1999 Ford Contour

1. DASH WARP CAUSES VISIBILITY PROBLEMS, DEFROSTER MALFUNCTION, LOOSE TRIM 2. WITH THE DASH WARP THE VENT TRIM IS CONTINUALLY POPPING OUT . THERE HAS BEEN NO ACCIDENT OR INCIDENT BUT IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT I DON'T WANT THE VENT TRIM POPPING OUT AND PREVENTING AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT OR CAUSING ANY FURTHER HARM TO ME OR MY FAMILY. THERE HAVE BEEN REPEATED INCIDENTS OF DEFROSTER CAUSING VISIBILITY PROBLEMS BECAUSE OF THE VENT TRIM NOT PROPERLY DISPERSING AIR. THE VENT TRIM WAS PLACED LOOSELY ONTO THE DASH SO THE DEFROSTER WOULD STILL BE USABLE, BUT THE WARPED DASH PREVENTS IT FROM BEING PROPERLY SECURED. A NEW VENT TRIM WILL NOT FIX THIS PROBLEM. THERE WAS AN OLD RECALL WHICH INCLUDED A 'REPAIR KIT', BUT IT HAS EXPIRED. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE RECALL RE-INSTATED. *NM

I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM FORD IN AUGUST 2001 THAT STATED THE FOLLOWING "THE COVER OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL HAS WARPED....AT NO COST TO YOU, YOUR DEALERSHIP WILL EVALUATE THIS CONDITION AND REPAIR AS REQUIRED. THIS PROGRAM WILL BE IN EFFECT UNTIL AUGUST 31, 2002, REGARDLESS OF MILEAGE." THE DEALERSHIP EVALUATED MY CAR IN LATE 2001 AND STATED THAT A REPAIR WAS NOT NECESSARY. HOWEVER, BY THE SUMMER OF 2004, THE WARPING HAS BECOME SO BAD THAT THE DEFROSTER GRILL BEZEL CAN NO LONGER BE RETAINED BY THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. ENGINEERS AT MY COMPANY (WHICH MAKE INSTRUMENT PANELS) STATED THAT THE WARPING CREATES A SAFETY CONCERN AS THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT MAY BE AFFECTED. FORD NOW REFUSES TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE AT THEIR COST. I FEEL THEY SHOULD BE LIABLE AS MY VEHICLE WAS STORED IN THE GARAGE AND THEREFORE DIDN'T RECEIVE THE CUMULATIVE THERMAL ENERGY REQUIRED TO WARP THE PART PRIOR TO FORD'S REPLACEMENT PROGRAM EXPIRING. *NM

THE FRONT DASH WILL WARP, PREVENTING PROPER AIR FLOW FOR THE DEFROSTER TO WORK ON THE FRONT WINDOWS, CREATING A SAFETY CONCERN. ALSO, AS THE DASH WARPS UPWARDS, THE VISIBILITY OF THE DRIVER GREATLY DIMINISHES, CREATING A SAFETY CONCERN. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY 2 FORD DEALERSHIPS THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT MANY HAVE EXPERIENCES WITH THE CONTOUR, HOWEVER, THERE IS NO RECALL ON IT, WHICH SEEMS STRANGE BECAUSE THERE IS A VERY VALID SAFETY CONCERN PRESENT. FORD ACKNOWLEDGES THE PROBLEM AND OFFERED A ONE TIME REPAIR/REPLACEMENT OF THE DASH, WHICH DOESN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM IF DASH KEEPS WARPING. *NM

DASH BOARD ON MY 1999 FORD CONTOUR'S IS CURLING UP SO BAD, DEFROST AIR ACROSS THE WIND SHIELD IS BLOCKED NOT CLEARING FOG/FROST ON WIND SHIELD CREATING A SAFETY HAZARD. ALSO THE BLOWER FAN ONLY RUNS ON HIGH SPEED. I CONTACTED MY LOCAL DEALER VOLLMAN FORD OF PORTLAND, MI. WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND SPENT OVER A $ 1000.00 EXTRA DOLLARS FOR A THE FORD EXTENDED WARRANTY PLAN ESP, AND THEY SAID THAT THEY AND FORD WOULD NOT COVER IT UNDER WARRANTY AND THERE IS NO RECALL ON THESE ITEMS. THAT IS STRANGE BECAUSE I HAVE READ MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ON VARIOUS SITES FROM CONTOUR OWNERS EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEMS. *NM

