We found the following complaints for FORD CONTOUR (1996)
Read complaints for FORD CONTOUR (1996)
Air bag did not inflate in accident.
Violent deployment of airbags, causing injury to head, neck and face.
Short driver wants airbag disconnected.
My son was involved in a traffic accident where the car rolled overand hit numerous trees. Both air bags did not open and the seat beltbroke away... Miracously my son ended up in the back seat with onlya modest bump on his head. ....witnessess as well as the towing/wrecking yard could not believe there were no serious injuries, especially considering the conditionof the vehicle... When purchasing the autoi recall that safety reports were generallyfavorable...given the impact of this accident it is incredible thatthe airbags did not open and that the seat belt broke away...
No summary.dt
Car stalls when parallel parking, especially in reverse, or when parking slopes.car stalled when starting up from red light in center city philadelphia intersections.headlamps out of alignment (don't shine down onto road, beams not centered).air bag light on control panels blinks sporadically, frequently; anxiety that air bag will deploy while driving.dealer comment on stalling:"probably something stupid" and wasn't able to fix problem, mentioned something about a vacuum tube.dealer charged $95 to tell me that the memory in the vehicle didn't give any codes for the stalling or air bag problems, then added that the memory is wiped clean every time the car is turned off.question:if they know that about the car in the first place, why charge the customer for a pointless diagnostic?headlights still out of alignment after having been "adjusted" by dealer in january 2005.
While traveling down interstate 295,new jersey, i slowed down to get off at exit 4, suddenly i heard a loud explosion (which i thought was my car exploding) and the next thing i knew both air bags exploded (passenger & drivers side). The force and power of the explosion caused my windshield to crack on the passenger. I did not hit any other car or object,i was traveling no more than about 35,because i was preparing to get off at exit,and the road surface was smooth.car was towed to the dealer,murphy ford,chester,pa, who offered little or no assistance in determining the exact cause of why two air bags would explode other than to tell me i had too much air in one tire. Ford motor company was contacted and i have yet to hear from them.
While driving a noise is heard.there is a problem with the clock spring. Crown ford dealership in nashville tennessee stated no problem could be found.
Bothdriver and passenger side airbags deployed for no apparent reason
While driving about 20 mph next to a close curve saw a deer in front of vehicle onroad. Tried to avoid hittingit by stepping onbrakes. They locked up, andvehicle rolled over. None of front air bags deployed.
Need to install on/off switch on passenger's side air bag.
Consumer states that while travling about 25 mph,and had a very light impact in which vehicle skidded about 3 feet into the back of another vehicle.the vehicle in front didn't have any rear brake lights.the airbag deployed on very light impact,causing it to smash the windshield on the passenger's side.it also split the instrument panel/damaged glove compartment/bent the steering wheel, resulting inextreme injuries to the neck and chest.also punctured the airbag in 2 places.consumer has contacted the dealer.
Whenslamming on his brakes to avoid hittingvehicle that had stopped in front,andair bags didn'tdeploy.consumer and friend were injured.
Upon frontal collision, driver made contact w/steering wheel before air bag deployed. Please describe details.tt
While driving,the driver's and passenger's side air bags deployed without reason.cause unknown. Please provide further details.
The air bag came out due to the accident,but did not inflate,caused the driver to hit the windshield of the car and sustaining injuries.
While parking vehicle, the engine suddenly revved up for no reason & then shot forward. Applying brakes, did not stop vehicle. It went over small embankment. Air bags did not deploy.
Driver's and passenger's air bags deployed in a very minor collision, causing the occupant to sustain injuries.please give any further details.
While approaching a stop sign both airbags deployed.there was no accident involved.my daughter and her friend were slightly injured. My daughter still suffers neck and back aches. No explanation as to why this happened.
Vehicle was hit on the passenger's front side and the shoulder belt did not restrain the driver.also,the deployment of the driver's side air bagknocked driver out of seat and head hit the passenger side window.
Consumer was traveling on a bridge and a suddently stopped for another vehicle that jumped in front of him. Dual airbag didn't go off, andhitvehicle from behind. Dealershipwas aware ofproblem.
Lug nuts were loose, causing wheel to fall off while driving, resulting in loss of control/accident, also no deployment of driver's airb ag upon impact. Driver sustained injuries.
Consumerwas driving 45mph anddriver's airbag went off in his face.
Reporting on two difference occasions when air bag deployed on passenger's side, causing front windshield to shatter.would like to know what can or will be done on this matter, dealer and manufacturer were notified. Please feel free to provide any further details.
We have a infant/toddler car seat that cannot be put in the rear facing position because the back seats are too angeled back.we also can't have seat in middle because then my 9 yr old has to sit against the door.i am now forced to face my baby forward in his carseat.help!the cup holdes next to gearshift leak into the shift colum and cause the gearshift to stick. Brookdale ford said it would cost me $100 to clean it for me.they offered no help, the least that should be done is to fix it so nothing more can leak through the holders.
When driving at 70 mph the vehicle is shifting very hard. It downshifts from overdrive to second gear, and all the components on the dashboard start going out. Vehicle has been intorepair shop six timesand the dealer can't determine the cause of the problem. Also,when applying the brakes, the child in the child seatgoes forward, and the harness strap left a red spot on the child.
Vehicle was experiencing electrical problem which caused the cigarette lighter to malfunction, radio and clock went blank and driver side front window will not roll down.nlm
My car had been having many issues .fixing what we thought were the problem we found that the electrical connected to the cooling fan was melted as well as many problems in wire harnesses in front of engine.. It is very apparent the wiring is defective and caused melting n burn wires throughout the wiring system. I have had 4 mechanics look at it and was told by all that this make n model is very well known for this electrical issue.
Problems with 1996 ford contour front brakes, transmission, fuse box, heater blower motor, electrical and steering and suspension.*mrfor the second time, the vehicle had problems with the brakes making a loud rubbing sound, the stabilizer bar was replaced and needs to be replaced again. The transmission was leaking, water was inside of the headlight seals, which made the lights very dim, the selector mode switch on the heater motor blower did not work properly, which made the heat not work at a 100%. The upper ball joints, rack and pinion and wheel bearing were all defective.
Dashboard has had several electrical shorts.
While driving with headlights ontail lights and dashboard lights went out without a prior warning.dealer had been contacted,andcause could not be found.
The contact owns a 1996 ford contour.while operating the vehicle in reverse, the contact noticed that the vehicle lost power without warning.the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic who performed a diagnostic test which concluded that the wiring harness was corroded and cracked. The mechanic confirmed that the vehicle needed to be repaired.the vehicle was included in recall number: 01v230000 (electrical system); however, since the recall had expired the dealer was not willing to offer any assistance.they advised the contact to locate a wiring harness at a junk yard for installation.the contact did not inform the manufacturer nor was the vehicle repaired due to the cost.the failure mileage was approximately 130,000. Updated 5/2/11 updated 1/11/11
On-going / intermittent problem with vehicle shutting off due to loss of electrical powe; whenever vehicle ran over a water puddle it caused loss of power, which shut down everything. This condition could cause an accident. Dealer notifed and refused to repair unless cost goes to consumer. Seeking help or provoide additional information from nhtsa in this matter.
-thecontact took his 1997 ford contour to the dealership on 12/20/06 because the vehicle had lost complete power.the dealer stated that the vehicle needed to get the wiring harness replaced.the dealership called the manufacturer to see if the vehicle would be covered under the recall nhtsa campaign id number : 01v230000 and they stated that it wouldn't be covered under recall due to the vehicle being more than 10 years old.the contact can provide copies of repair invoices if needed. Updated 2/16/2007 -
The consumer stated that dealership had car over twenty two days, and vehicle stillhas electrical problems.
The wire harness motor, transmission and fuel injection are bad ,and was stationary 5 year ago like many many many contours and mistyques in my country , i need a solution please, couse responsability is from ford company in all the world. Thank you. I am in mexico.
Loss of electrical power while driving. 3 dealers have inspected,but could not duplicate defect or cause.
The contact owns a 1996 ford contour. As he started his vehicle, the tail lights or the dashboard did not light up. His mechanic gave him a copy of nhtsa campaign# 01v230000. The dealer and the manufacturer stated that his vehicle was not a part of the recall. The related nhtsa action# is ea01001. The failure mileage was 186,000.
Smoke was coming fromhazard switch, and consumer could hear noise at same time. There wasno signal of warning on this problem.
The contact owns a 1996 ford contour.the contact stated that the vehicle has encountered blown fuses and a destroyed alternator.theelectrical system also destroyed the battery.the dealer stated that the wiring harness deteriorated, and informed the contact of recall # 01v230000.
Whenever starting vehicle or even driving electrical system would start acting up.windshield wipers would go on by themselves,have not been turned on. Lights, interior & exterior, would go out.ignition will not startvehicle sometimes.also,would hear a clicking noise. Did not have a battery problems.heater blower failed to work. No recalls on vehicle for electrical problems.
Electrical system was defective. Consumer took vehicle todealer on several occasions. However, the electrical system was such that the lights wentout and flickered. Vehicle locked in to park. Consumer applied a 20 amp fuse to get it out of gear. The dealer was unable to solve the problem.
Vehicle was experiencing electrical problem which caused the cigarette lighter to malfunction, radio and clock went blank and driver side front window will not roll down.nlm
Car was purchased from a used car dealer on 8/11/15.the car has 58606 miles on it.the transmission had to be replaced due to electrical issues caused by a faulty wiring harness.wiring harness was under the owner notification and not repaired.ford has not offered any type of assistance and mechanic says the car is a fire hazard and harness has to be replaced.contacted ford who said the car was not under any type of recall and they no longer make the part.
Car stalls out when idle.car stalls out when starting or driving slowly. Car has had many sensors replaced including the oxygen sensor and it continues to stall out. Ford has not satisfactorilly repaired car after several costly visits.
The contact owns a 1996 ford contour.after being parked for four hours, the vehicle caught fire without warning.the fire originated on the front driver side.the vehicle was not towed or inspected by a dealer.the fire extinguished on its own.the current and failure mileages were 101,000.
Blower motor failure. The blower controls the defroster and heater.the failure results in fog, frost etc so visibility is greatly limited.if one can see well an accident is possible.
The wiring harness of my 1996 ford contour caught fire.i had prior problems with the vehicle in the past such as tail light going out constantly and also headlights, as well as problems with the o2 sensor. I have put more that$2000 dollars alone on this car just getting it repaired.
The consumers vehicle experienced symptoms of recall 01-v-230-0000. Recall deescription:passenger vehicles.the rough surface of the heater blower resistor's stainless steel blades can damage the copper surface of the wiring harness connector.*nlm
The contact owns a 1996 ford contour. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, it would fail to start due to a melted wire in the engine. In addition, the contact stated that the odometer failed to provide the accurate reading. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000.
The contact owns a 1996 ford contour.the contact stated that the wiring harness was malfunctioning, which causes the check engine indicator to illuminate on the instrument panel, engine failure, and electrical fires under the hood.he has been repairing the failure himself, but the wiring harness continues to malfunction.the dealer stated that there were no recalls related to the failure and the repair would cost $1,500.the manufacturer stated that they would not repair the vehicle.the failure mileage was 103,000.
I purchased a used 1996 ford contour for my granddaughter and after a few days the check engine light came on. My mechanic diagnosed the problem and fixed it. A few miles down the road it came back on. After further diagnostics it was found that theengine wiring harness was bad. The insulation on the wires was flaking off and in one spot the wire bundle covering had melted. Research on line showed that ford had a recall on this problem (99m03) and extended the recall for 10 years. In an attempt to repair the problem with a different wiring harness has proved to be a loosing battle i contacted ford and they said that they no longer build this part and that they had no parts in stock throughout the usa. I tried salvage yards and there are no good parts out there. How can a used car lot sell cars without looking into safety recalls on the vehicles. I have no recourse but to junk the car and take a $3000 loss. Is there any help out there?
Engine check light and battery light illuminates.took vehicle to dealer, and had electrical problem; repaired but problem still exists.
My car was recalled in 2001. The past 6 mo my electrical system smells like its burning or something melting. Almost like its going to catch on fire
While normally driving at 35 mile's per hour, the car suddenly stalled. 10 minutes later started normally.just in case i took the car to mechanic because 20 minutes later i started to noticedan odor, like burned plastic.this morning the mechanic called me and asked me to stop by the shop, he showed me the fuse box andthe electrical cables (harness) that are connected to the box, 75% or more are without insulation (cracked or the insulation is gone).according to him i was just lucky,ford do not offer a complete electrical harness as a part, and the only solution is to search for one in a junk yard, besides is a costly electrical job replacing the wires.i am going to contact ford because as a consumer i think that there is a defect with the mentioned vehicle.
Nhtsa#99-v-103-000: vehicle description:passenger vehicles. The terminals at the headlight switch and wiring harness connector can experience heat damage as a result of overheating.this recall failed.
The contact owns a 1996 ford contour. While parked, the contact smelled smoke and noticed flames near the rear of the radio and the center column that divided the front and rear driver side doors. The contact was able to extinguish the flames herself. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostics. There was a recall under nhtsa campaign id number: 01v230000 (electrical system) that could possibly have been related to the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised that the vin was not included in the recall. The contact stated the failure affected the exterior lighting and interior lighting of the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 62,922.
I have a ford contour (1996 sport w/2.5v6..nearly all of the wiring under the hood eitherhas broken or no insulation on it. Some times thetemperature light comes on...today the electric cooling fan smoked then blew a fuse. I've never seen wiring like this. I expect better from fordthan this..this car just turned over to 72000 miles....this car is a total fire hazard.....i've owned ford cars and trucks all my life but if nothing can be done about this car it will be the last ford i buy..this wiring should be against the law. I wonder if the safety team knows about this.
