1999 Ford Contour

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD CONTOUR. APPROXIMATELY SIX MONTHS AGO, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE DASHBOARD WAS FALLING APART IN HER VEHICLE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. SHE FIRST NOTICED THE ISSUE WHEN THE DEFROST VENT WAS BEGINNING TO PUSH OUTWARD DUE TO THE BENDING OF THE DASHBOARD. WHEN THE GLOVE BOX IS OPENED, IT FALLS TO THE FLOOR BECAUSE THE ENTIRE DASHBOARD HAS SHIFTED. THERE WAS NO IMPACT TO THE OUTSIDE OR PASSENGER COMPARTMENT OF THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,090.

1999 FORD CONTOUR SE SPORT DASHBOARD PEELING. MY DASHBOARD STARTED TO PEEL AWAY AT APPROX 60,000 MILES. I NOW HAVE 80,000 MILES ON MY CAR. I DID NOT RECEIVE NOTICE OF A RECALL ON THIS MATTER, WHICH WAS APPARENTLY A SECRET. I HAVE OWNED 3 FORDS AND WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER DUE TO THE LAX CUSTOMER SERVICE AND FAILURE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR PRODUCT FAILURE. I HAVE ALSO HAD ALL THE HEAD GASKETS REPLACED (I AM 60 AND HARDLY HOT RODDING), REAR STRUTS AND SOMETHING RELATED TO A LOUD HUMMING SOUND UNDER THE HOOD THAT WAS ESSENTIAL FOR THE CAR TO REMAIN IN WORKING ORDER AND PROBLEMS WITH THE KEY STICKING IN THE IGNITION AND ALSO A FUEL PUMP. *TR

I CONTACTED FORD TO FIND OUT RECALL INFORMATION ON THE 1999 FORD CONTOUR WHICH DASHBOARD WAS CURLING UP AND FORWARD. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS VOLUNTARY RECALL EXPIRED IN 2002, AND THAT IT WAS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE. THEREFORE , IT WILL NOT BE FIXED, AND I WOULD NEED TO PAY. I WISH TO STATE THAT IT SHOULD BE A SAFETY PROBLEM AS IT IS CURLING UP AND FORWARD IN THE WINDSHIELD. WHEN IT CURLS UP IT CAUSES OBSTRUCTION TO THE DRIVER'S VIEW. PLEASE IF YOU WOULD LIKE I WOULD BE HAPPY TO TAKE PICTURES. THIS CAR WAS BECOMING A SAFETY HAZARD FOR ME, AND I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DRIVE OR SELL IT. TO FIX IT WOULD BE MORE THAN THE CAR WAS WORTH. THEREFORE, BECAUSE THEY DID NOT WANT TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY I WILL BE OUT OF A VEHICLE. *AK

DASHBOARD HAS DETACHED AT THE WINDSHIELD. IT HAS EXPERIENCED A SEVERE WARPAGE AND IS NOW RESTING UPWARD ABOUT 5 INCHES HIGHER THAN ITS NORMAL POSITION. THE DEFROSTER GRILL POPPED OUT - IT IS BLOCKING THE VIEW AND REDIRECTED THE DEFROSTER SO THAT IT WILL TAKE MUCH LONGER TO CLEAR WINDSHIELD, BUT NOT COMPLETELY. IT HAS PEELED BACK SO FAR THAT IT IS NOW IN THE AREA OF THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG, WHICH I FELT IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE. DEALER HAS CONSISTENTLY BLOWN ME OFF. *JB

DASHBOARD IS WARPED AND IN COLD WEATHER WARPS AND HAS WARPED EVEN WORSE. IT OBSTRUCTS THE DRIVER'S VIEW, POTENTIALLY DECREASES FLOW FROM DEFROSTING VENTS, AND THE VIEW IS ADDITIONALLY OBSTRUCTED AS THE PLASTIC VENT COVER ACROSS THE DASH AS IT IS NO LONGER RETAINED BY THE WARPED MATERIAL. AIRBAGS MAY PROJECT PIECES IN CASE OF DEPLOYMENTS AS CRACKS ARE VISIBLE IN THE DASH.

IN JULY 2002, I PURCHASED A 1999 FORD CONTOUR FROM A FORD DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS A FORD CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED VEHICLE. WITHIN SIX MONTHS OF THE PURCHASE, THE DASH BEGAN TO WARP CAUSING THE DEFROST VENT COVER TO POP OUT AND NOT FIT CORRECTLY. THE FORD DEALER NEVER MADE ME AWARE OF A FORD CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM (#01B78). ALSO, I NEVER RECEIVED ANY NOTIFICATION FROM FORD. OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS THE DASH HAS CONTINUED TO WARP BADLY. THE WARPING HAS BECOME SO BAD IT COULD INTERFERE WITH THE OPERATION OF THE PASSENGER AIRBAG. ALSO, PART OF THE DASH IS COVERING THE DEFROST VENT. I THINK FORD NEEDS TO RE-OPEN THE OFFER TO REPAIR THIS DEFECT FOR SAFETY REASON. I AGREE WITH THE PETITIONER IN NHTSA ACTION NUMBER DP06004, THAT ". . . IMPROPERLY RETAINED INSTRUMENT PANEL COMPONENTS CAN BE DETRIMENTAL TO THE DESIRED PERFORMANCE OF FRONT AIR BAG DEPLOYMENTS AS WELL AS BECOME PROJECTILES DURING AIR BAG DEPLOYMENTS." *NM

I HAVE A 1999 FORD CONTOUR. A FEW YEARS AGO THE TOP OF THE DASH WARPED, CAME UP REALLY HIGH. IT WAS AN UNSIGHTLY MESS, NOISY, AND IT ALSO RAISED QUESTIONS ON WHETHER THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WOULD WORK CORRECTLY. AT THAT TIME IT WAS REPAIRED BY FORD. HOWEVER WITH TIME, THE REPAIR JOB MAKES SOME NOISES AND DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT'S HOLDING AS WELL AS WHEN IT WAS DONE. FORD HAS WASHED THEIR HANDS OF THIS. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE AND BELIEVE FORD SHOULD STAND BEHIND THIS DASHBOARD PROBLEM FOR THE LIFE OF THE CAR. THANK YOU. *NM