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

SINCE 12-15-99 I HAD COUGAR IN SERVICE 3 TIMES FOR WATER LEAK/ 2 TIMES SHIFT LOCK ,LOCKED DOWN BECAUSE OF BRAKE LIGHT FAILURE HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT REAR BRAKE ELCO NOISE WHEN BACKING UP/ CAR HESITATING AT 50+ MILES AN HOUR /PULLING TO RIGHT WHEN PASSING AND GIVING THE CAR MORE ACCELERATION/CAR IDLING REAL HIGH AND WANTING TO TAKE OFF WHEN YOU FIRST RELEASE THE BRAKE/ THE WINDOWS NOT GOING UP AND DOWN / THE BATTERY EXPLODED/ THE SERVICE WAS TERRIBLE AT GATEWAY THE NOISE IS STILL IN THE REAR WHEELS . THERE IS MORE WHERE THIS CAME FROM THE COUGAR WILL FALL APART/ THE ENGINE OR TRANSMISSION IS A PROBLEM . *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P/215/S0R1 )

DRIVERS SIDE DOOR GLASS EXPLODED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. NOT HIT BY ANY OBJECT. AIR CONDITIONING ON. OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE 80F. LAST DRIVEN 3 HOURS BEFORE. LETTER SENT TO FORD (COPY AVAILABLE ON REQUEST) STATING MY BELIEF THAT GLASS WAS DEFECTIVE. FORD RESPONDED THAT THEY WEREN'T RESPONSIBLE FOR EXPLODING GLASS, THAT IT WAS BETWEEN ME & MY INSURANCE CO. THIS WAS AN ALMOST NEW CAR WHICH WAS NOT EXPOSED TO REPEATED CYCLES OF HOT WEATHER NOR WAS IT HIT BY ANYTHING. I BELIEVE A POTENTIAL PRODUCT DEFECT EXISTS.

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

I HAVE HAD CAR IN SHOP 4 DIFFERENT TIMES,THEY CHANGED TO ROTORS AND BRAKES THE FIRST TIME AT 3,000 MILES.THEY CLAIM THE ROTORS WERE WARPED FROM THE FACTORY. THE NEXT 2 TIMES THEY CLAIM THE CAR IS FINE,THE LAST TIME ( CAR IS STILL IN THE SHOP SINCE 2/15/00 THIS IS WRITTEN TO YOU 3-09-00) THEY ARE REPLACING THE FRONT ROTORS AND BRAKES AGAIN, THEY SAY THEY ARE REPLACING THE DEFROST SWITCH AND A WIRING HARNESS,THE ENGINE DRIVETRAIN THEY DON'T KNOW???. I HAVE LOST TIME AT WORK AND I DON'T FELL SAFE IN THE CAR. I REFUSE TO TAKE MY "FAMILY" ANYWHERE IN THIS CAR!!!!!.