The contact owns a 1996 ford contour. The contact stated that while driving at 65 mph, the taillight and front panel failed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.
Consumer has had numerous problems with the 1996 ford contour.*mrthere has been so many recalls on consumer's vehicle that she wasn't aware of because the manufacturer never sent notices.since then consumer has been paying for entire full price and is asking for reimbursement.however, the biggest problem with the vehicle is the gas fumes which is leaking therefore leaving poisonous carbon monoxide fumes coming in through the heater vents.these harsh chemicals are damaging to the lungs, brain, respiratory system and its making consumer very tired among other symptoms.
The contact owns a 1996 ford contour.while driving 55 mph, the contact smelled a burning odor and noticed smoke emanating from the instrument panel.after close inspection, he noticed that the blower switch and all associated wiring were melted.the dealer would not assume responsibility because the vin was excluded from nhtsa campaign id number 01v230000 (electrical system).the manufacturer would not assist and the vehicle has not been repaired.the failure and current mileages were 109,688. 4/01/09 *njford stated the vehicle was diagnosed before it left the factory and they refused to reimburse the consumer. Updated 04/07/09.
Vehicle was experiencing electrical problem which caused the cigarette lighter to malfunction, radio and clock went blank and driver side front window will not roll down.nlm
Engine check light and battery light illuminates.took vehicle to dealer, and had electrical problem; repaired but problem still exists.
Occasionally, when the vehicle rolls through a puddle, the steering will fail and the battery light will appear, with the engine almost stalling. This has happened with the car going as fast as 35 mph and as slow as 5 mph. The problem has been reported to the dealer on several occasions, and the dealer has reportedly contacted the manufacturer regarding this particular problem. Additionally, the first time the vehicle was taken back to the dealer to report the problem, the service personnel was aware that the problem existed with the specific model. After repeated returns to the dealer (at least three separate complaints), the dealer informed us that the problem was fixed and that the car was even "driven through several puddles" without any steering failure. The last time the vehicle was taken in was approximately august, 1999. The warranty has since expired, and the dealer says that it is our responsibility to pay to have the problem fixed. Unfortunately, we have taken the car back several times, and the problem still exists. On 02/13/00, the vehicle again experienced steering failure.
The fuse keeps blowing out. This causes the air conditionernot work. Took to dealer. Vehicle failed to start & needed a jump.informed battery was needed.
Would be driving when all lights in vehicle would go out, and then vehicle would stall.alternator failed to chargebattery. Took to dealership,had battery replaced for4th time in 3 years.
My car was in the shop 5 times in one month - all electrical problems. Alternator, battery, starter, wiring harness, speed sensor and oxygen sensor were all changed.the ford dealership does not understand why i am having all these problems.it was also in a garage fire at the dealership in this time and i had smoke damage to my car on top of the engine problems.needless to say, i loss money on the trade in.this is the worse car i have ever owned and will never own another ford car or truck again.
Whenever i turn on the heater, a/c, defrost, or fan my abs light turns on and my brakes are spongy. I have lost all brakes on two occasions when the abs light came on. When my car sits for a weekend, the battery dies. Installed a new battery, still dies. Ford cannot find a cause for either problem. I have taken my car in to have the wiring harness changed for the lights, those went out. Also, my a/c fuse had caught fire, whole fuse box and blower was replaced.
Have had numerous problems:interior/brake lights failed to light.replaced switch twice.fuel filler door will not open with latch inside.never worked.cigarette lighter failed.power window on driver's side has failed.car intermittently will not start due to drained battery.mechanic could find no cause for this related to alternator/charging system of car.never able to fix this.trunk leaks water around seal. Abs light keeps coming on .mechanic could find no problem with abs.air conditioner/heater would only blow out defrost setting. Also bad smell comes from ac when on. Rear seat belts keep jamming; not able to use sometimes because they won't come out.worst problem so far:transmission has failed.not yet fixed.i loved this car once, now i hate it!the whole thing should be recalled.
There are too many problems with our car to write down. Please contact us.
There are too many problems with our car to write down. Please contact us.
Battery not able to hold the current. Also, headlights and interior lights are not working.
Vehicle had no power causingconsumer to purchase a new battery. Vehicle wouldn't work withnew battery becauseconsumer noticedwires were not attached. Dealerstated " fordhas a program which is 10 year or 100,000 miles, but canonly be fixed if a problem occurs." consumers is responsible for the cost ofrepairs.
I have had multiple problems w/ my 96 ford contour since i bought it 2/23/96. I have had it in for service multiple times, and i get told it's covered under warranty why worry about it. The srv.mngr.at my dealer supposedly talked to a "tony" at ford & told him to tell me as long as it's covered under warranty i shouldn't complain it is no money out of my pocket. That is unsatisfactory -i believe my car to be a defect in that years line of contours & i would like something done about these problems. My car runs worse than any used car i have ever owned! all i ever wanted done was to rectify the situation,they could have easily replaced my car with one similiar to that year & model & i would have been happy. I really would like a response to this matter. I am to the point where i will contact a lawyer to seek help dealing with ford & kennedy ford , if i can not get a fair & aggreeable outcome to this situation.thank you.
The battery light comes on, it will dim down while the consumer is driving and then the engine will quit,the dealer replaced a faulty cable from the alternator to the junction block, could possibly be an engine problem instead of electrical because now the engine light stays illuminated.
There are too many problems with our car to write down. Please contact us.
Alternator does not charge properly therefore having to be replaced often.
Would be driving when all lights in vehicle would go out, and then vehicle would stall.alternator failed to chargebattery. Took to dealership,had battery replaced for4th time in 3 years.
In june 1998 replaced brake pads, and had rotors turned because they were warped.had to replace brake pads again, including rotors in february 1999.two months later rotors again warped.in july 1998 had to replace alternator.in april 1999 dash lights and tail lights quit working - had headlight switch replaced.
Consumer was driving approximately 55mph, noticed smells of burning rubber, and experiencedpower failure at the same time,city garage #10 said the wiring harness for the alternator was bad, causing a short repaired the wiring and replaced the alternator with a rebuilt one, a serpentine belt was also replaced.
While driving headlights/ tail lights,and dash lightscompletely stopped working, there was no warning. Took vehicle to dealer. Also,vehicle has had three alternators within three months. Problem has not been remedied as of yet. Please provide any further information.
Alternator failed.
This car is a lemon - it is not safe.
My car was in the shop 5 times in one month - all electrical problems. Alternator, battery, starter, wiring harness, speed sensor and oxygen sensor were all changed.the ford dealership does not understand why i am having all these problems.it was also in a garage fire at the dealership in this time and i had smoke damage to my car on top of the engine problems.needless to say, i loss money on the trade in.this is the worse car i have ever owned and will never own another ford car or truck again.
There are too many problems with our car to write down. Please contact us.
About 2-3 months after i had my car i tried to trade it in for another car because of the deffects on it, but the dealer would not help me out then. Is there anything i can do about it now? no safety defect listed in the summary.
Problems with the engine light coming on and the servicing dept at the ford dealer and other auto servicing center could not figure out why to this day it is on.at one time the entire interior lights and rear brakes lights went out. It currently shut its self off ( stalls) and get hot. The engine sounds revved up and shortly after the ac unit went out.everything has been checked out/ the alternator was replaced the crankshaft was replaced some wiring had to be replaced all the fluids are where they should be and it still stalls and overheats for no reason. Both front windows electrical motors have gone out.
Since purchase of vehicle when driving through a puddle of water or in rain, power steering will go out. At that timealernator light comes on, has been to dealer numerous times for this , seems to be a design flaw. Also, filling up with gasoline vehicle will smell for long time.
Right rear light continued to go out. Replace bulb few times. Right wheel bearing had to be replaced. Major fan belt replaced. Alternator replaced. Light on radio goes off when head lights turned on. This happened after they fixed my recall for lights. Gas cap cover is very hard to open. Takes several times to try and open. When air is on smells come through really strong from other cars. Owner notification recalls are not taken care of until they actually happen. These are coil can break and car go down blow out tires. Also electrical harness can break and wires will connect with other parts of the car and cause a fire. I have sent a letter to the president of ford and explained how i felt this car was unsafe and if anything happened to me or my family they would be held responsible. I never received a response from anyone. They should be made to take back all contours and give us a safer car for us and our families to drive. I am a single parent and cannot afford to finance another car. They need to provide a loan and new car for us. I will be contacting ford again in the near future to see if they will help with taking my car back and giving me another car/loan. As i told them in the letter they just wanted to sell and make money they didn't think of the family and or families that this car as it fell apart would effect. I appreciate that you have this web site that i can voice my concerns,problems with the ford and feel someone may pay attention before someone is hurt in these cars as have been many with the tire situation. I will help you in any way i can to clear up all of these problems. I keep the letter i sent ford in my car in case something happens someone will be able to read it and know i did try to get this problem dissolved before it was to late. Thank you so much for your help. Debbie jennings hewitt
I bought a 1996 ford contour se in june of 2003.i have since replaced the water pump 4 times.i bought the car from a man who blew the engine becuase the water pump went and he let the car over heat.i have replaced it in oct.2003,february 2004,june 2004,and dec.2004.it is really started to becomea burden.
Was driving vehicle at approximately 40mph when it suddenly stalled out without any warning.
While driving, vehicle's engine shuts off.please describe.
I got this car in april 96.i have had it in the shop several times because the car just completely loses power without any warning at all.it locks up the steering and brakes.it happens at all speeds and in varying temperatures.they have never been able to find the problem.the most recent episode was jan 14, 2001.sometimes i have to tow the car, other times it will start back up.this last time it started back up after about 5 minutes.fortunately, other drivers have been paying attention, and i haven't been killed.this car has also experienced:check engine light always on...dealer cannot find problem, but charges $110 to diagnose it each time!....the accelerator pedal cable broke in 2000.again, fortunately, i was in my neighborhood and no cars nailed me.the paint on this car is beginning to peel/crack even though it is garage kept.i have had to put 3 sets of brakes on this car...have also had the dash and tail lights go out (which they did fix) also the ac knob broke (which they fixed) i have taken it in for all known recalls.ford has never responded to my concerns about the complete power loss i keep experiencing and the dealer just suggests totally useless repairs that cost alot and do not solve the problem.
Whenever starting vehicle or even driving electrical system would start acting up.windshield wipers would go on by themselves,have not been turned on. Lights, interior & exterior, would go out.ignition will not startvehicle sometimes.also,would hear a clicking noise. Did not have a battery problems.heater blower failed to work. No recalls on vehicle for electrical problems.
Ignition wire under cowl severed by windshield wiper components that caused engine shutdown, loss of power assist to brakes and steering, battery discharge and blown fuses.
Myford contour has been stalling out and dying on me while moving along in traffic, at stop signs, and while stopped at traffic lights.the loud fog horn sound usually begins when i am slowing down to stop or while i am stopped, but it has begun even when i am at full drive speed of approx.35 miles per hour. The stalling out and dying seems to happen more often when the temperatures outside are very cold.the car also tends to rev itself (up to 1500 rpms) when i'm stopped at a stop sign, etc.after i had the maf sensor replaced the first time, back in jan. 2000,the car continued to rev itself and tried to stall out.i took the car back to the auto service ctr. And was told they needed to reprogram the computer and that would take care of the problems.while the car did not rev itself at stop or idle, as much as before, it did still continue to rev at a full stop. The vehicle has also been roaring like a fog horn and completly stalled out and died on me when i was stopped at stop signs, traffic lights, in parking garages in long lines of traffic, and while i was driving at slow speeds. I recently took the veh. Back to the service ctr. And was told it was again the maf sensor and that a replacement would indeed fix the problems.the car is still roaring and stalling/dying on me when i'm out in traffic.this is very dangerous and i certainly consider it a safety hazard.i finally went to the nhtsa website after the 2nd maf sensor (01/01) did not correct the problems. Service bulletins on thenhtsa indicate the same problems (stalling/dying out) are happeningin other contours.now, the ford service ctr. Is telling me that i need a duct and resonator assemby (part #f-6rz-9b659-ca) to correct the noise and stalling out problems that i was told the maf sensor would correct.evidently,the entire air intake system has a real problem in this contour. Please review and do a recall.
Consumer was driving and car stalls, dealer can't find the problem. Please describe .
It seems like when one thing started to short on my contour everything started to go...first the lights started going on and off then ..the a/c started shorting then it completely froze causing timing to jump and noew ..i'm told the car needs new computer ..it dies in middle of road the sensors are bad ...please help me regarding this matter ..
It seems like when one thing started to short on my contour everything started to go...first the lights started going on and off then ..the a/c started shorting then it completely froze causing timing to jump and noew ..i'm told the car needs new computer ..it dies in middle of road the sensors are bad ...please help me regarding this matter ..
Consumer took this vehicle in to be repaired under the recall 99s14 for an ignition switch, the vehicle was repaired, but now theirs is a problem withfront endvibrating very hard. The dealer has been contacted.
Ignition switch failed.
The ignition switch is in an operating condition to enable the ignition key to be pulled from the ignition switch with the engine still running.spoke to capistrano ford, stated car used and cost of repair: $200.00.
Ignitionfails to completely shutvehicle off when turned to off position, and the key is removed. Consumer stated that it also takes excessive effort to insert or remove key fromignition. Dealership has examinedvehicle, andwas going to replace ignition.
Consumer is able to pull key out of ignition in any gear.
Experienced intermittent failure of ignition switch, upon turning key, engine won't start, instead windshield wipers movedwithout engaging wiper switch.
Consumerbought vehicle in september. She went outside that morning to start it up her vehicle and she noticed a knocking noise comming from underneath the hood. The dealer replaced starterand water pump butproblem still exist.
