1999 Ford Contour

THE DASHBOARD WINDSHIELD AIR/DEFROSTING VENT COVER BELOW THE WINDSHIELD POPPED OFF AND THE DASHBOARD PADDING HAS PEALED UP BLOCKING WINDSHIELD/FORWARD VISIBILITY. THIS HAS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO FAIL THE VIRGINIA SAFETY INSPECTION. ALL REMEDIES WE HAVE TRIED HAVE ONLY SEEM TO PROVIDE TEMPORARY RELIEF. I HAVE PICTURES. I HAVE TALKED TO SEVERAL OTHER CONTOUR OWNERS WHO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS AND I HAVE SEEN CONTOURS IN PARKING LOTS WITH SIMILAR CONDITIONS. ADDITIONALLY, I WAS TOLD THIS WAS IDENTIFIED IN A PAST SAFETY RECALL. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD RESULTING FROM DEFECTIVE MATERIALS AND POOR DESIGN. *JS

HAPPENED AROUND OCT 15, 2008 AT NIGHT, BETWEEN MARSHALL AND OLIVET MI. FAILURE WAS WINDSHIELD WIPER LINKAGE, CAUSING WIPERS TO BLOW OFF THE VEHICLE. PART IS HARD TO FIND, LOOKING TO GET IT FIXED FOR SAFETY OBVIOUSLY. WAS NOT ABLE TO SEE WELL, SINCE NEXT EXIT WAS STILL MILES AWAY. NO EASY WAY TO FIX THIS IN AN EMERGENCY, LIKE THIS. THIS TYPE OF LINKAGE IS UNSAFE, AND I BELIEVE ANY VEHICLES WITH IT SHOULD BE RECALLED. *TR

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

DT: THE CONSUMER COULD HEAR THE RADIATOR COMING ON/OVER AND OVER AGAIN. PREVIOUSLY IT OVERHEATED IN JUNE 2004. WHEN THE CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR REPAIRS THEY CHANGED THE THERMOSTAT, ADDED MORE WATER TO THE RADIATOR, AND SOMETHING ELSE IN THE TRANSMISSION AREA. WHEN THE CONSUMER PICKED UP THE VEHICLE THE PROBLEM RECURRED. AFTERWARDS, THERE WAS A RATTLING NOISE COMING FROM THE DASHBOARD. THEY TOLD HER THAT IT WAS DUE TO A BRACKET THAT BROKE.. DEALER REPLACED THE RADIO. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS NO LONGER WORKING PROPERLY SINCE THEY REPLACED THE RADIO. ALSO, THE DASHBOARD WAS LOOSENING AND THERE WERE WIRES SHOWING. THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW KNOB CAME OFF. THESE WERE THE ONLY KNOWN PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE AT THIS TIME. THERE HAD BEEN NO ACCIDENTS CONCERNING THESE ISSUES. *AK

THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE 1999 FORD CONTOUR LX , FOR THE DASHBOARD PEELS BACK. I NEVER RECIEVED A NOTICE WE HAD MOVED FROM PENNSYLVANIA TO GEORGIA. I CONTACTED FORD AND THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT HONOR THEIR RECALL NOTICE. I WOULD HAVE TO COME UP WITH 700.00 -850.00 DOLLARS TO GET IT FIXED. I WOULD ALSO HAVE TO INCUR PAYMENTS FOR A RENTAL, WHILE MY CAR IS BEING WORKED ON. PLEASE HELP.

99' FORD CONTOUR SE THE DASHBOARD HAS BEEN REPLACED ONCE BEFORE. IT BECOMES UNGLUED AND OBSTRUCTS VIEW, AND ALSO PREVENTS THE DEFROSTER FROM WORKING PROPERLY. THIS IS CLEARLY A DEFECT BY THE MANUFACTURER, AS LIKE I SAID IT HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED IN A FORD SERVICE DEPARTMENT. UNFORTUNATELY, IT HAS BECAME UNGLUED AGAIN. *NM