1999 VEHICLE, IN A 6 YEAR PERIOD, THE DASH WARPED AND CAME UNGLUED. THIS RESULTED IN A VERY UNATTRACTIVE APPEARANCE, A NON WORKING DEFROSTER, AND A DASH THAT DOESN'T FIT PROPERLY. I HAD TO BUY A $80.00 KIT AND PHYSICALLY REMOVE THE ENTIRE DASH FROM THE CAR TO INSTALL A REPAIR KIT THAT FORD NO LONGER WARRANTS TO THEIR CUSTOMERS. FORD CHARGES 2 HOURS LABOR AT $85.00/HOUR, PLUS THE $100.00 KIT. IT TOOK ME OVER 4 HOURS TO DO THE INSTALL, AND IT STILL DOES NOT COMPLETELY FIX THE DASH. *NM

NHTSA WEBSITE CONFIRMS 79 SIMILAR COMPLAINTS OF FORD'S KNOWN MANUFACTURE DEFECTS IN DASHBOARD ASSEMBLY IS A SAFETY HAZARD THAT COMPROMISES THE OCCUPANT/PEDESTRIAN SAFTEY: WARPED DASH PANEL AND SPRUNG OUT FRONT DEFROST GRILL OBSTRUCTS DRIVER'S VIEW; LOOSE GRILL STRIKES WINDSHIELD WHILE CAR IN MOTION AND COULD BREAK IT; DEFLECTS PROPER AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT; PROPER AIRFLOW OF DEFROST IS DEFLECTED; FORD KNOWINGLY MANUFACTURES AND SELLS DEFECTIVE VEHICLES. THEN IMMEDIATELY ISSUES A "CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM" NOTICE (IN THIS CASE CPS # 01B78) THAT HAS AN EXPIRATION DATE DESIGNED TO PREEMPT MANIFESTATION OF THE DEFECTS BY THE CUSTOMER. ON MY 1999 FORD CONTOUR SE, THE DEFROSTER GRILL HAS SPRUNG OUT AND JUTS OUT OF ALIGNMENT SO THAT THE AIRFLOW FROM DEFROST MECHANISM IS OBSTRUCTED. DASHBOARD WARPED AND SEPARATED FROM WINDSHIELD ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE WITH THE FISSURE SPREADING TOWARD THE PASSENGER SIDE. FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE DECLINED TO DO REPAIRS/REPLACEMENT AT NO CHARGE, STATING FORD IS NO LONGER LIABLE BECAUSE THE CUSTOMER SERVICE PROGRAM EXPIRED AUGUST 2002. INSTEAD, THE FORD DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT OFFERED ME THE LOYAL CUSTOMER SERVICE DEAL OF MAKING THE REPAIR FOR COST OF ONLY $1638.12. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW IN FEBRUARY 1999 FOR $18077.16 (FINANCED PRICE OF $24318.40)!!! MY CAR LOAN HAS BEEN PAID IN FULL FEBRUARY 2004 WITH NO LATE PAYMENTS. MY VEHICLE'S ROUTINE MAINTENANCE WAS DONE BY THE FORD DEALER'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT. I AM A SECOND TIME FORD OWNER; MY PREVIOUS VEHICLE WAS A 1992 FORD TEMPO. HOWEVER, LORD WILLING, THE 1999 CONTOUR WILL BE MY LAST. THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE ADDITIONAL EXPENSES I INCURRED SELDOM USED A/C REPAIR $275 FAULTY ENGINE LIGHT 02 SENSORS REPLACE $500 DEALER CUT BRAKE ROTERS TOO LOW $800. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE DASHBOARD WARPED. IT TOUCHED THE WINDSHIELD, AND WAS PULLING THE PASSENGER'S AIR BAG PIECE. THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO. THE LIGHT HAS NOT BEEN ON SINCE. HE STATED NOW THAT HE WAS USING THE DEFROSTER, IT WAS COMING UP MORE. OFTEN. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED TO SEE WHY THIS WAS OCCURRING. *AK