My car was in the shop 5 times in one month - all electrical problems. Alternator, battery, starter, wiring harness, speed sensor and oxygen sensor were all changed.the ford dealership does not understand why i am having all these problems.it was also in a garage fire at the dealership in this time and i had smoke damage to my car on top of the engine problems.needless to say, i loss money on the trade in.this is the worse car i have ever owned and will never own another ford car or truck again.
There is a short within the electrical wires which melted,causing truck light wires to hang down, anddoor lightto work intermittently.
The contact owns a 1996 ford contour.one month ago, the contact discovered that there is a recall for her vehicle.she stated that the engine lights continue to illuminate while driving 40 mph, and a wiring repair was performed in the transmission.she also stated that the wiring harness was damaged by the heater blower.the vehicle was purchased in 2001 and the contact has been experiencing engine failure ever since.the engine size is not available. The current mileage is 110,000 and failure mileage was 90,000.
There is a defective switc/ panel & wire assembely parts components of the wiring panel. This causes problem with air conditioner, blower, etc. Will be taking vehicle to dealer to have electric component checked out.
Major harness & electrical wiring which is under recall that the ford dealership will not honor.
Intermittently transmission went in and out of overdrive by itself.when this failure occurred and the system failed to correct itself vehicle was taken to a dealership.dealer determined that an electrical malfunction affected the speed control sensor, and the sensor needed to be replaced.the electrical failure was caused bywiring harness plastic installation disintegrating and falling off.manufacturer issued an extended warranty on this part, but consumer's vehicle was over the warranty mileage.
My car was in the shop 5 times in one month - all electrical problems. Alternator, battery, starter, wiring harness, speed sensor and oxygen sensor were all changed.the ford dealership does not understand why i am having all these problems.it was also in a garage fire at the dealership in this time and i had smoke damage to my car on top of the engine problems.needless to say, i loss money on the trade in.this is the worse car i have ever owned and will never own another ford car or truck again.
Dt:consumer states that she has had problems with the electrical system.she has had the vehicle in to the mechanic several times and the mechanic called a local ford dealer and inquired on recalls on the vehicle.at that time they were told there were two recalls, 01i009000 and 01v230000.consumer called the customer service department at ford and was told the recall had expired and she would have to pay for the recall work.
Vehicle was parked and it caught on fire.the neighbor noticed that blinker was on, and suddenly there was a loud bang, assumed to be the battery.
The plastic insulation on the electrical wiring burned off, causing a short circuitin the heating system, heat remains on high. .et.
I paid to have thecar towed again to get a second opinion. While doing this i also did someresearchon theinternet and found that my car had a recall on theunder wire harnessbut that the recall had expired after 100,000 miles after seeing how many recalls where done on my car i realized that what genes evansford told me was that it would cost me $2500.00 to fix theunder wire harnessproblem. I obtained a second opinion whichconfirmed the wire harness, issue andford built the car., andgene evans ford knew nothing about therecalls!i want my car fixed! on april 28,2004 when i was not sure if my car had a problem i took it to gene evans ford for a diagnostic reading, the odometer read 95904 and on may3,2004 when the odometer read 96037,whichisconsiderably less than thestatute of limitations with regard to the electrical problem as well as the under wireharness recall,99m03, which is 100,000 miles or ten years. If the automotive technicianatford servicecould notelaborate that there was a recall that may cause problems . How was i to know? i continued to drivemy car,trusting ford's opinion on any concerns i may havehad. Thissituation hascostmeendlessdistress as well asfinancial setbacks, fixing problems that now i seewhererelated to onerecall or another .i have but one car,pay my premiums on timeand a clean driving record. I feel that thiscan happen to anyone and i am most dissatisfied , with the way gene evans ford has handled thismatter. I want my car fixed! or if need be replaced, with functioning non-defective parts, should my car get fixed i want all recalls on my car researched and fixed since the underwire harness was not the only recall i found on my car,and i want it all in writing!thanking you in advance for your careful consideration in this matter. My car is now completely dead. With no attempt at gene evans ford or dearborn michigan addressing my concerns.
Screw for driver side sunvisor fell off while vehicle was in motion, causing blocked vision totally. The driver side visor fell off twice.the second fall shorted electrical wires causing radio, clock and other components to fail.
The main electrical wires in the engine compartment are all peeling. The insulation of all the connectors are all dry rotted, causing numours odb codes to pop up. Because of the short in the wires.
Car has 168000 miles . My daughter just purchased it. 11/06 after checking over i found insulation on wires is rotted and falling off. I noticed some repairs have been attempted but still looks unsafe to operate because of possibility of fire .she now has a car she cant use and cant afford to repair.
Consumer experienced a series of electrical problems which resulted in a fire. All lights inside and outside went out except the headlamps. Also, fuses blew out too often and smoke came from the turn signal. Mechanic replacedthe turn signal and noticed that all other wires in the steering columnwere damaged. Dealership insisted thatif there was no extnded warranty they would not repair.
I bought a 1996 ford contour from and individual in july of this year.it ran well, for a few days, and then the od light kept coming on, and it felt like it was shifting into low. I kept mashing the button on the shift arm and the light would go out and then come back on this would go on for several days, then it would be ok for several days, just to start up all over again. Then i had the old changed in november and the would not stay cranked for me to get home. The wires under the hood are all flaking of there plastic covering. I assume this is why it will not stayed cranked. I can not drive it in this condition.
The wiring was damaged by corrosion which caused the abs light to malfunction, the alarm system to be defective, the heating system to work improperly, and the cigarette lighter to not work.
Dt:1996 ford contour.the contact states the wiring harnessfailed. The vehicle was inspected, and this was how they found the problem.recall 01v230000 was issued,but this vehicle was not included.there has been nothing done to correct this problem.the contact stated it will cost $1700 to fix it. This problem was discovered approximately a year ago.there has not been a fire yet, but this could bethe consequenceofthe recall.updated 11/16/2005.
The front end of vehicle shakes and rattles when slowing down..the smell of burning wires are present when ac and heaters are utilized.very dangerous if you live in cold climate area. Could cause injury or even death during wintermonths. Ford should do a safety recall on all engine, internal wiring harness, and fix rotors.
This problem started way back at the date below and i could not get ford to fix this problem so i have been attempting to keep the car running by electrical taping the exposing wires. I wonder why amercian made vehicles are loosing to foreign companies... Self explanatory i think. No pride in the american worker. Just do the job and make living. Complaint is ford contour gl engine wiring harnesses severely deteriorating. I work with electrical wiring on aircraft daily and have never seen wiring like this. I've worked in areas where aircraft wiring go through severe temperature changes, high humidity, and sea spray to name a few. No aircraft that i've worked on has had wiring like this. Transportation such as aircraft don't or should say cannot have wiring like this why can cars? obvious safety hazard for car owners around the country, car fails from wiring in the middle of rush hour traffic and what happens to the owner and possible other innocent drivers around them? this incident i believe requires immediate action. As i stated i am currently using electrical tape to attempt to keep the wires from touching and causing a fire or damage to other engine components. Currently chasing air conditioning, engine fan, and fuel injector problems with this wiring. A vehicles wiring should never become this brittle. This goes to prove why ford is closing plants and nissan and toyota are on top of the automotive sales. Think about it ford, trying to get by with cheap stuff and see where you are now, verge of bankruptcy.
About 2-3 months after i had my car i tried to trade it in for another car because of the deffects on it, but the dealer would not help me out then. Is there anything i can do about it now? no safety defect listed in the summary.
There are too many problems with our car to write down. Please contact us.
What exactly are they recalling on the 1996-1998 ford contour? is it the whole car or just the electric system? is that considered the wiring harness? the reason we're so interested is because we've had many major problems with our 1996 ford contour. We sent our car to the ford of ocala,fl for the wiring harness recall, and they gave us a very hard time about fixing it. They were trying to get us to replace parts that weren't even bad, at the cost of $400.00 for one part. But then they said there was a whole list of things that were wrong with it, and after they fixed each of these parts, if our car still didn't start, then they'd get to fixing the wiring harness.we had 2 mechanics check these parts and they weren't bad at all. It took them 2 and a half weeks before they gave us our car back.then when we got it back, we had to take it to our regular mechanic who said they wired it wrong, and left the wiring to the air-conditioning and the alternator undone. That was 2 months ago, and we just had to replace our alternator. The mechanic that fixed the alternator said they did a lousyjob, because half the wiring wasn't even done right. There is wiring in our car that is bare, and he said it could cause our car to catch on fire. Also, the wiring leading to the alternator is bare, which he said most likely shorted out the alternator. So now we need to have the wiring redone, and all of this has cost us hundreds of dollars. This car is the worst car ever made, we've had nothing but problems with it from the day we gotit! we had the air fixed, and after they did the recall, the air no longer worked anymore. Also, after they worked on the recall, there are many wires that are still cracked and brittle, and left bare. The wiring to the battery is completely bare, also, and we've had to replace the battery 3 times since we've had the car. The seatbelt locks upwhile driving where it is so tight i can't move at all.we're afraid it will catch fire! also more problems!
The problem started on the incident date, wire problem cause the entire fan/ac/heater panel so no longer work, the wire got so hot hot it melted our under-dash fuse box, we went for 9 months and a baby with no a/c in hot and no heat in the cold, husband(josh murphy) went to junk yard after being turned away by dealership and got replacement parts off an identical car.that was in june of 2005. On that date we saw that all of the wires under the hood were severely cracked and damaged after eltrcial taping a few of the exposed wired there became a short that now cuases a computer problem and a loss of power then trying to accelerate anf pull into traffic, or just anytime it wants to. The over-drive light comes on and transmission starts to get really jerky and the odometer and everything else in the panal starts to malfunction, most of the time we dont even know how fast we are going or how many miles we have gone. We have a 18 month old and a new baby due in just weeks and i am scared that one time when i go to pull out the car just isnt going to go at all and we might get hit by someone, o and sometimes it just turns itself off in traffic too. The deaalership tell me that all of those wires were replaced in 2000 but they should have made it longer that 4 years without degenerating again. The local dealership also tells me that i would have to just pay for the work and being a new family we cannot afford something like that, especially since it was a recall item at one time. Please therehas to be something done about this, i know we are not the only 96 ford contour owners with this exact problem either.
Vehicle had no power causingconsumer to purchase a new battery. Vehicle wouldn't work withnew battery becauseconsumer noticedwires were not attached. Dealerstated " fordhas a program which is 10 year or 100,000 miles, but canonly be fixed if a problem occurs." consumers is responsible for the cost ofrepairs.
What exactly are they recalling on the 1996-1998 ford contour? is it the whole car or just the electric system? is that considered the wiring harness? the reason we're so interested is because we've had many major problems with our 1996 ford contour. We sent our car to the ford of ocala,fl for the wiring harness recall, and they gave us a very hard time about fixing it. They were trying to get us to replace parts that weren't even bad, at the cost of $400.00 for one part. But then they said there was a whole list of things that were wrong with it, and after they fixed each of these parts, if our car still didn't start, then they'd get to fixing the wiring harness.we had 2 mechanics check these parts and they weren't bad at all. It took them 2 and a half weeks before they gave us our car back.then when we got it back, we had to take it to our regular mechanic who said they wired it wrong, and left the wiring to the air-conditioning and the alternator undone. That was 2 months ago, and we just had to replace our alternator. The mechanic that fixed the alternator said they did a lousyjob, because half the wiring wasn't even done right. There is wiring in our car that is bare, and he said it could cause our car to catch on fire. Also, the wiring leading to the alternator is bare, which he said most likely shorted out the alternator. So now we need to have the wiring redone, and all of this has cost us hundreds of dollars. This car is the worst car ever made, we've had nothing but problems with it from the day we gotit! we had the air fixed, and after they did the recall, the air no longer worked anymore. Also, after they worked on the recall, there are many wires that are still cracked and brittle, and left bare. The wiring to the battery is completely bare, also, and we've had to replace the battery 3 times since we've had the car. The seatbelt locks upwhile driving where it is so tight i can't move at all.we're afraid it will catch fire! also more problems!
Electrical wiring harness failed, causing tail lights/interior lights, and parking lights to go out.had it fixed for $181.90 3/23/99 as of 7/2/99 dealer says he has no informationon recall.
This car is a lemon - it is not safe.
A failure inwiring harness resulted in wires overheating, damagingwiring harness.ford customer relations are neglecting service based on a letter from them with a mileage restriction of 100,000 miles.please describe details.
There are too many problems with our car to write down. Please contact us.
Engine check light coming on.took to kinsel ford in june 2001...told catalytic converter going out.engine light went off...started coming on again and car had alot of exhaust and running rough. Took to silsbee ford and was told that the engine was out due to the engine cooling fan not coming on like it was suppose to so it also fried the wires.ford is willing to pay for parts but refuses to pay for labor due to the fact that they say it was out of the 100,000 warrenty for the repair. I explained that the problem was going on when i brought it in injune and they didn't correct it then, according to the check out sheet they didn't even check it for that andi specifically asked for that recall to be checked. I had even been in in march of 2000 for the check engine light coming on.i was told by ford that my car had no recall for the engine and engine cooling fan.just extremely upset that you can have a recall, take your car in and it not be checked for it and when it goes out due to the recall that the company penalizes the consumer.
Recalls 99v103000/99s14/99m03/99m04, and 99m07:all of these recalls have not been remedied. Dealer dobbs ford, 2515 mt moriah, memphis, tn 38115 901-367-4976, had no parts available.please provide further information.
Consumer had just parked car and turn it off andheard a popping noise. Then, 10 to 15 minutes later,consumer saw smoke and fire coming from engine. Called fire department.
