1999 Ford Contour

THE TAIL LIGHTS BECAME INOPERABLE AFTER FOUR REPLACEMENTS. ALSO, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS DID NOT WORK IN LOW GEAR, AND THE RUNNING LIGHTS MALFUNCTIONED. *AK THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR SPLICE FROM THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH OPENED. (THE RIGHT SIDE TAIL LIGHT WAS INOPERATIVE) THE TAIL LIGHTS, FRONT RUNNING LAMPS WERE OUT AGAIN, A FUSE WAS BAD AND FOUND SOME MORE WIRES IN THE TRUNK WIRED INCORRECTLY, THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS AND THE LICENSE PLATE TAIL LIGHTS WORKED INTERMITTENTLY, THERE WAS A WIRING SHORT IN THE HARNESS IN THE COWL AREA, THERE WAS A BLOWN FUSE IN THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING, ON ANOTHER OCCASION, THE #33 FUSE WAS FOUND OPEN, THE SUNROOF WAS INOPERATIVE DUE TO A SHORTED MOTOR, BAD DRIVE GEAR AND TWO CABLES. *SC *JB

I OWN A 1999 FORD CONTOUR. AROUND THANKSGIVING 2003 I NOTICED THAT THE DEFROST VENT ON MY DASH CAME LOSE. NEXT THE DASH STARTED TO CURL UP. THEN THE DASH STARTED TO PULL AWAY FROM THE FRAME. I CAN SEE THE GLUE USED TO HOLD IT TO THE FRAME. THE DASH IS NOW CURLED SO HIGH I CAN'T SEE THE WIPERS & PART OF THE HOOD. I AM FEARFUL PASSENGER AIRBAG WILL DEPLOY. I CALLED MY LOCAL FORD COMPANY IN NV & WAS TOLD ABOUT A RECALL BUT IT EXPIRED. I HAD SEVERAL ESTIMATES DONE & HAVE BEEN TOLD PARTS ALONE ARE APPROX $800 & LABOR AT LEAST $1000. AUGUST 9TH 2004 I CALLED THE WORLDWIDE SERVICE LINE AT FORD & WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOT A RECALL BUT A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM #01B78 THAT RAN FROM AUGUST 2001 THRU AUGUST 31 2002. I NEVER GOT ANYTHING. I TOLD THEM I DIDNT FEEL I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR IT WHEN THEY KNOW FAULTY EQUIPMENT IS IN THE VEHICLE. THEY TOLD ME THE PROGRAM HAD EXPIRED. WHEN I TOLD THEM IN THEIR EYES NO ONE HAS DIED YET SO IT IS NOT SERIOUS ENOUGH TO ISSUE AN ACTUAL RECALL. THE REP ACKNOWLEDGED THIS STATEMENT SAYING I WAS CORRECT, THAT IT WAS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE. I TOLD THEM THEY ARE WRONG, IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE, THE AIRBAG IS UNDER THAT DASH AND COULD DEPLOY. FORDS ONLY ANSWER TO ME WAS TO TAKE IT TO A CERTIFIED FORD DEALER IN MY AREA & HAVE THEM INSPECT IT. A TECH WILL TELL ME THE COST TO FIX. THEN IT WAS REPEATED THAT THE PROGRAM HAS EXPIRED. FORD IS NOT GOING TO DO A RECALL FOR EQUIPMENT THEY KNOW IS FAULTY & THEY ARE NOT GOING TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. I AM LEFT WITH AN UNSAFE VEHICLE TO PAY FOR REPAIRS THAT I FEEL I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR IN THE FIRST PLACE. I DONT KNOW HOW MANY COMPLAINTS NEED TO BE MADE IN ORDER FOR A RECALL TO BE ISSUED BUT I HOPE IT DOESN'T TAKE SOMEONE ACTUALLY GETTING SERIOUSLY HURT OR A FATALITY FOR THEM TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.. THANKS LJR

THIS IS NOT AN AESTHETIC COMPLAINT AS CLASSIFIED BY FORD MOTOR CORPORATION. DASHBOARD IS PEELING UP FROM BASE OF WINDSHIELD AND OBSTRUCTING DRIVERS VIEW, DEFROST PANEL IS NOW DISLODGED FROM DASHBOARD AND CREATING ADDITIONAL OBSTRUCTION OF DRIVER'S VIEW AND RENDERED NON FUNCTIONAL. THE RECESSION OF THE DASHBOARD IS NOW SEPARATING FROM THE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT SECTION OF THE DASH. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE NEW AND HAVE BEEN THE SOLE OWNER SINCE ITS PURCHASE IN JULY 1999 AND HAVE BEEN REFUSED ASSISTANCE. I CONTACTED FIRST THE FORD DEALERSHIP FROM WHICH I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS IN FACT A RECALL ON THIS ITEM AND HAD SINCE EXPIRED AND WAS DIRECTED TO CALL FORD MOTOR CORPORATION DIRECTLY FOR FURTHER ASSISTANCE. I WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE RECALL. THE THREE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES THAT I HAVE SPOKEN TO OVER THE PAST 24-30 MONTHS EACH CONFIRMED THE RECALL AND NOTED 1) SINCE IT WAS CLASSIFIED AS AN AESTHETIC PROBLEM IT HAD AN EXPIRATION DATE ATTACHED IT AND 2) IT WAS SENT TO THE DEALERSHIPS TO EXPEDITE ON VEHICLES THAT CAME IN FOR SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE VISITS. AGAIN, I WAS NOT NOTIFIED FROM EITHER THE DEALERSHIP AT THE TIME OF MY SERVICE VISITS OR FORD MOTOR CORPORATION WHEN THE RECALL WAS INITIATED. I HAVE REQUESTED SECOND OPINIONS FROM OUTSIDE SOURCES THAT ARE FORD CERTIFIED IN BODY REPAIR AND EACH NOTED THE RAMIFICATIONS OF DRIVING THIS VEHICLE WITHOUT THE MANUFACTURER DEFECT CORRECTED IS AND NOT LIMITED TO A SPONTANEOUS DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAG AND A RESULT OF A POTENTIALLY FATAL ACCIDENT FOR THE DRIVER, PASSENGERS, AND NOT EXCLUDING OTHER DRIVERS ON THE ROAD THAT COULD INADVERTENTLY BE INVOLVED. IN MY RESEARCH OF THIS SITUATION I HAVE FOUND COMPLAINTS OF THIS NATURE WITH SIMILAR RESPONSES SINCE 2001.*AK

