1998 Ford Contour

ORIGINAL START DATE 1-12-07. TIMING BELT SHREDDED. HAD SHOP FIX THE PROBLEM. 4-2-07 BELT BROKE AGAIN REPLACED AGAIN. 10-18-07 TIMING BELT BROKE AGAIN. SHOP DID NOT WANT TO REPLACE AGAIN SAID IT IS DEALER PROBLEM. DEALER SAYS SHOP PROBLEM. SHOP SAYS IT WILL FIX ON 11-2-07. SHOP FINALLY FIXES ON 11-4-05. CAR NOT RUNNING RIGHT TAKE BACK TO DEALER ON 11-5-07. DEALER SAYS WASN'T FIXED PROPERLY. 11-8-07 PICK UP FROM DEALER AND THEY STATE WE SHOULD HAVE ANY MORE PROBLEMS. IF SO BRING BACK UNDER WARRANTY. 3-13-08 DEALER NOW STATES BELT BROKE AND NOT COVERED AND OTHER MAJOR PROBLEMS. ALMOST 1600 TO FIX. STILL CAN'T GIVE ME SPECIFIC REASON TO WHY BELT KEEPS SHREDDING. NOW WHAT IS ONE TO DO? I HAVE PUT ALOT OF MONEY INTO THIS AND CAN'T GET A REAL ANSWER. ALSO IN THE PAST SHOP PRINTED OUT OTHER REPORTS FROM NHTSA SIGHT ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THIS SAME CAR IN DIFFERENT STATES. BUT YET DEALER SAYS DON'T KNOW OF ANY OTHER PROBLEM LIKE THIS WITH THIS KIND OF CAR. *TR

FUEL SPIT-BACK WHILE REFUELING. TOOK TO FORD DEALERSHIP AND SINCE THE EXTENDED COVERAGE FOR THE FUEL PIPE FLAPPER VALVE EXPIRED 5 MONTHS AGO THEY WILL NOT REPAIR. FORD WANTS $300 TO REPAIR. MY CAR ONLY HAS APPROXIMATELY 88,800 MILES AND I DO NOT HAVE $300 TO REPAIR. I CALLED FORD IN MICHIGAN AND THEY SAID THE SAME THING AND EMPHASIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF TAKING CAR TO FORD DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS. I TOOK CAR TO FORD IN MISSISSIPPI IN 2002 AND NO MENTION OF RECALL WAS MADE. FORD, IN MY OPINION, SEEMS TO BE OF THE MIND "DO NOT FIX IT IF IT IS NOT BROKE". WELL IT IS BROKE NOW AND IF COVERAGE EXPIRED 5 MONTHS AGO THAT IS NOT A LONG PERIOD OF TIME AND FORD SHOULD PAY FOR THE REPAIR OF THE FUEL PIPE FLAPPER VALVE AS THEY KNOW IT IS DEFECTIVE. WHEN I GET GAS THE FUEL SPILLS ON THE GROUND CAUSING HARM TO MY FAMILY, PASSENGERS IN THE CAR, THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND MYSELF. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD CONTOUR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS INSULATION FAILED AND CAUSED THE WIRES TO TOUCH, WHICH COULD POSSIBLY RESULT IN A FIRE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY ANY LONGER. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED A RECALL FOR THE 1995-1997 MODELS FOR THE EXACT SAME DEFECT. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO HIS RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE JERKED AND MADE A BEEPING NOISE PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 94,600 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 94,782.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD CONTOUR. WHILE DRIVING 25MPH THE FRONT COIL SPRING ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE BROKE AND DISABLED THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALER. SHE STATES THAT SHE CONTACTED FORD MOTOR COMPANY, WHERE THEY STATED THAT HER VEHICLE VIN NUMBER IS NOT INCLUDED. THE TOTAL COST ON REPAIRS WAS $950.00. THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER IS: 01V255000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 47,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 47,020.