Consumer took vehicle to the dealer, and had the mechanic look underneath the hood.vehicle was melting inside due to this problem.she had no air condition or heat.
I have previously had problems with this vehicle and have taken it more than eight different times to be service and problem still has not been resolved even after having engine replaced i am having some of the same problems. Car has been serviced on a regular basis and still it has problems.e ..
Battery not able to hold the current. Also, headlights and interior lights are not working.
The car has less than 5,000 miles . The cigarette lighter/accessory outlet developed a short with fuse blowout . The interior lever to the left of the driver's seat does not function to open the outside lid covering the gas cap . The car is in almost new condition with less than 5,000 miles since 1996 . Car is also in for mandatory recall servicing due to notice from ford .have there been other complaints about shorting in the cigarette lighter/accessory outlet system ? have there been other complaints about the interior gas cap lid lever not functioning ? i am being charged for the repair of these items . I wonder whether there was a basic design deficiency that led to such malfunctioning after less than 5,000 miles .
When making sharp turns in either direction, horn will sound on its own. Consumer has disconnected fuse. Jlg
It seems like when one thing started to short on my contour everything started to go...first the lights started going on and off then ..the a/c started shorting then it completely froze causing timing to jump and noew ..i'm told the car needs new computer ..it dies in middle of road the sensors are bad ...please help me regarding this matter ..
Consumer was driving vehicle on the highway when the instrument and tail lights went out. Learned that the switch was burnt out and needed to replace the electrical harness & switch.
Pe98063, the headlights and tail lights malfuctioned, which caused the lights to go on and off.thismay cause visual difficulty, and may result inan accident.dealer replaced headlights, butproblem is reoccurring.eadelr did determine an "electrical problem".please provide further information.
Vehicle was taken in for recall # 99 v 103 000 for the head lights.headlights and wiring harness were replaced.a month later , headlights and tail lights and all dash lights went out.please provide any further information.
The fuse keeps blowing out. This causes the air conditionernot work. Took to dealer. Vehicle failed to start & needed a jump.informed battery was needed.
Headlights and dashlights did not work when switch was turned on. Dealer contacted, and stated the headlight switch was burnt out, wires and the connector were all burnt out also, vehcile should not be driven due to a fire hazard.
While driving tail lights andinstrument panel lights went out. Dealer was notified about the problem. The problem was corrected at owner's expense.problem due to water condensation in the fuse box.*ml
Whenever starting vehicle or even driving electrical system would start acting up.windshield wipers would go on by themselves,have not been turned on. Lights, interior & exterior, would go out.ignition will not startvehicle sometimes.also,would hear a clicking noise. Did not have a battery problems.heater blower failed to work. No recalls on vehicle for electrical problems.
Consumer experienced a series of electrical problems which resulted in a fire. All lights inside and outside went out except the headlamps. Also, fuses blew out too often and smoke came from the turn signal. Mechanic replacedthe turn signal and noticed that all other wires in the steering columnwere damaged. Dealership insisted thatif there was no extnded warranty they would not repair.
It seems like when one thing started to short on my contour everything started to go...first the lights started going on and off then ..the a/c started shorting then it completely froze causing timing to jump and noew ..i'm told the car needs new computer ..it dies in middle of road the sensors are bad ...please help me regarding this matter ..
While driving headlights/ tail lights,and dash lightscompletely stopped working, there was no warning. Took vehicle to dealer. Also,vehicle has had three alternators within three months. Problem has not been remedied as of yet. Please provide any further information.
Consumer contacted dealer in reference to recall 99v103000/ manufacturer's recall 99s14 concerning headlights.dealer corrected the problem prior to the recall. Consumer received a refund. Currently,consumer is having the same problemasstated in the recall,dealer refuses to correct the problem. Please provide any further details.
Tail lights along with the interior lights do not work. Dealer has been contacted.
While driving with headlights ontail lights and dashboard lights went out without a prior warning.dealer had been contacted,andcause could not be found.
Whenever i turn on the heater, a/c, defrost, or fan my abs light turns on and my brakes are spongy. I have lost all brakes on two occasions when the abs light came on. When my car sits for a weekend, the battery dies. Installed a new battery, still dies. Ford cannot find a cause for either problem. I have taken my car in to have the wiring harness changed for the lights, those went out. Also, my a/c fuse had caught fire, whole fuse box and blower was replaced.
Recall 99v103000. Remedy did not correctproblem. While vehicle was being driven instrument panel andtail lights completely went out.please give any further details.
I own a 1996 ford contour [xxx] that the instrument panel lights and tail lights went out on.there was a recall on this item (recall 99s14) back in 1999.upon bringing the car into an brookdale ford (brooklyn center, mn), they told me that they would fix the problem free of charge because it did not apply to my vehicle.i then called ford motor company customer relationship center.they told me that the problem was already fixed on my car (even though i never brought the car in for this service).they refused to help.even if the recall was fixed on my car, the fact that the same two parts of my car (instrument panel and tail lights) failed, tells me that the recall repair was not done correctly.information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)
Ford fixed blower switch and resister under warranty years ago.do i need to be concerned about the recall?i think it's all fixed.
Wiring harness failure caused short in electrical system.
Vehicle was taken in for recall # 99 v 103 000 for the head lights.headlights and wiring harness were replaced.a month later , headlights and tail lights and all dash lights went out.please provide any further information.
Smoke came out of the dashboard .
An electrical short under the dash caused headlights to become inoperable,also resultingin damages to the electrical wiring harness. Cause unknown.
Headlight switch and mount failed/burned up/lights won't turn off/on, needed replacing, dashboard components always run hot; fuel door lever inside car doesn't work reliably & door sticks; egr hose failed, took ford 1.5 weeks to get one in, no guidelines re: this hose ever needing replaced, & it costs $93??!?!
Consumerwas traveling onhighwayand vehicle started smoking blue smoke.then,vehicle caught on firedashboard was badly burned.no injuries.
Ford need to replace this car with a safe one! come on 6 electrical failures? when will the fire start from the failures?..dateline nbc next!
Consumer complained about a mass air flow sensor problem. Owner took the vehicle to the dealer to have the work done. Also,owner was informed that the wire harness under the hood was defective.
I have previously had problems with this vehicle and have taken it more than eight different times to be service and problem still has not been resolved even after having engine replaced i am having some of the same problems. Car has been serviced on a regular basis and still it has problems.e ..
While driving instrument panel flickered on and off, andvehicle stalled unexpectedly which couldhave caused a crash.the occupant was not able to restart the vehicle.dealer has not yet looked atvehicle.please provide further information.
My car was recalled in 2001. The past 6 mo my electrical system smells like its burning or something melting. Almost like its going to catch on fire
I purchased a used 1996 ford contour for my granddaughter and after a few days the check engine light came on. My mechanic diagnosed the problem and fixed it. A few miles down the road it came back on. After further diagnostics it was found that theengine wiring harness was bad. The insulation on the wires was flaking off and in one spot the wire bundle covering had melted. Research on line showed that ford had a recall on this problem (99m03) and extended the recall for 10 years. In an attempt to repair the problem with a different wiring harness has proved to be a loosing battle i contacted ford and they said that they no longer build this part and that they had no parts in stock throughout the usa. I tried salvage yards and there are no good parts out there. How can a used car lot sell cars without looking into safety recalls on the vehicles. I have no recourse but to junk the car and take a $3000 loss. Is there any help out there?
Temperature gauge constantly shows vehicle is overheating, when in fact it is not.
The engine head gasket failed causing the engine to stop working.*nlm
This car has less than 70000 miles on it. We had trouble with the fuel door, front wheel bearings, brakes, door handles, transmission, electric windows, and now as a special treat the engine failed. This car has been the worst investment that my wife and i have ever made. I have have owned several cars and trucks with 200000 plus miles on them and none of them have ever been as problematic as this automobile.
My newest problem that i have with the car now is it stalls at red lights and doesnt start for 45 minute to an hour. I took it to 3 garages already and they can't find the problem.
I bought a 1996 ford contour se in june of 2003.i have since replaced the water pump 4 times.i bought the car from a man who blew the engine becuase the water pump went and he let the car over heat.i have replaced it in oct.2003,february 2004,june 2004,and dec.2004.it is really started to becomea burden.
When driving vehicle stalled out and overheated without prior warning, causingengine to burn up. Consumer has contacted the dealer. Consumer states her problem was exactly what recall 00v367 was for.
Engine failure while accelerating in a passing zone.
The engine cooling fan broke prior to recall notice 00v-367 causing the vehicle to overheat, the consumer had to have a new engine installed, consumer requests reimbursement.nlm
With a/c off the temperature gauge malfunctioned, needle constantly fluctuated.
Asked dealership to perform recall 00v-367000 and they said ford has no such recall.
No summary listed for this vehicle.
When the water pump failed th head gasket also failed . And possibly a cracked cylinder head.
Consumer was driving andengine overheated without prior warning. Vehicle was blowing out blue smoke and making clunknig noises.
Cooling system failed at low mileage for no reason. I was informed by a friend that he was told by a car dealership that there was a "silent recall" on the cooling system and head gasket, when i called they denied it. Water pump,timing belt,serpentine belt, thermostat, sw 5030 switch, dy719 switch, frr2 relay and pressure test cooling system and inspection where done. I had all parts replaced with new ford parts at non-ford repair station due to williams ford bad service and reputation of not fixing cars properly and over charging. I feel that williams ford should be investgated on how they run the matiance department, myself and people i have meet have had nothing but problems.
The water pump impeller failed. The impeller is made of plastic and it developed cracks. The result was overheating. A water pump failure at 42k miles is unacceptable. Other contour owners had this problem and there should be a recall.
While driving engine overheated. Then, took vehicle to dealer. Dealer found out that problem was withwater pumpthat malfuntioned, and causedoverheating.the empellor fell apart causing the engine to over heat.
While driving 65 mph, engine went from normal to red hot in temperature.vehicle was towed to dealership and found plastic water pump fan had broken into pieces.
Wiring tocooling system melted. Also,each time consumer takes vehicleto dealer she is told that nothing is wrong with vehicle.
Consumerbought vehicle in september. She went outside that morning to start it up her vehicle and she noticed a knocking noise comming from underneath the hood. The dealer replaced starterand water pump butproblem still exist.
No summary listed for above vehicle.
Engine check light is on and there is a burning smell within the vehicle.also, all the lights on the dashboardaren't working, and the water pump had to be replaced. *al
Engine overheated with no warning left us stranded in memphis, tn in ice storm, ruined engine.had to replace engine, dealership could not tell us why this happened.the engine contained water and oil at the time.
Plastic impeller disinigrated inside water pump>no indication previously at weep hole>ford charges $350 to replace after just being there 2 days earlier for timing belt replacement.
Engine ran out of coolant fluids.dealershipwas aware ofproblrm.
Water pump failure @ 78000 miles - report early failure.
The original water pump on this engine has a plastic impeller which is prone to failure. I have talked to several owners of this same car who experienced this identical problem. I believe the water pump design is defective.
Water pump impeller broke into two pieces imeediately paralizing the entire engine cooling system. This defect, to the best of my knowledge is common for ford contours equipped with 2.5l v6 duratec engines. Although not directly related to passenger safety in the traditional sense, this defect is potentially very dangerous. I think ford should recall the part given the number of failures.
No summary listed for above vehicle.
Cooling system failed at low mileage for no reason. I was informed by a friend that he was told by a car dealership that there was a "silent recall" on the cooling system and head gasket, when i called they denied it. Water pump,timing belt,serpentine belt, thermostat, sw 5030 switch, dy719 switch, frr2 relay and pressure test cooling system and inspection where done. I had all parts replaced with new ford parts at non-ford repair station due to williams ford bad service and reputation of not fixing cars properly and over charging. I feel that williams ford should be investgated on how they run the matiance department, myself and people i have meet have had nothing but problems.
Each incident has been with the engine, the dealership attempts to fix one problem and another engine problem begins. My car has been in repair for the fifth time in four of the five months that i have had the car. I've been driving a rental car three,almost four weeks now. Because of these problems with the engine. What can i do?
While driving, engine overheated, dealer stated that vehicle is not covered under manufacturer's recall due to vin, consumer feels this vehicle should be included.
While driving at highway speeds the frost plug released, causing anti- freezeto spill andvehicle to stall out and die.there was not indication that the engine was overheating.dealer and manufacturer have been notified.
Vehicle not included in recall number 00v367000. Overheating of engine cooling fan due to excessive current.please give any further details.
The consumer stated thatwhile drivingthe cooling fan seized.this caused the electrical componentsto melt and result in a fire.the consumer saw the recall on the internet but later found out thevehicle was not included in the recall due to the vin.the consumer fells the scope of the recall should be expanded. *ph *nlm
Right rear light continued to go out. Replace bulb few times. Right wheel bearing had to be replaced. Major fan belt replaced. Alternator replaced. Light on radio goes off when head lights turned on. This happened after they fixed my recall for lights. Gas cap cover is very hard to open. Takes several times to try and open. When air is on smells come through really strong from other cars. Owner notification recalls are not taken care of until they actually happen. These are coil can break and car go down blow out tires. Also electrical harness can break and wires will connect with other parts of the car and cause a fire. I have sent a letter to the president of ford and explained how i felt this car was unsafe and if anything happened to me or my family they would be held responsible. I never received a response from anyone. They should be made to take back all contours and give us a safer car for us and our families to drive. I am a single parent and cannot afford to finance another car. They need to provide a loan and new car for us. I will be contacting ford again in the near future to see if they will help with taking my car back and giving me another car/loan. As i told them in the letter they just wanted to sell and make money they didn't think of the family and or families that this car as it fell apart would effect. I appreciate that you have this web site that i can voice my concerns,problems with the ford and feel someone may pay attention before someone is hurt in these cars as have been many with the tire situation. I will help you in any way i can to clear up all of these problems. I keep the letter i sent ford in my car in case something happens someone will be able to read it and know i did try to get this problem dissolved before it was to late. Thank you so much for your help. Debbie jennings hewitt
Cooling fan remains on at all times.
