2000 Ford Contour

FORD HAD CUSTOMER SATISFACTION (NOT RECALL) ON DASHBOARD WARPING. THIS IS SAFETY ISSUE, THE DASH ROLLS UP SO MUCH IT OBSCURES CARS OR OBJECTS THAT ARE VISIBLE NORMALLY AT THE LOW ANGLE OF THE WIND SCREEN. SUCH AS GOING UPHILL OR INCLINE. OR EVEN SMALL CHILDREN IN FRONT. THE WORK TO FASTEN THE DASH DOWN TO REDUCE OBSTRUCTION ONLY WORKED TEMPORALLY. *AK

MY 2000 FORD CONTOUR IS PLAGUED WITH THE "DASHBOARD CURL" PROBLEM WHICH, AFTER MUCH RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, I HAVE FOUND TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AMONG 1998-2000 MODEL YEAR FORD CONTOURS. BASICALLY, AT THE BASE OF THE WINDSHIELD (AROUND THE DEFROSTER VENT), THE DASHBOARD HAS COME LOOSE AND IS CURLING UP. BESIDE THE FACT THAT THIS IS ANNOYING AS I LIKE TO KEEP MY VEHICLE IN GOOD SHAPE, IT COULD ALSO POSE A MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM OF BLOCKING THE VIEW OF THE ROAD WHILE DRIVING. I AM TRULY SURPRISED THIS PROBLEM HAS NOT YET BEEN ADDRESSED BY A MANUFACTURER RECALL, AS THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE PLASTIC DASHBOARD DELAMINATED FROM THE FOAM. THE DASHBOARD LAMINATE WAS PUSHING UPWARD, THUS HINDERING THE CONTACT'S VISION THROUGH THE FRONT WINDOW. HE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, AND THEY SAID IT WAS UNDER REVIEW, AND THAT IT WAS COSMETIC. ALSO, HE IS ALSO EXPERIENCED FUEL PUMP AND WATER PUMP PROBLEMS. UNDER HARD ACCELERATION THE FUEL PUMP SHUT OFF. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW FUEL PUMP. THE BEARINGS ON THE WATER PUMP FAILED AND THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED. *AK.

1) NO EVENT YET. 2) THE DASH IS CURLED AND PULLED AWAY FROM WINDSHIELD TO THE POINT THE DEFROSTERS CAN'T WORK. THE ENTIRE FRONT DASH ASSEMBLY HAS TWISTED UNTIL THERE IS TENSION ON THE AIRBAGS, STEERING WHEEL, STEREO HAS FALLEN OUT, NO VENTING WORKS. SO MUCH DISTORTION THAT WE ARE FEARFUL OF THE AIR BAGS RELEASING ANY TIME THE VEHICLE HITS A BUMP. 3) I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER FOR OTHER MAINTENANCE ISSUES THE FIRST YEAR AND ASKED HIM ABOUT THE DASH, WHY IT WAS PULLING AWAY FROM THE CAR. HE COULDN'T EXPLAIN IT. THREE TIMES THE FIRST YEAR WE HAD THIS DISCUSSION. THE FOLLOWING YEAR HE MENTIONED A RECALL ON MY VEHICLE FOR THE DASHBOARD, BUT STATED "IT'S TOO LATE NOW, IT ENDED IN OCTOBER". I WENT TO THE OWNER OF THE COMMUNITY FORD WHERE WE PURCHASED THE CAR AND HE TOLD ME I HAD TO "GO TO THE MANUFACTURER, FORD" AND GET THE DASH REPLACED." I'VE CONTACTED FORD MOTORS VIA-E-MAIL, AND GET NO RESPONSE. 4) THE DEFROSTERS CAN'T OPERATE BECAUSE THE DASH HAS CURLED AND BLOCKS AIR FROM REACHING THE GLASS. VISIBILITY IS OBSTRUCTED. VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. THE MOVEMENT AND DISTORTION OF THE ENTIRE FRONT DASH IS DANGEROUS FOR MY FAMILY FOR FEAR OF THE AIR BAGS RELEASING OR THE DASH JUST SIMPLY FALLING INTO OUR LAPS WHILE WE ARE TRAVELING. 5) I PURCHASED THE CAR NEW AND THESE PROBLEMS STARTED WITHIN THREE MONTHS OF OWNING THE VEHICLE. I'VE HEARD OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR MODEL OF VEHICLE. 6) I LIKE THE CAR, HAS GOOD GAS MILEAGE, ETC., AND CAN'T AFFORD A NEW ONE. THE SAFETY ISSUES NEED TO BE DEALT WITH. 7) SOMEONE WILL BE KILLED DRIVING THIS CAR. *NM