THE DASHBOARD OF OUR 1999 FORD CONTOUR HAS EXPERIENCED A SEVERE WARPAGE AND IS NOW RESTING UPWARD ABOUT 5 INCHES HIGHER THAN ITS NORMAL POSITION. THE DEFROSTER GRILL POPPED OUT EARLIER AND IN THE WINTER THE DEFROST FUNCTION DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY ON THE WINDSHIELD. THE CURRENT POSITION OF THE WARPED DASHBOARD IS OBSTRUCTING OUR VISIBILITY OF THE ROADWAY AND A SERVICE TECHNICIAN AT THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP ADMITTED THAT IT WAS A HAZARDOUS. THERE WAS A FORD CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM (#01B78) WHICH WAS ISSUED IN AUGUST 2001 AND EFFECTIVE UNTIL AUGUST 31, 2002 ADMITTING TO PROBLEMS WITH DASHBOARD (INSTRUMENT PANEL) WARPAGE ON THE 1999 & 2000 FORD CONTOUR. I HAVE CONTACTED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE ON AT LEAST 4 OCCASIONS OVER THE PAST YEAR PLUS WITHOUT ANY SATISFACTION AND THE PROBLEM IS GETTING WORSE. THE FORD DEALER (HERITAGE FORD IN SOUTH BURLINGTON, VERMONT) INDICATES THAT THIS IS A FACTORY PROBLEM WHICH IS NOT BEING ADDRESSED. THEY WERE TO NOTIFY A FORD REGIONAL SERVICE TECHNICIAN OVER A MONTH AGO BUT I HAVEN'T HEARD FROM ANYONE. THE LOCAL DEALER ESTIMATES THAT IT WOULD COST ME $1400 TO $1800 TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. BASED ON WHAT I'VE OUTLINED ABOVE, I FEEL THAT IT SHOULD BE COMPLETED AT FORD'S COST. I FEEL THAT THIS A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM, WHICH IS GETTING WORSE WITH THE IMPAIRED VISIBILITY AND COULD POSSIBLY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I CAN'T EVEN SEE THE HOOD FROM MY SITTING POSITION IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT. ALSO, IF I WERE TO TRY AND SELL THE CAR, IT WOULD BE BASICALLY NON SALEABLE BECAUSE OF THIS DANGEROUS PROBLEM. THERE ARE A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS FILED WITH YOUR AGENCY REGARDING THIS PROBLEM THAT I RESEARCHED UNDER THE CATEGORIES OF OTHER, VISIBILITY AND VISIBILITY...DEFROSTER AMONG OTHERS. HOW MANY COMPLAINTS ARE REQUIRED BEFORE YOU FORCE FORD TO ISSUE A RECALL FOR THIS VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION? FORD HAS ALREADY ADMITTED A FLAW IN THE DASHBOARD WITH THEIR CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM. ANY ASSISTANCE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.

PURCHASED CAR IN SEPT. 99; NO DASHBOARD WARPAGE' RECEIVED A PRINTOUT OF TSB# 01B78 FOR WARPAGE ON 8/24/01; NO WARPAGE YET. 01/07/04 RECEIVED A PRINTOUT FROM DEALER OF NO ACTIVE TSB#01B78. DASHBOARD WARPAGE SEVERE AFTER WINTER OF 2004. BROUGHT INTO SERVICE THE TSB. THE DEALER AND FORD COMPANY FAILED TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THEY QUOTE THE SENT LETTERS TO CONSUMERS OF THE CAR. I NEVER RECEIVED A LETTER. THE BLAME THE US POST OFFICE FOR THE FAULT. LIABILITY FALLS INTO THE MFG., WHICH IS FORD NOT THE USPS. DASHBOARD IS WARPED AND DEFROSTER FAILS TO DEFROST THE WINDSHIELD IN THE WINTER DUE TO WARPAGE. THE DEFROST VANES NO LONGER FITS IN THE DASH TO DIRECT FLOW TO WINDSHIELD WHICH CAUSES A VISUAL HAZARD TO DRIVING IN FOGGY, WINTERED ENVIRONMENTS. I WOULD LIKE THE TSB SERVICED DUE TO HAZARD. I AM ORIG. OWNER OF THE CAR. I FOUND ALL THE INFORMATION ON MY OWN THROUGH THE INTERNET AND PRINTOUTS. NO OFFICIAL NOTIFICATION WAS SERVED TO ME. THE LIABILITY SHOULD TO SERVICE THIS TSB.*AK

DASHBOARD HAS DELAMINATED AT THE WINDSHIELD. 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. FINALLY, HAS ANSWERED ABOUT THIS AFTER NEARLY A YEAR, THAT I WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR REPAIR MYSELF, MINUS 10% FORD SAFETY WARRANTY. I FELT IT SHOULD BE PAID IN FULL BY FORD. I KNOW THAT I WOULD NOT GET FULL TRADE IN VALUE FROM THEM DUE TO THIS ISSUE. *LA