Engine check light coming on.took to kinsel ford in june 2001...told catalytic converter going out.engine light went off...started coming on again and car had alot of exhaust and running rough. Took to silsbee ford and was told that the engine was out due to the engine cooling fan not coming on like it was suppose to so it also fried the wires.ford is willing to pay for parts but refuses to pay for labor due to the fact that they say it was out of the 100,000 warrenty for the repair. I explained that the problem was going on when i brought it in injune and they didn't correct it then, according to the check out sheet they didn't even check it for that andi specifically asked for that recall to be checked. I had even been in in march of 2000 for the check engine light coming on.i was told by ford that my car had no recall for the engine and engine cooling fan.just extremely upset that you can have a recall, take your car in and it not be checked for it and when it goes out due to the recall that the company penalizes the consumer.
Vehicle was serviced for recall 00v367000/ manufacturer's recall 00s44concerningengine cooling fan.aftervehicle was picked up, same day, consumer foundair conditionerand heater were not working. Onlydefroster worked.dealer openedhood and stated nothing was done to affect air conditioningunit/heater.advised consumer to call back next week to speak to service manager.
The consumers vehicle experienced symptoms of nhtsa recall # 01-v-230-000 which was related to the rough surface of the heater blower resistor's stainless steel blades.the consumers vehicle was not included in the recall due to vin.*nlm
Wires from the cooling fan are melting together and causing engine to overheat. Dealer notified.
When driving consumer smelled something burning.dealer saidengine cooling fan neededto be replaced. There is a recall 00v367000, but this vehicle is not affected due to vin.
The motor froze after overheating. The reason for the failure was the heater hose rubbed against an electrical connector at the location near the firewall. There is no sleeve on this hose to protect it as other hoses are protected. Over time it had worn a hole in the hose and the marjorty of the coolent leaked out and the speed that i was traveling i could not tell the car was overheating because of the relative speed that i was traveling.i never saw the vehicle overheat and it blew the motor while i was going down the highway. My car is out of warranty, but i wanted to let other know there is a potential hazard with the motor freezing up and ofcourse it is too late.my motor started to cough, that was the only indication that there was a problem.
Theromstat is causing the car to overheat.
Oil filter loose causing fumes to enter vehicle.
Pistons and rings were both shot in the motor, but the motor had oil and full compression.
Car stalls when parallel parking, especially in reverse, or when parking slopes.car stalled when starting up from red light in center city philadelphia intersections.headlamps out of alignment (don't shine down onto road, beams not centered).air bag light on control panels blinks sporadically, frequently; anxiety that air bag will deploy while driving.dealer comment on stalling:"probably something stupid" and wasn't able to fix problem, mentioned something about a vacuum tube.dealer charged $95 to tell me that the memory in the vehicle didn't give any codes for the stalling or air bag problems, then added that the memory is wiped clean every time the car is turned off.question:if they know that about the car in the first place, why charge the customer for a pointless diagnostic?headlights still out of alignment after having been "adjusted" by dealer in january 2005.
The car overheated severly while on the freeway, i had it towed and spent 2 weeks at 2 different automotive companies (including the ford dealership in burien, wa) trying to get it fix before discovering it had cracked the block of the engine.i spent about $1,300 and had to salvage the car.is there a possible way to get some compensation back from ford?i have all my paper work since i bought the car.thank you for any help.gail bowman
Consume r was traveling about 65mph onhighway and heard a clunking noise.there was no prior warning light at all. Vehicle had to be towed. Mechanic toldconsumer thatengine head gasket had blown out.
When the water pump failed th head gasket also failed . And possibly a cracked cylinder head.
Problems with the engine light coming on and the servicing dept at the ford dealer and other auto servicing center could not figure out why to this day it is on.at one time the entire interior lights and rear brakes lights went out. It currently shut its self off ( stalls) and get hot. The engine sounds revved up and shortly after the ac unit went out.everything has been checked out/ the alternator was replaced the crankshaft was replaced some wiring had to be replaced all the fluids are where they should be and it still stalls and overheats for no reason. Both front windows electrical motors have gone out.
Paper gasket is causing oil leaks which could cause the engine to blow. Manufacturer has redesigned the paper gasket to a metal gasket.
Head gasket and engine failure on my 1996 ford contour at 64,000 miles. The car was well taken care of and it happened while i was in a passing zone and the car failed to accelerate. From what i can see over the internet, this is an on-going problem with ford.
Also the timing belt is broken and there's nothing on owner's guide that tells you to change timing belt after 60,000 miles. Engine light on after one month of buying this caricall the dealer made appointments few times but the problem never went away,few times i had to pay for them to check on the way home the light is back on , i call them back and ask what's the problem , what's thepurpose of metaking a day off to bring the car to be fix and the problem still exist., their remark was there's 23 sensor and they could'nt tell which one it was. Now i'm stuck paying 1 1/2 yrs on a car that i don't have , still have to came up with money to get a new engine in which i don't have , bumping ride to and from work, cancel all my appts.and begging people for rides so i can pick up kids from school and food shopping, i can't take the kids todo anything because i have no carthat's not fare. Thank-you for all your help ,thank-you again.
This engine situation was intractable because the ford bulletin advises that head gasket removal warrants replacement, therefore even ford technicians have to ?!@#$% foot around to see if the problem is elsewhere rather than going right to the source.i borrowed $10,000 to finish school this year and much of that money was spent on this car.it destroyed my academic year and i barely graduated thanks to this major headache.the was only at 49,000 miles when it finally went caput.when the engine was disassembled it was totally warped and blown.i bought a ford rebuilt engine because i couldn't afford the extra $700 for a jasper rebuilt engine... See they rebuild the same engine and make a 7 year 100,000 warranty on the rebuilt engine because they use a graphite head gasket and make other improvements that ford doesn't make.ford not only sells their weaker rebuilt engines but only put a 1 year 12,000 mile warranty on it.well, i'm broke and it's totally ford's fault.
Transmission/torque converter, andengine valve failure.
Engine head gaskets has blown out.dealer has been notified.
I bought it on 07/01/04. On 07/02/04 my on was driving it, and couple of times, whem he stopped on stop signed, the car wouldn't start. Eventually, in the evening, there was white thick smoke coming from under the hood and car was stopped. I called the dealership and they towed it to the mechanic shop. It happened that there was no oil and coolant and endine has gone bad. The dealer refused to pay completely for the repair, and we split it 20/80% where i'm to pay 80%. It's been 2 weeks and car is still in shop. I didn't buy it to sit in shop. Is there a way to correct the situation somehow?
Vehicle stalls intermittently due to faulty calibration processor.
Consumerbought vehicle in september. She went outside that morning to start it up her vehicle and she noticed a knocking noise comming from underneath the hood. The dealer replaced starterand water pump butproblem still exist.
Was traveling on highway 70mph without prior warning alllights came on the dashboard andthere wasa clicking noise . Vehicle had to be towed todealership.
Gaskets and oil pump failed resulting in oil leaks.
Consumer smelled burning oil while driving, pulled over and noticed oil dripping from the engine onto the catalytic converter system which is causing the system to smoke.
Loss of power steering fluiddue to improperly installed clamps during oil pump replacement.
Upon parking, moments later driver was alerted that vehicle had caught fire in engine compartment, fire dept suspected explosion in oil crankcase.
The battery light comes on, it will dim down while the consumer is driving and then the engine will quit,the dealer replaced a faulty cable from the alternator to the junction block, could possibly be an engine problem instead of electrical because now the engine light stays illuminated.
Vehicle hesitates upon acceleration.
Intermittent stalling/doesn't start right up. After starting, the vehicle runs roughly for 10-15 seconds, then stalls.
No summary provided by consumer
Consumer has had numerous problems with the 1996 ford contour.*mrthere has been so many recalls on consumer's vehicle that she wasn't aware of because the manufacturer never sent notices.since then consumer has been paying for entire full price and is asking for reimbursement.however, the biggest problem with the vehicle is the gas fumes which is leaking therefore leaving poisonous carbon monoxide fumes coming in through the heater vents.these harsh chemicals are damaging to the lungs, brain, respiratory system and its making consumer very tired among other symptoms.
When driving vehicle stalled out and overheated without prior warning, causingengine to burn up. Consumer has contacted the dealer. Consumer states her problem was exactly what recall 00v367 was for.
Smoke is coming out of the vehicle, and oil is leaking. Also,knocking sound is being heard. Oil is in the coolant,and coming outfrom the tail pipe.the engine needsto be replaced.vehicle is being towed to a dealer.
Without warning engine check light came oncausing vehicle tostart to knock and make alot of noise. Prior to this incident, vehicle was takento dealer to be checkedfor excessive use of oil.
The consumer states that the vehicle is stalling intermittently. Thedealer has been notified. Nlm
No comment. No safety defect.
This is a leased car.i take good care of it, bringing it to a mechanic every three months for a "check up"there were no warning signs.the car simply stopped.i had it towed to a shop and now it is costing me $ 3000.00 to fix the transmission.i called ford and besides being nasty and rude, was told that there was nothing they could "do". No warning lights, nothing.just a dead car.my mechanic is having a very difficult time finding parts to replace the transmission. I am very angry!
Engine failed, causing smoke.
Engine consistently overheating.
Engine check light coming on.took to kinsel ford in june 2001...told catalytic converter going out.engine light went off...started coming on again and car had alot of exhaust and running rough. Took to silsbee ford and was told that the engine was out due to the engine cooling fan not coming on like it was suppose to so it also fried the wires.ford is willing to pay for parts but refuses to pay for labor due to the fact that they say it was out of the 100,000 warrenty for the repair. I explained that the problem was going on when i brought it in injune and they didn't correct it then, according to the check out sheet they didn't even check it for that andi specifically asked for that recall to be checked. I had even been in in march of 2000 for the check engine light coming on.i was told by ford that my car had no recall for the engine and engine cooling fan.just extremely upset that you can have a recall, take your car in and it not be checked for it and when it goes out due to the recall that the company penalizes the consumer.
While driving, the engine shuts down, causing car to lose power.please describe.
Occasionally, when the vehicle rolls through a puddle, the steering will fail and the battery light will appear, with the engine almost stalling. This has happened with the car going as fast as 35 mph and as slow as 5 mph. The problem has been reported to the dealer on several occasions, and the dealer has reportedly contacted the manufacturer regarding this particular problem. Additionally, the first time the vehicle was taken back to the dealer to report the problem, the service personnel was aware that the problem existed with the specific model. After repeated returns to the dealer (at least three separate complaints), the dealer informed us that the problem was fixed and that the car was even "driven through several puddles" without any steering failure. The last time the vehicle was taken in was approximately august, 1999. The warranty has since expired, and the dealer says that it is our responsibility to pay to have the problem fixed. Unfortunately, we have taken the car back several times, and the problem still exists. On 02/13/00, the vehicle again experienced steering failure.
Loss of power while traveling.problem have occurred on several occasions,and been in / out of dealer's shop on several occasions,and still unable to find causeor duplicate the problem. Please provide any further details.
Upon slightly wet surface or possible oil driver applied brakes slightly, he lost control,hitting curb w/cause unknown, resultin gin an accident/injury.
Consumer was driving and car stalls, dealer can't find the problem. Please describe .
Each incident has been with the engine, the dealership attempts to fix one problem and another engine problem begins. My car has been in repair for the fifth time in four of the five months that i have had the car. I've been driving a rental car three,almost four weeks now. Because of these problems with the engine. What can i do?
Ever since buying our 1996 2.5l contour in aug. Of 1999 we have had nothing but problems out of it. Our first problem we experienced was a loud howling coming from the engine compartment, later to discover the factory installed mass air flow intake hose kit had been revised thus leaving us to have to purchase the new at a total price of$97.00 dollarsto fix the problem. Shortly after getting this one problem fixed another arose. This time both the check engine light and cooling system lights are on continuosly despite having proper fluid levels. Along with the other problems every time the car is started in the morning or any time the engine is cold it idles roughly for about 20 seconds and then quits and no one can explain this weird phenomena but is sure seems to happen to the majority of these cars. Needless to say with ford's lack of attention to these matters not just mine but all of them this will be my last auto bearing the ford name.
No summary provided byconsumer( dot number: ??? tire size: ??? )
Engine problems causing vehicle to stop while in process.
While driving the vehicle at 50 mph engine stall. Dealer has been notified. Please provide further information as per conversation. Mr
When traveling at any speed the vehicle cuts off without prior warning, causing loss of all power.in addition, the steering wheel shakes when traveling over 60 mph, resulting in poor steering control. Consumer has contacted the dealer, dealer unable to determine the cause. Please provide any further details.
Engine idles rough, hesitates on take off and occasionally stalls.
Vehicle got hot when it came to complete stop.if consumershifted gear into reverse and applied gas pedal,vehicle would turn off. Vehicle turned on and off intermittently. Vehicle doesn't turn off if the vehicle is cold.
Consumer took car in for 4th recall repairs. This one was for the engine wires. Dealer fixed problem. Consumer picked up car, andon that same eveningengine checklight came on. Took in vehicle for service, andspeedometer stopped working. Couldn't tell how fast car was going. Also overdrive light started to blink on/off.
Vehicle stopped abruptly while in middle of traffic, consumer sent copies of bills to dealer, but no response, consumer is requesting reimbursement.
No summary listed for above vehicle.
