1999 Ford Contour

WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF THE PURCHASE OF MY VEHICLE, THE CAR STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH VIBRATIONS, SHAKING, AND SEVERE NOISE WHILE DRIVING. THE ENGINE IDLED ROUGH AND GOT MORE SEVERE WHEN THE HEATING OR COOLING SYSTEM WAS USED. ALL TIRES HAVE BEEN REPLACED, A MAJOR BRAKE JOB WITH ROTORS TURNED WAS COMPLETED, AND THE STRUTS WERE REPLACED. REGARDLESS OF THIS WORK, THE SHAKING IN THE CAR HAS GOTTEN PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP FIVE TIMES FOR THE SAME PROBLEMS. THEY HAVE EITHER SAID THAT IT WAS "NORMAL CONTOUR" OR THAT IT WAS THE TIRES. FINALLY, THEY INDICATE THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM BUT THEY CANNOT DETERMINE WHAT IT IS. MY CAR MAKES A THUMPING NOISE AND A SQUEALING NOISE WHEN I MAKE SLOW RIGHT TURNS. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS MY FOOT HAS BEEN ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AND MY CAR SURGED FORWARD. AT ONE POINT I THOUGHT THAT THE PERSON BEHIND ME HAD HIT ME BECAUSE THE CAR JERKED SO HARD AND SO UNEXPECTEDLY. AGAIN, I AM TOLD THAT THIS IS NORMAL. THIS IS THE WORST CAR THAT I HAVE EVER OWNED. *AK

PROBLEMS STARTED AT 119MILES, DEALERS EITHER DON'T CONFIRM PROBLEM OR SAY IT'S NORMAL FOR THIS CAR. MULTIPLE REPAIR ATTEMPTS AT 4 DEALERS. SEVERE VIBRATION AND PULL AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS ARE THE TIRES (CONFIRED WITH MY WINTER TIRES-NO PROBLEM), KLUNKING FROM FRONT END WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS, ALL DASH WARNING LIGHTS COME ON DURING WINTER AT IDLE-GO OUT AFTER RESTART OR ENGINE ACCELERATION, FRONT SEATS WOBBLE SIDE TO SIDE-DEALER SAYS NORMAL FOR CAR-WAN'T PRESENT WHEN NEW, PULSING FRONT END SHIMMY ON HIGHWAY-NOT TIRE RELATED-POSSIBLE CV SHAFT ISSUE-DEALERS STATED NPF, ENGINE SPARK KNOCKS UNDER LIGHT LOADS-NO CHANGE WITH DIFFERENT GAS GRADES OR BRANDS-DEALERS SAYS NPF, HEADLAMPS GO DIM AT IDLE-DEALERS SAYS NORMAL-NOT PRESENT WHEN NEW, POOR LOW BEAM VISIBILITY FROM HEADLAMPS, ALUMINUM WHEELS ARE TOO POROUS-LOSE ABNORMAL AIR AMOUNTS-DEALER SAYS NPF. MOST OF THESE HAVE BEEN SINCE NEW OR STARTED WITHIN 1ST YEAR OF NEW- NO DEALERS HAS YET "CONFIRMED" PROBLEMS WHEN THEY ARE READILY APPARENT TO OTHERS. IN SHOP FOR OVER 3 MONTHS TOTAL SINCE NEW. *AK (TIRESIZE: P205/60R15)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P205/60R15 )

REPEATED STALLING, MISSING & LOSS OF POWER APPEARS MOSTLY WHEN IT'S VERY HOT OUT & CAR HAS BEEN DRIVEN A LOT. ROUGH IDLE EVEN UNDER NO LOAD IN NEUTRAL. NO INDICATORS LIGHT EXCEPT DURING STALL WHICH HAPPENS EVEN WITH CLUTCH DEPRESSED. MISSING IS MOST NOTICEABLE DURING ACCELERATION OR STEADY HIGHWAY SPEEDS, EVEN WITH CRUISE ON. CAR SOMETIMES SHAKES AT HIGH SPEED (70MPH). MULTIPLE ALIGNMENTS NEVER SHOW SAME RESULTS. DEALER CAN NEVER DUPLICATE, SAYS I AM DUMPING CLUTCH TO STALL & LOSS OF POWER IS DUE TO A/C. THEY ALSO CLAIM EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR IS DUE TO MY DRIVING HABITS. *AK( DOT NUMBER: )

CAR HAS BEEN IN SHOP 1/2 OF TIME OWNED FOR NUMEROUS PROBLEMS. BRAKE SYSTEM HAD TO BE REPLACED IN FIRST TWO WEEKS AND TOOK COMPANY 4 WEEKS TO "ORDER" PADS AND ROTORS. ALIGNMENT IS CONSTANTLY OFF, SINCE DAY CAR WAS PICKED UP. TIRES HAVE BEEN REPLACED ONCE SUPPOSSEDLY,ONE IS AGAIN WEARING INCORRECTLY AND HAS VERY LOUD ROAD NOISE. PAINT WAS BUBBLY, CARPET LAID WRONG, NOW POWER WINDOW MAKES HORRIBLE NOISES GOING UP AND DOWN. CAR HAS BEEN MORE OF A PAIN THAN ANYTHING I EVER BOUGHT. *AK