1999 Ford Contour

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.

I OWN A 1999'CONTOUR THE DASHBOARD HAS CURLED UP AT THE VENT AREA NEAR WINDOW. HAVE CONTACTED FORD MOTOR CO. AND THEY REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT ISSUE. I HAVE CONTACTED PREVIOUS OWNERS AND THEY KNEW NOTHING OF THE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM PROVIDED BY FORD. FORD TELLS ME IT WAS A TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE TYPE OF THING . BUT I SEE THAT THEY HAVE ONLY TRIED TO AVOID TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR A FAULTY PRODUCT. I WILL SERIOUSLY CONSIDER NEVER PURCHASING ANOTHER FORD . THIS HAS BEEN MY 4TH FORD THAT I HAVE OWNED AND IT SADDENS ME TO SEE THE POOR RESPONSE FROM FORD ABOUT A POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS PROBLEM. *AK

THE DASH ON MY 1999 FORD CONTOUR GL BEGAN PEELING AWAY MORE THAN TWO YEARS AGO. DESPITE RECEIVING A RECALL LETTER FROM FORD ABOUT THE PROBLEM, I WAS UNABLE TO HAVE IT REPLACED/REPAIRED. ABOUT THE SAME TIME, I STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE RADIO CUTTING OUT. I COULD PUSH IN A CASSETTE THEN REMOVE IT TO GET THE RADIO TO COME BACK ON, BUT NOTHING ELSE WOULD WORK. JUST YESTERDAY I DROVE MY CAR WITH NO PROBLEM...UNTIL I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE CAR, I WAS UNABLE TO DO SO. WHEN I TURN THE KEY TO THE FIRST STOP, THE ACCESSORY POSITION, THE RADIO, LIGHTS, ETC., ALL WORK FINE. WHEN I TURN THE KEY FURTHER, TO START THE CAR OR TO THE SECOND STOP TO POWER OTHER DEVICES (AC, POWER WINDOWS, ETC), IT BEHAVES AS IF THE BATTERY IS DEAD. THE BUZZER (DOOR OPEN, KEYS IN IGNITION) IS VERY FAINT, RADIO DOESN'T WORK, WINDSHIELD WIPERS MOVE ONE VERY SLOW PASS (EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE TURNED OFF), CAN'T GET THE CAR OUT OF "PARK". I HAD THE CAR TOWED HOME, BUT CAN'T AFFORD TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT. WILL CALL THE DEALERSHIP, BUT AM NOT HOPEFUL OF GETTING THE CAR FIXED. *AK

THE CAR IS A 1999 FORD CONTOUR. I HAD MY 4 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER BUCKLED IN THE REAR SEAT. WE WERE DRIVING WHEN SHE REACHED OVER AND THOUGHT SHE WAS PULLING FOR THE WINDOW. SHE GRABBED FOR THE DOOR HANDLE INSTEAD, AND TO MY SURPRISE OPENED IT. THE DOOR FLEW OPEN,,SHE WAS BUCKLED IN AND NOT ONE WAS HURT..JUST UPSET. I CHECK THE CHIKD DOOR LOCKS....AND TO MY SURPRISE THE LABEL IS BACKWARDS. IT POINTS IN THE LOCK DIRECTION, BUT THIS IS THE OPEN DIRECTION. I LOOKED AT A FRIENDS CONTOUR, ALL THE LABELS ARE INCORRECT!!!!!*AK

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

VEHICLE WAS IDLING TOO HIGH. WHEN THE VEHICLE IDLED TOO HIGH IT ALSO SHUT OFF. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO SEVERAL DIFFERENT DEALERS, AND VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED 2-3 TIMES. EACH DEALER INDICATED THAT IT WAS THE CAM SENSOR. CONSUMER HAD A NEW CAM SENSOR INSTALLED ON 04/19/2004, AND IT WAS STILL DOING THE SAME THING, VEHICLE CONTINUED TO IDLE HIGH AND THEN STALL. *AK