Vehicle stallsand dies ant various speeds without warning.also,engine checklight stays on. Vehicle is able to be started immediately after it dies. Dealer has inspected vehicle , andwas not able to duplicate problem.manufacturer has been notified.
Engine piston and valve fractured under normal drivin, causing vehicle to seize without any prior warning.
While traveling vehicle stalled without any indications.as a result,wheels locked up. Please provide further information.
While driving the car began to malfunction and then cut off , when vehicle cut off,driver lost control because the wheels locked up.
Vehicle stopped abruptly while in middle of traffic, consumer sent copies of bills to dealer, but no response, consumer is requesting reimbursement.
The vehicle stalls.
Intermittent stalling.
Vehicle engine omits fumes.
I have had multiple problems w/ my 96 ford contour since i bought it 2/23/96. I have had it in for service multiple times, and i get told it's covered under warranty why worry about it. The srv.mngr.at my dealer supposedly talked to a "tony" at ford & told him to tell me as long as it's covered under warranty i shouldn't complain it is no money out of my pocket. That is unsatisfactory -i believe my car to be a defect in that years line of contours & i would like something done about these problems. My car runs worse than any used car i have ever owned! all i ever wanted done was to rectify the situation,they could have easily replaced my car with one similiar to that year & model & i would have been happy. I really would like a response to this matter. I am to the point where i will contact a lawyer to seek help dealing with ford & kennedy ford , if i can not get a fair & aggreeable outcome to this situation.thank you.
I have previously had problems with this vehicle and have taken it more than eight different times to be service and problem still has not been resolved even after having engine replaced i am having some of the same problems. Car has been serviced on a regular basis and still it has problems.e ..
Engine keeps overheating and causing smoke underhood when driving. Consumer has taken vehicle into ford on three different occasions, andford claimed that they repairedproblem.
Problem appears to be electrical, change alternator-and this is not problem.dt
Dealer unable to fix hesatation- then when supposedly repaired vibration occurred
While driving, the engine shuts down, causing car to lose power.please describe.
Engine hesitation and stalling continually.
Stalls out if you take your foot off the gas, surges between 1-4 rmps, engine light is on, all started after i had the heater blower switch replaced.
No summary provided by consumer
While driving, vehicle overheated, consumer stopped to add anti-freeze, a little while later vehicle began to make noises and came to a complete stop, vehicle had caught on fire.ohio traffic crash report.
Possible engine failure resulted in vehicle fire.(ohio traffic crash report)*mjs
Vehicle continually shuts down during operation, unable to determine failure. Mjs
Gaskets and oil pump failed resulting in oil leaks.
I have previously had problems with this vehicle and have taken it more than eight different times to be service and problem still has not been resolved.
The engine makes squeaking sounds when starting. The dealer replaced serpentine belt to correct the problem.
Consumer was driving approximately 55mph, noticed smells of burning rubber, and experiencedpower failure at the same time,city garage #10 said the wiring harness for the alternator was bad, causing a short repaired the wiring and replaced the alternator with a rebuilt one, a serpentine belt was also replaced.
The front part of the vehicle makes a dragging sound while driving. The dealer indicated there was an internal transmission problem. The serpentine belt was replaced. Updated
The pcm module is a critical emission control device. According to the warranty book provided with the vehicle, it is covered if it is replaced. However, a failure (loss of programming) is not considered a partfailure. It would appear that a loss of programming is a failure (memory?). The ford mfg. Consumer line was contacted on 8/23/99. The ford mfg. Explained that only when a part is replaced is this covered; since only re-programming is required, ford is not obligated to repair this pcm module. This seems to be in conflict with federal emission warranty.
No comment. No safety defect.
My newest problem that i have with the car now is it stalls at red lights and doesnt start for 45 minute to an hour. I took it to 3 garages already and they can't find the problem.
Flexible vent hose is deteriorated and cracked. It leaks gasoline when the tank is filled and when the car is driven.it appears to me , that the wrong type of hose is being used in this assembly. If this is happening so prematurely, it must be happening to alot of other contour owners.
Oxygen sensor failed 4 times. *sd
My car was in the shop 5 times in one month - all electrical problems. Alternator, battery, starter, wiring harness, speed sensor and oxygen sensor were all changed.the ford dealership does not understand why i am having all these problems.it was also in a garage fire at the dealership in this time and i had smoke damage to my car on top of the engine problems.needless to say, i loss money on the trade in.this is the worse car i have ever owned and will never own another ford car or truck again.
Ever since buying our 1996 2.5l contour in aug. Of 1999 we have had nothing but problems out of it. Our first problem we experienced was a loud howling coming from the engine compartment, later to discover the factory installed mass air flow intake hose kit had been revised thus leaving us to have to purchase the new at a total price of$97.00 dollarsto fix the problem. Shortly after getting this one problem fixed another arose. This time both the check engine light and cooling system lights are on continuosly despite having proper fluid levels. Along with the other problems every time the car is started in the morning or any time the engine is cold it idles roughly for about 20 seconds and then quits and no one can explain this weird phenomena but is sure seems to happen to the majority of these cars. Needless to say with ford's lack of attention to these matters not just mine but all of them this will be my last auto bearing the ford name.
Consumer request help to fix a 1996 contour.the consumer took the vehicle to be inspected and it failed.the consumer was told by the dept of motor vehicle that the vehicle had been subject to an emission recall as reported by the epathe dealer informed the consumer that the vehicle was no longer under warranty.the original owner received a recall notice in 1997 but the consumer never received a recall notice.
Check engine light stays on, replaced o2 sensor with light returning on.
Vehicles shuts off frequently.vehicle won't pass emissions test. It won't start, and has to be towed to the dealer.
The wiring harness of my 1996 ford contour caught fire.i had prior problems with the vehicle in the past such as tail light going out constantly and also headlights, as well as problems with the o2 sensor. I have put more that$2000 dollars alone on this car just getting it repaired.
Air flow sensors failed.*et
My 1996 ford contour's (w/v6 2.5l duratec motor)engine check light came on around jan 2 of 2001.i scheduled an appointment to have it checked out at the closest ford dealership in modesto, ca. As soon as possible.the next available appointment was on friday jan 05, 2001, later on that week.once i took it in, they had diagnosed the problem as being my (3) catalytic converters and my throttle body.the service advisor then told me that he had to check with ford because he believed that the work was covered under a ford recall 97e61.the next day he responded to me and told me that ford had said that it wasn't covered and that my bill would be $1,300.00.i then asked him why it wasn't covered and he told me because my vin# doesn't show it.he then asked me to take it up with ford the actuall company.so i've been doing research on it myself and have come up with a little bit of info.ford's customer service has told me that the reason my car is not covered is because it doesn't fall under the 97e61 criteria for recall.so i asked what actuall part does not fall undeer the criteria.they asked me to take it up with nhtsa and they can give me that info.what i have found is that cars that were built at 2 ford plants, cautlin, and kansas city plants are the ones that are affected.well my car was built at the kansas city plant.the other criteria i know about is if the car was built within march of 95 thru march of 96.well my car was first sold in feb. 96 and it's a 96 model so it would have to fall within that time frame.i am currently having my car fixed at a different ford dealership but my cost is still over $1,100.00. Plesae help me.cesar garcia call me any time at 408-674-9315 to let me know you have received my letter.i would also like a copy e-mailed to me of what i have written so i have a record at [email protected].
Dt*: the contact stated the check engine light illuminated and the vehicle stalled without warning, but restarted immediately.the dealership replaced the catalytic converter.the check engine light illuminated and the vehicle stalled 50000 miles later, but would not restart.the vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop, who determined the catalytic converter needed to be replaced.
While vehicle is idling and moving, engine vibrates, then cuts off in traffic; nearly caused accident; possibly, defective catalytic converter.
Engine check light coming on.took to kinsel ford in june 2001...told catalytic converter going out.engine light went off...started coming on again and car had alot of exhaust and running rough. Took to silsbee ford and was told that the engine was out due to the engine cooling fan not coming on like it was suppose to so it also fried the wires.ford is willing to pay for parts but refuses to pay for labor due to the fact that they say it was out of the 100,000 warrenty for the repair. I explained that the problem was going on when i brought it in injune and they didn't correct it then, according to the check out sheet they didn't even check it for that andi specifically asked for that recall to be checked. I had even been in in march of 2000 for the check engine light coming on.i was told by ford that my car had no recall for the engine and engine cooling fan.just extremely upset that you can have a recall, take your car in and it not be checked for it and when it goes out due to the recall that the company penalizes the consumer.
While vehicle is idling and moving, engine vibrates, then cuts off in traffic; nearly caused accident; possibly, defective catalytic converter.
While vehicle is idling and moving, engine vibrates, then cuts off in traffic; nearly caused accident; possibly, defective catalytic converter.
This car is only 6 years old. Has had catalytic converter failure in 2000. Extended warranty expired at 87,750 miles, 1,250 miles ago.contacted ford motor co. And was told they would not stand behind this defect. I was hoping you could help.
Coating inside catalytic converter will come off, causing failure of catalytic converter, oxygen sensor also causes severe stalling.
I don't know if any one there can help me, but i just want some one just hear my complaint. I purchase a 96 ford contour in 1999 with very low mileage. A year after i brought that car i begin having problems with that car. It have had 2 transmission. It have had a lot of electrical problems and now yesterday the motor is gone. Over the years i have talk to the ford company but it was always it was not any thing they could do for my car. Theyshould have stood by they cars but they. I first paid to much for the car. The dealership i brought the car from went out of business. I went back to them when the car first start giving me trouble and the next time i went to them they had closed down. The ford company just did not do me right at all. What hurt the most i had paid my last car payment yesterday and now the motor is gone. I feel if they would have listen to me from the beginning maybe it wouldn't had to come to this. I talk to ford on several occasions. I had a lt of electrical troubleand fumes use to enter the car. I just been threw a living nightmare with this. I don't care if i get any money or not i just want for some one to hear my complaint caus no telling how many other peoples may have experience the same problems. Ford people just did me so wrong. But i have learn a good lesson . Never buy a ford again. Even when the call had a recall i don't think they did not fix it right. I know once you buy a car and you have to take care of your car. I have a another 96 honda. I have never , ever had any problems at all. It just no way why a car have to have had so many transmissions and other problems like that ford have gave me. I am so hurt with this whole situation don'tno one know at this time how i feel. I am just very, very hurt. Thank you very mush for listening to me. Have a good day!
Headlight switch and mount failed/burned up/lights won't turn off/on, needed replacing, dashboard components always run hot; fuel door lever inside car doesn't work reliably & door sticks; egr hose failed, took ford 1.5 weeks to get one in, no guidelines re: this hose ever needing replaced, & it costs $93??!?!
Pop up cup holders are very flimsy. The cup holders may causebeverage to tip over while driving.this results in driver's attentionmomentarily taken away from the road, which could result in an accident.consumer feels the cup holders should be more stationary.
Shift indicator does not move when car is shifted, driver has to count the clicks to be able to tell if they're in what drive they're in. Saw it in a recall, took it to the dealer and was told that my model isn't covered in the recall.after getting off the highway, car made load moaning noises, engine reved, rpms jumped around and car stalled in the middle of traffic. Started up right after. Did not take to get looked at.if the temperature outside is under 40 degrees, the car will moan loudly, the engine will rev, the steering will go out, and then the car stalls, happens mostly when breaking. Sometimes instead of stalling, the car will lurch forward. Almost caused atleast 3 accidents. Took to a repair shop, they couldn't find anything wrong.when first purchased the car, the engine light would come on all the time. Took it for repair, they said it was a sensor. Had to get the sensor replaced 6 times before the problem stopped, at conumers expense.
Ac/heater/defroster/blower part that was defective has been recalled, but ford refuses to cover under this recall the a/c compressor, which failed prematurely.chris early, at joe machens ford, columbia, mo, informed me that the compressor has nothing at all to do with the ac/heater/defroster/blower, and so, will not cover the work under this recall.i find it hard to believe that the a/c compressor has nothing to do with the ac/heater/defroster/blower and its problem (blowing air quite hard, but with none coming out the vents, and not heating or cooling the car/defrosting the window).though i have had the car in 9 or 10 times to have the ac/heater/defroster/blower problem fixed, i still have trouble with it from time to time.surely this kind of strain caused the a/c compressor to work harder, and be subject to undue stress and therefore immature wear and tear and ultimately failure. (even the service technicians expressed surprise at the earliness of the compressor failure).please investigate this problem, since i have had trouble getting anywhere with ford in the past -- i still haven't gotten any sort of reply from ford as to my inquiries to their customer service department about the problem, which i registered in writing to them in august 1998.thank you for your time and your work!
Driving on wet surfaces with the air conditioning system on,the vehicle shuts off.the driver receives no indication that vehicle will shut off.the manufacturer has been notified.
The cear is pealing, 2 transmisisons have failed and now the a/c int. Blower only runs on high.
When turningthe air conditioner on, smoke came from the fan switch. There could have been a fire if driver hadn't been so quick to turn off the switch.dealer will be notifed about the problem. Please provide any further information.
While driving the heater and air conditioner fan switch overheated and caught fire.the owner was able to put out fire. The vehicle has been repaired by dealership. The connector and fan switch was replaced by the dealership.
Compressor and lines broke, will not hold a charge; have been to the shop 4 times in last two months.
Evaporator and blower failed 3 times.
There are too many problems with our car to write down. Please contact us.
Summer of 1997 cold air from a/c only blows out of defrosters,had it fixed. Summer of 1998 again cold air from a/c only blows out of defrosters, had it fixed. Summer of 1999 again cold air from ac only blows out of defrosters, again i had it fixed.
All the all the lightsare working intermittently. Also,when using the a/c unit consumer has to put the a/c on high in orderto use the system.
Asked dealership to perform recall 00v-367000 and they said ford has no such recall.
