.) THAT BAFFLES ME. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS TO SURFACE AGAIN. MY DAUGHTER HAD THE CAR AT SCHOOL SO SHE WAS FINALLY ABLE TO TAKE IT TO OUR GARAGE IN MAY/28/02 AT THAT TIME THE GARAGE CHECKED #3 CYLINDER CAUSE OF OUR CHECK ENGINE CONCERNS.. COST 39.10. NOTHING WAS DONE AT THAT TIME. THE ENGINE LIGHT CONTINUED TO STAY ON. FINALLY WE TOOK IT IN AGAIN ON OCT 24TH AND ANOTHER CAM SENSOR WAS PUT ON. $144.46. MILEAGE 130776. ON NOV,.5TH /02 TOOK IT IN AGAIN AND THEY SAID IT WOULD REQUIRE AN EXHAUST CAMSHAFT AND SOLENOID GASKETS AND SEALS. WE AGAIN ASKED ABOUT THE AWA AND THEY SAID NO IT WAS NO LONGER COVERED. THEY SAID THAT THE LAST SOLENOID WAS ONLY COVERED FOR 20,000 KM. HAD THEY DETECTED THE PROBLEM BACK IN MAY WHEN WE BROUGHT IT IN AND HAD THEY WRITTEN DOWN THE CORRECT MILEAGE THEN IT WOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. SINCE WE DID NOT REALLY FEEL THAT THE SOLENOID ( AND REALLY DIDN'T WANT TO PAY $1000 FOR FIXING IT AND THEN FINDING OUT THAT THERE MIGHT BE ANOTHER PROBLEM) WAS THE PROBLEM, SINCE WE HAD ALREADY HAD THAT REPLACED ONCE WE CONSIDERED TAKING IT TO A GUY THAT USED TO WORK AT FORD. (HIS WIFE DRIVES A CONTOUR) HE CHECKED THE CAR FOR SURGES. SCAN TESTED IT TRIED VARIOUS COMPUTER PARTS RECHECKED VALVE. ETC,, BUT IT ALL PROVED NEGATIVE.

MY COMPLIANT IS THAT I WAS BACKING MY CAR UP AND THE FRONT BRAKES LOCKED UP SPECIFICALLY THE RIGHT FRONT. THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE. YOU COULD SMELL BURNING AND SEE SMOKE FROM THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL. I HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO MY MECHANIC. AFTER EXTENSIVE WORK ON THE CAR WE FOUND OUT THAT THE BRAKE CALIPER PISTON WOULD NOT RETRACT INTO THE CALIPER, AFTER THE MECHANIC REASSEMBLED THE CAR, HE FOUND OUT THE RIGHT CALIPER WOULD NOT BLEED OUT, AFTER EXTENSIVE TESTING THE CONCLUSION WAS REACHED NO FLUID WOULD COME OUT OF THE PORT ON THE HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT TO THAT WHEEL. REPLACEMENT OF THE HCU AND MODULE ASSEMBLY WAS NECESSARY. MY CAR WAS TOWED TO THE MECHANICS ON 2-06-2003 AND WAS FINALLY FINISHED ON 2-20-2003. THE DELAY IN GETTING THE CAR FINISHED WAS BECAUSE IT WAS THE CONTOUR SVT MODEL 1998, CHANGES IN THE BRAKE PARTS HAD BEEN MADE AND WERE NOT EASY TO OBTAIN. THE FORD DEALER DID NOT HAVE THE PARTS NEEDED TO COMPLETE THE JOB THEY HAD TO BE ORDERED. I HAVE ALL THE PARTS THAT WERE PULLED OFF THE CAR. ALSO LETTER FROM MY MECHANIC. *JB