ENGINE WIRING HARNESS INSULATION IS CRUMBLING LEAVING EXPOSED WIRES. FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR FORD CONTOURS (ALL YEARS), BUT THAT A RECALL HAS ONLY BEEN ISSUED FOR 1995-1997 VEHICLES. HAVE HAD MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH SENSORS NOT WORKING, SPEEDOMETER AND FUEL GAUGE INTERMITTENTLY STOPS FUNCTIONING. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON RANDOMLY. MECHANIC HAS STATED THAT PROBLEMS ARE IN WIRING HARNESS. *TR

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. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE REPAIR SHOP FOR REGULARLY SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE COIL SPRING FAILED. IN 2001, THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 01V255000 (SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:COIL SPRINGS). THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AT THAT TIME AND STATED THAT NO REPAIR WAS NEEDED. HOWEVER, NOW THAT THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED, THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE RECALL WAS NO LONGER VALID. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 81,000. UPDATED 01/09/08. *LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE COILS SPRINGS HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE IN THIS VEHICLE. THE DEALER STATED REPLACED HEADLIGHT SWITCH AND CABLE IN ENGINE. UPDATED 12/12/07 *TR UPDATED 06/04/08. *LJ

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD CONTOUR. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE AND FLAMES RISING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE FIRE DESTROYED THE VEHICLE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. AS OF SEPTEMBER 18, 2007, THE DEALER HAD NOT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 75,237.

I WAS DRIVING A 1997 FORD CONTOUR. THIS WAS THE CAR I DROVE TO AND FROM WORK. I WAS DRIVING TO LONGVIEW COMMUNITY COLLEGE(LVCC) FOR A REHEARSAL AND LESSON ON THE BRUCE WATKINS DRIVE (HIGHWAY 71) SOUTH. THE TRAFFIC WAS HEAVY AS THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT AT THE GRANDVIEW TRIANGLE. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE LANE JUST AT THE 87TH STREET EXIT. A VEHICLE CUT IN FRONT OF ME TO EXIT AT THIS TURN OFF. I WAS SLOWED TO ABOUT 35 MPH AND WAS DRIVING ACROSS A BRIDGE. AT THE END OF THAT BRIDGE WAS A HUGE BUMP. AS I HIT THAT BUMP, THE AIR BAG EXPLODED. I COULD NOT SEE WITH THE POWDER, SMOKE AND THE SMELL ( WHICH WAS BURNING MY EYES.) I RAN INTO THE BACK OF A TRAIL BLAZER. THE TRAILER HITCH RAMMED THROUGH THE RADIATOR. THE DRIVER DID NOT KNOW THAT I EVEN HAD HIT HIM. 60 SECONDS AFTER THE ACCIDENT, A POLICE CAPTAIN DETECTIVE ON HER WAY HOME FROM THE METROPOLITAN POLICE STATION, ASKED ME IF I WAS OK. SHE SAID, "I SAW THE AIR BAG DEPLOY BEFORE YOU HIT THAT CAR IN FRONT OF YOU." THE NOISE OF THE HORN WAS LOUD. THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WAS BROKEN BY THE HOOD, WHICH WAS BENT BACK LIKE A BANANA. ALL OF THE GLASS IN THE FRONT WAS ALL BROKEN. I WAS CHECKED OUT BY THE MAST AMBULANCE. THE CAR WAS LOADED ON A TRUCK AND PULLED ONTO THE PROPERTY OF DICK SMITH FORD IN RAYTOWN, MO. I CALLED MY AGENT WITH STATE FARM INSURANCE, AND HE GOT ME IN TOUCH WITH THEIR UNDERWRITERS AFTER THE CAR WAS WRITTEN OFF AS BEING A TOTAL WRECK. I HAD INFORMED HIM WHAT HAPPENED. THE UNDERWRITERS SAID, "THEY WOULD HAVE TO PICK AND CHOSE THEIR BATTLES WITH A BIG COMPANY LIKE FORD." I ALSO CALLED FORD IN MICHIGAN AND INFORMED THEM ABOUT THIS SITUATION. I HAVE FOUND ON THE INTERNET 13 OTHER EXAMPLES OF THIS KIND OF ACCIDENT. I DID NOT RECEIVE A TICKET OR ANY NOTICE OF WRONGFUL DRIVING. I DID GO TO MY DOCTOR FOR SEVERAL ADJUSTMENTS ON MY NECK AND BACK. *TR