The worst problem was the wheel falling off while in operation, with no warning.the axil, rotor, and balljoint was replaced. The heating and cooling is all messed up. The fan will only blow on low, it is niether hot nor cold. The tail lights and panel lights do not work. It's not a fuse
I have previously had problems with this vehicle and have taken it more than eight different times to be service and problem still has not been resolved even after having engine replaced i am having some of the same problems. Car has been serviced on a regular basis and still it has problems.e ..
Took vehicle to dealer to have air conditioner serviced, and the product that was used caused a large problem in air conditioning unit. A leak has developed.
The blower fan was replaced by the dealer because of a recall.it lasted about 3 months and proceeded to break again.this time the dealer stated that i had to replace the fuse panel in the car.i took the car to a local mechanic and he reaffirm the defect.they also stated that they rarely had to replace a fuse panel. In addition to this repair, both power window regulators went out on the driver and passenger front sides of the car.the company that did the repair said this is very common in ford vehicles.i contacted the regional office of ford and they would not give me any restitution on these repairs.
Auto air control failed.
Ac switch and blower speed not working properly.mechanic said: "found burnt blower motor resistor, hi blower motor resistance affected circuit.melter resistor and harness."later mechanic also said it need a new ac dash switch and wiring harness.a total cost of about $600.00.i don't understand how a high resistance causes increased current and thus burn up the resistor and wiring.i believe that the resistor had a short and the excessive current burned up the resistor and the wiring.i don't know whether the blower is damaged or not.this faulty resistor is a manufacturing defect and could have caused a serious fire under the dash.therefore the manufacturer should repair the damage.the manufacturer's representative says that the car is four months over the warranty period and even though it had only 27,000 + miles, the manufacturer would not repair the damage.if i pay to have the damage repaired, can i get my money back if you find the manufacturer responsible?
I have had multiple problems w/ my 96 ford contour since i bought it 2/23/96. I have had it in for service multiple times, and i get told it's covered under warranty why worry about it. The srv.mngr.at my dealer supposedly talked to a "tony" at ford & told him to tell me as long as it's covered under warranty i shouldn't complain it is no money out of my pocket. That is unsatisfactory -i believe my car to be a defect in that years line of contours & i would like something done about these problems. My car runs worse than any used car i have ever owned! all i ever wanted done was to rectify the situation,they could have easily replaced my car with one similiar to that year & model & i would have been happy. I really would like a response to this matter. I am to the point where i will contact a lawyer to seek help dealing with ford & kennedy ford , if i can not get a fair & aggreeable outcome to this situation.thank you.
Air conditioner/andy panel airblows out of defrost.
Air conditioning has a bad mildew smell.
When turning the a/c on,dashboard gets hot.a/c is coming out of the defroster on top of dashboard, and not out the vents.
It seems like when one thing started to short on my contour everything started to go...first the lights started going on and off then ..the a/c started shorting then it completely froze causing timing to jump and noew ..i'm told the car needs new computer ..it dies in middle of road the sensors are bad ...please help me regarding this matter ..
While using air conditioner it stopped blowing air , after being repairedair was not coming from the vents.
The air only comes out of the defrost.
It seems like when one thing started to short on my contour everything started to go...first the lights started going on and off then ..the a/c started shorting then it completely froze causing timing to jump and noew ..i'm told the car needs new computer ..it dies in middle of road the sensors are bad ...please help me regarding this matter ..
Air conditioner blower will only work on low, if turning it up high, it does not work.
About 2-3 months after i had my car i tried to trade it in for another car because of the deffects on it, but the dealer would not help me out then. Is there anything i can do about it now? no safety defect listed in the summary.
The air conditioner fan switch was very hot and started to melt the plastic harness and smoke was coming from the switch, whichcould have resulted a fire if the occupant didn't pull the fuse on the switch.please provide further information.
Dual fan on air conditioner was constantly on. Consumer statedhe received a manufacturer's recall letter for the driver side window. But, then otherside window was not working.
There are too many problems with our car to write down. Please contact us.
Air conditioner is not functioning after service.yh
Recall repair (99v-103) completed, however harness connector assembly replaced and not the switch, panel lights feel hot to the touch and illumination is dim after repair work completed. Mjs
This car has less than 70000 miles on it. We had trouble with the fuel door, front wheel bearings, brakes, door handles, transmission, electric windows, and now as a special treat the engine failed. This car has been the worst investment that my wife and i have ever made. I have have owned several cars and trucks with 200000 plus miles on them and none of them have ever been as problematic as this automobile.
Check engine warning light came on.
Have had numerous problems:interior/brake lights failed to light.replaced switch twice.fuel filler door will not open with latch inside.never worked.cigarette lighter failed.power window on driver's side has failed.car intermittently will not start due to drained battery.mechanic could find no cause for this related to alternator/charging system of car.never able to fix this.trunk leaks water around seal. Abs light keeps coming on .mechanic could find no problem with abs.air conditioner/heater would only blow out defrost setting. Also bad smell comes from ac when on. Rear seat belts keep jamming; not able to use sometimes because they won't come out.worst problem so far:transmission has failed.not yet fixed.i loved this car once, now i hate it!the whole thing should be recalled.
The car has less than 5,000 miles . The cigarette lighter/accessory outlet developed a short with fuse blowout . The interior lever to the left of the driver's seat does not function to open the outside lid covering the gas cap . The car is in almost new condition with less than 5,000 miles since 1996 . Car is also in for mandatory recall servicing due to notice from ford .have there been other complaints about shorting in the cigarette lighter/accessory outlet system ? have there been other complaints about the interior gas cap lid lever not functioning ? i am being charged for the repair of these items . I wonder whether there was a basic design deficiency that led to such malfunctioning after less than 5,000 miles .
My newest problem that i have with the car now is it stalls at red lights and doesnt start for 45 minute to an hour. I took it to 3 garages already and they can't find the problem.
Right speaker blown out.
Right rear light continued to go out. Replace bulb few times. Right wheel bearing had to be replaced. Major fan belt replaced. Alternator replaced. Light on radio goes off when head lights turned on. This happened after they fixed my recall for lights. Gas cap cover is very hard to open. Takes several times to try and open. When air is on smells come through really strong from other cars. Owner notification recalls are not taken care of until they actually happen. These are coil can break and car go down blow out tires. Also electrical harness can break and wires will connect with other parts of the car and cause a fire. I have sent a letter to the president of ford and explained how i felt this car was unsafe and if anything happened to me or my family they would be held responsible. I never received a response from anyone. They should be made to take back all contours and give us a safer car for us and our families to drive. I am a single parent and cannot afford to finance another car. They need to provide a loan and new car for us. I will be contacting ford again in the near future to see if they will help with taking my car back and giving me another car/loan. As i told them in the letter they just wanted to sell and make money they didn't think of the family and or families that this car as it fell apart would effect. I appreciate that you have this web site that i can voice my concerns,problems with the ford and feel someone may pay attention before someone is hurt in these cars as have been many with the tire situation. I will help you in any way i can to clear up all of these problems. I keep the letter i sent ford in my car in case something happens someone will be able to read it and know i did try to get this problem dissolved before it was to late. Thank you so much for your help. Debbie jennings hewitt
When the light switch is turnedto park lights, none of the park lights work--front or back, left or right.additionally, the dash lights do not work.when the light switch is turned to head lights, only the headlights and bright lights work--there are not tail lights or dash lights.all other lights work, such as the brake lights and turn signals.this occured during the thanksgiving holiday at night while driving through kansas city.we could not see our speedometer, and cars approaching from the rear could not see us until they approached and their lights shown on our car--very dangerous.
The right and left tail lights and instrument panel lights failed.the terminals on the headlight switch show signs of heat damage.this is the same symptoms as nhtsa campaign id # 99v103000 (mfg campaign # 99s14) applicable to certain 1995-1998 ford contour vehicles.this recall does not apply to my ford contour (vin # [xxx]) according to two ford dealers. The symptoms of this recall exactly describe the current symptoms of my ford contour and it is questionable as to why this recall is not currently applicable to my vin #.information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
All the all the lightsare working intermittently. Also,when using the a/c unit consumer has to put the a/c on high in orderto use the system.
While driving tail lights/odometer lights, and parking lights went out. Consumer took vehicleto dealer, and they replaced a switch. Consumer did not know which switch, onnov 1, 2000 same problem occurred. Took vehicle to another dealer, and they replaced headlight switch, and a f5rz14a411 *ba, head lamp switch.
This car is a lemon - it is not safe.
Problems with the engine light coming on and the servicing dept at the ford dealer and other auto servicing center could not figure out why to this day it is on.at one time the entire interior lights and rear brakes lights went out. It currently shut its self off ( stalls) and get hot. The engine sounds revved up and shortly after the ac unit went out.everything has been checked out/ the alternator was replaced the crankshaft was replaced some wiring had to be replaced all the fluids are where they should be and it still stalls and overheats for no reason. Both front windows electrical motors have gone out.
Multi-function turn signal switch in the steering column failed and causedbrake lights to fail.the part # is: sw-5042.
Headlights were fogged up which affected visibility.consumer tried to wipe off the lenses.but they were stained with some type of milky substance.dealer stated that consumer had to replace headlightsat her own expense.*ml
The front head lamps to my contour have clouded over (on the inside) and do not allow the lamps to put out much light. This is a pretty bad safety hazard in the evening.it has been getting worse over the past year or two - to where i need to replace them.the dealer noted that this was a common problem caused by a head lamp seal failure, but it was not a warranty or recall issue.cost is $250 for parts plus labor.if this is a known safety issue for ford service staff, why is it ignored by ford?your database shows other complaints of this issue.dt
Car stalls when parallel parking, especially in reverse, or when parking slopes.car stalled when starting up from red light in center city philadelphia intersections.headlamps out of alignment (don't shine down onto road, beams not centered).air bag light on control panels blinks sporadically, frequently; anxiety that air bag will deploy while driving.dealer comment on stalling:"probably something stupid" and wasn't able to fix problem, mentioned something about a vacuum tube.dealer charged $95 to tell me that the memory in the vehicle didn't give any codes for the stalling or air bag problems, then added that the memory is wiped clean every time the car is turned off.question:if they know that about the car in the first place, why charge the customer for a pointless diagnostic?headlights still out of alignment after having been "adjusted" by dealer in january 2005.
Light on the dash and tailight will go out intermittently due to headlight switch. Nhtsa recall 99v103000/ manufacturer's recall99s14 repairswere performedin november 1999 ,but defect has reoccurred. Dealer or manufacturer have refused to fix it again.
Headlights are inopertive, causing impaired vision.dealer states headlight switch has melted, causing all lights to fail.
Head lights very dim.
Right rear light continued to go out. Replace bulb few times. Right wheel bearing had to be replaced. Major fan belt replaced. Alternator replaced. Light on radio goes off when head lights turned on. This happened after they fixed my recall for lights. Gas cap cover is very hard to open. Takes several times to try and open. When air is on smells come through really strong from other cars. Owner notification recalls are not taken care of until they actually happen. These are coil can break and car go down blow out tires. Also electrical harness can break and wires will connect with other parts of the car and cause a fire. I have sent a letter to the president of ford and explained how i felt this car was unsafe and if anything happened to me or my family they would be held responsible. I never received a response from anyone. They should be made to take back all contours and give us a safer car for us and our families to drive. I am a single parent and cannot afford to finance another car. They need to provide a loan and new car for us. I will be contacting ford again in the near future to see if they will help with taking my car back and giving me another car/loan. As i told them in the letter they just wanted to sell and make money they didn't think of the family and or families that this car as it fell apart would effect. I appreciate that you have this web site that i can voice my concerns,problems with the ford and feel someone may pay attention before someone is hurt in these cars as have been many with the tire situation. I will help you in any way i can to clear up all of these problems. I keep the letter i sent ford in my car in case something happens someone will be able to read it and know i did try to get this problem dissolved before it was to late. Thank you so much for your help. Debbie jennings hewitt
Indadequate headlights.
When the headlights are turned on, the interior dash lights do not come on, making it impossible to see the instrument panel at night. Dealer has not seen vehicle.
Headlight cover turned yellow in color, causing poor visiblility.
The plastic lens in the headlight assembly degraded to the point that light coming from the headlight was hardly distinguishable from the light coming from the amber parking lights.vehicles behind my car, while driving would cast a shadow in front of my car.i replaced the light bulbs on the front of my car to no avail.the problem remained the same.i just recently purchased new headlight housings and installed them to replace this serious problem.ford used a very inexpensive or untested plastic which failed/degraded quickly.
Consumer contacteddealer in reference to recall 99v103/manufacturer'srecalls99m07, 99m03 and 99s14 concerning headlight failure. Dealer refused to correct recall problem dealer has been contacted on a number of occasions.
Both headlight lenses are dirty due to headlight assembly seal failure. Night time illumination unsafe. This complaint is consistent with other nhtsa consumer complaints, odi id 864545, 734106, 531407 and 532479. Dealer states the problem is not covered by extended warrenty purchased along with vehicle.
Headlight lenses are so cloudy that it is extremely difficult to see on low beams.has been evident since i purchased the car in '1999.
When headlightsareonthe interior lights will not come on.cause is unknown.
Problems with 1996 ford contour front brakes, transmission, fuse box, heater blower motor, electrical and steering and suspension.*mrfor the second time, the vehicle had problems with the brakes making a loud rubbing sound, the stabilizer bar was replaced and needs to be replaced again. The transmission was leaking, water was inside of the headlight seals, which made the lights very dim, the selector mode switch on the heater motor blower did not work properly, which made the heat not work at a 100%. The upper ball joints, rack and pinion and wheel bearing were all defective.
Recall 99v-103 000 /headlight swtch/wiringharness: recall received. Vehicle headlight would intermittently go off/on. Took vehicle to dealer for recall repairs and problem still remained. Could this be a repair failure? can nhtsa provide additional information on thie matter.
Headlights and dashlights did not work when switch was turned on. Dealer contacted, and stated the headlight switch was burnt out, wires and the connector were all burnt out also, vehcile should not be driven due to a fire hazard.
The headlight switch malfunctioned and caused the tail lights and instrument panel light to go out without warning.the vehicle was recall once for this problem and repaired but the problem has reocurred.manufacturer stated since the recall was repaired once, they will not repair it again free of charge.*ph *nlm
Recall 99v103000. Remedy did not correctproblem. While vehicle was being driven instrument panel andtail lights completely went out.please give any further details.
While driving tail lights/odometer lights, and parking lights went out. Consumer took vehicleto dealer, and they replaced a switch. Consumer did not know which switch, onnov 1, 2000 same problem occurred. Took vehicle to another dealer, and they replaced headlight switch, and a f5rz14a411 *ba, head lamp switch.
Recall # 99v103000 ford/headlight swtich/wiring harness; owner received recall notice in july 1999. Owner has contact dealer numerous times. Dealer does not have parts to correct recall.
Received recall notice 99v103000; took vehicle to dealer last year. Mechanic barely looked at switch & declared okay. Now having problems asrecall indicated. Took vehicle back. Informed by mechanicswitch just suppose to be inspected & not replaced. Recall notice indicated to replaceswitch & then inspect itlater.
Notified by dealer of recall #99v103000. Took to dealer for repairs. Supposedly took 10 minutes of repair. The panel lights still not on. Afterwards, received notice #99v103000 from dealer. Went to different dealer who refusedrepairs due to other dealership having already done repairs. *ml
Received a manufacturer's recall notice #99s-14 ford/headlight switch /wiring harness; took vehicle to dealer shop for repairs; later on noticed instrument panel lights failed to operate. Notified dealer, and informedconsumerthat it would c additional $48.00 to get the lights back on. Can nhtsa provide further detail on this matter.
The terminals at the headlight switch and wiring harness connectors failed prior to recall notice 99v-103 causing the vehicle to shut down.nlm
An electrical short under the dash caused headlights to become inoperable,also resultingin damages to the electrical wiring harness. Cause unknown.
Had headlights on & noticed smoke coming from dashboard. The headlight switch caught fire. Electrical system had shorted out. Took to dealer & called manufacturer informed owner's fault for electrical short & fire. Will not repair defect.
Consumer stated that instrument panels were inoperative, consumer's received safety recall 99s14 regarding instrument light failure, consumer took vehicle and recall notice to dealership, dealership was reluctant to honor recall, after speaking with management,dealership finally honored recall, when consumer returned home with vehicle, they noticed a leak which resulted in recall repair.
Recall # 99v103000 lighting: switch:button:ring:head lights; owner received recall notice in july, 1999. Owner has brought vehicle to dealership twice for recall. Once in july, and again on december 4th. Dealer does not have parts to correct recall. Told consumer to come back in 6 weeks.
Whenever headlight switch is turned on all other lights remain off. This condition has occurred on two other occasions thatconsumer paid for repairs. Manufacturer informed consumer thatvehicle was not under any recall, any repairs made would be at consumer's expense.
Consumer experiencing loss of instrument and tail lights at the same time. Dealer notified and repaired malfunction at the cost to consumer, replaced headlamp switch and connector.
Recall component failed prior to recall notice (99v-103), consumer is having trouble with refunding. Mjs
Wiring harness connector failed prior to recall notice causing instrument panel lights and tail lights not to illuminate(99v-103).nlm
The contact owns a 1996 ford contour. The contact stated that the plug on the headlight switch overheated and melted the wire in the plug. He had to disconnect the battery every time he got out of the vehicle because it caused a failure within the parking lights. The plug and headlight switch needed to be replaced. He found recall 99v103000 online and was told by both the manufacturer and the dealer that his vehicle was not included. The vehicle had not been repaired to-date. The current mileage was approximately 183,000. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.
Panel lights and tail lights failed, part (f5rz-14a411-ba) was replaced in 8/99 according to recall (99v-103), part failed 1 year and 5 months later, owner would like to be reimibursed for repairs on 1/12/01.cj
Prior to recall electrical connector at head light switch failed (99v-103). Yh
Received manufacturer's recall 99s-14; ford/head light switch/wiring harness. Took vehicle in for repairs,three days later vehicle would not start; contacted dealer and informed of problem. Dealer informed consumer not to bring vehicle in because consumer refused to pay $48.00 for fuses for clock and radio. Seeking help from nhtsa in this matter.
In june 1998 replaced brake pads, and had rotors turned because they were warped.had to replace brake pads again, including rotors in february 1999.two months later rotors again warped.in july 1998 had to replace alternator.in april 1999 dash lights and tail lights quit working - had headlight switch replaced.
Headlight switch terminals and wiring harness terminals experienced heat damage.the instrument panel, tail lights and parking lights failed.robin ford dealer, 100 n. Mcdade blvd, glenolden, pa indicated that there is a recall for this problem on the 96 ford contour but my vin does not apply to the recall.my vin is [xxx].information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
Headlight switch circuit is severely overheating, causing the switch harness to burn and the switch to fail. Also, while driving at night the tail lights/dash lights failed.
Headlight switch and mount failed/burned up/lights won't turn off/on, needed replacing, dashboard components always run hot; fuel door lever inside car doesn't work reliably & door sticks; egr hose failed, took ford 1.5 weeks to get one in, no guidelines re: this hose ever needing replaced, & it costs $93??!?!
Consumer states receivedrecall 99v103000 notification.dealership repaired other recalls,but informedconsumer parts were not available to repairheadlight switch recall, and he should return in 7 days.whenconsumer returned todealership he was informed thatvehicle had already been serviced for this recall, and any work would be performed atconsumer'sexpense.please provide any additional information / documentation.
Consumer received a recall notice and made an appointment with the dealer to have repairs, the dealer stated that the vehicle was not in their computer to have this work done, consumer has paid for the repairs. (99v10300)
Recall repair on the head light switch (99v-103) completed, however after repair the instrument panel lights do not always illuminate and are not as bright and after extended use of the headlights the resistor switch for panel lights is hot to the tough (required additional repairs). Mjs
Rec'd recall 99v103000 & contacted dealer. Took vehicle in for headlight connector & it was replaced. When starting vehicle, it was very sluggish. Problem was not present before connector replaced. Owner not satisfied with repairs.
Faulty headlight switch caused dash and tail lights not to work.
The terminals at the headlight switch and wiring harness connectors failed prior to recall notice 99v-103 causing the vehicle to shut down.nlm
Consumer stated that instrument panels were inoperative, consumer's received safety recall 99s14 regarding instrument light failure, consumer took vehicle and recall notice to dealership, dealership was reluctant to honor recall, after speaking with management,dealership finally honored recall, when consumer returned home with vehicle, they noticed a leak which resulted in recall repair.
Vehicle has been at the dealership for a nine week period waiting for the recall component part to arrive (99v-103). *mjs
Tail lamps and the instrument lights malfunctioned. There is a recall on the samefailure.however, this vehicle was not included in therecall due to vinalthough it includes the same recalldescription,involving the headlight switch. . recall93v103000
The first noticable symptom was that my dashboard lights went out.i then learned that, although my headlights, brake lights, turn signals, and ememgency flashers still functioned, my running lights were also out.upon taking the car into the dealership, i was informed that my headlight switch had shorted and caused damage to the interior wiring harness.to add further insult to injury, i had to purchase an entire wiring harness regardless of whether or not i wished to have the damage harness repaired or replaced because the needed parts could not be obtained separately.this has all been reported to ford motor company and they are looking into the matter.i have only reported my case to the nhtsa after finding a listing in your online investigations database for action number pe98063 and thought that my story may pertain to this investigation.thank you for your consideration.
Consumer has defective parts , such as. Headlight switchis ticking noise inside of the vehicle,and all dashboard lights are out.
Recall # 99v103000 ford/headlight switch/wiring harness; even though recall work was performed on august 24, 1999, the same problems still existswith the vehicle as stated in the recall. Dealer is refusing to correct.
Recall repair (99v-103) completed, however harness connector assembly replaced and not the switch, panel lights feel hot to the touch and illumination is dim after repair work completed. Mjs
Consumer recall workk on 99v-103 head light switch performed, however after repair temprature gauge failed and head lights not aligned properly consumer not satisfied with repair. Yh
Headlight switch circuit is severely overheating, causing the switch harness to burn and the switch to fail. Also, while driving at night the tail lights/dash lights failed.
In june 1998 replaced brake pads, and had rotors turned because they were warped.had to replace brake pads again, including rotors in february 1999.two months later rotors again warped.in july 1998 had to replace alternator.in april 1999 dash lights and tail lights quit working - had headlight switch replaced.
Consumer stated that tail lights were inoperative, consumer's received safety recall 99s14 regarding tail light failure, consumer took vehicle and recall notice to dealership, dealership was reluctant to honor recall, after speaking with management,dealership finally honored recall, when consumer returned home with vehicle, they noticed a leak which resulted in recall repair.
When the light switch is turnedto park lights, none of the park lights work--front or back, left or right.additionally, the dash lights do not work.when the light switch is turned to head lights, only the headlights and bright lights work--there are not tail lights or dash lights.all other lights work, such as the brake lights and turn signals.this occured during the thanksgiving holiday at night while driving through kansas city.we could not see our speedometer, and cars approaching from the rear could not see us until they approached and their lights shown on our car--very dangerous.
The right and left tail lights and instrument panel lights failed.the terminals on the headlight switch show signs of heat damage.this is the same symptoms as nhtsa campaign id # 99v103000 (mfg campaign # 99s14) applicable to certain 1995-1998 ford contour vehicles.this recall does not apply to my ford contour (vin # [xxx]) according to two ford dealers. The symptoms of this recall exactly describe the current symptoms of my ford contour and it is questionable as to why this recall is not currently applicable to my vin #.information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
I own a 1996 ford contour [xxx] that the instrument panel lights and tail lights went out on.there was a recall on this item (recall 99s14) back in 1999.upon bringing the car into an brookdale ford (brooklyn center, mn), they told me that they would fix the problem free of charge because it did not apply to my vehicle.i then called ford motor company customer relationship center.they told me that the problem was already fixed on my car (even though i never brought the car in for this service).they refused to help.even if the recall was fixed on my car, the fact that the same two parts of my car (instrument panel and tail lights) failed, tells me that the recall repair was not done correctly.information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)
The worst problem was the wheel falling off while in operation, with no warning.the axil, rotor, and balljoint was replaced. The heating and cooling is all messed up. The fan will only blow on low, it is niether hot nor cold. The tail lights and panel lights do not work. It's not a fuse
While driving tail lights/odometer lights, and parking lights went out. Consumer took vehicleto dealer, and they replaced a switch. Consumer did not know which switch, onnov 1, 2000 same problem occurred. Took vehicle to another dealer, and they replaced headlight switch, and a f5rz14a411 *ba, head lamp switch.
I own a 1996 ford contour [xxx] that the instrument panel lights and tail lights went out on.there was a recall on this item (recall 99s14) back in 1999.upon bringing the car into an brookdale ford (brooklyn center, mn), they told me that they would fix the problem free of charge because it did not apply to my vehicle.i then called ford motor company customer relationship center.they told me that the problem was already fixed on my car (even though i never brought the car in for this service).they refused to help.even if the recall was fixed on my car, the fact that the same two parts of my car (instrument panel and tail lights) failed, tells me that the recall repair was not done correctly.information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)
Turn signal burned out.
The turn signals do not flash and the stearing wheel column smokes when the flasher is in place. Mr
Multi-function turn signal switch in the steering column failed and causedbrake lights to fail.the part # is: sw-5042.
Consumer has had numerous problems with the 1996 ford contour.*mrthere has been so many recalls on consumer's vehicle that she wasn't aware of because the manufacturer never sent notices.since then consumer has been paying for entire full price and is asking for reimbursement.however, the biggest problem with the vehicle is the gas fumes which is leaking therefore leaving poisonous carbon monoxide fumes coming in through the heater vents.these harsh chemicals are damaging to the lungs, brain, respiratory system and its making consumer very tired among other symptoms.
Was filling up my fuel tank and just as the pump clicked off gasoline started pouring out from the top of the tank and it still does it everytime i fill it up i am very concerned because it is a severe fire hazard please help me out.
Engine check light is on and there is a burning smell within the vehicle.also, all the lights on the dashboardaren't working, and the water pump had to be replaced. *al
Work was previously performed onconsumer'svehicle for recall 99v247000. Consumer is now having the problem of fuel leakingwhen he fillsfuel tank.dealership informed him thatrecall work has been performed already, and it was now consumer's responsibility.please provide any additional information/attachments.
Consumer states while driving there is a gas smell coming inside the vehicle.consumer feels its related to the recall for the fuel vent hose.dealer has been contacted.nlm
Twice the transmission failed on the freeway and had to be completely replaced even though the car was 1 and 3 months old. The dealer was extremely rude and i promise i will never purchase another ford again and neither will anybody that has heard my story.
This vehicle was purchase new and had only 47,000 mile when the intake manifold gasket failed.these components are not moving parts and should last the life of the engine unless installed incorrectly or poorly designed.
No summary provided byconsumer( dot number: ??? tire size: ??? )
Fuel vapor leakage occurs causing heavy fuel smell from undervehicle.this was caused byfuel pump which had no rubber cap. The cause for gas vapor leak was found to be defective fuel tank seal at the fuel pump unit, and was fixed.the consumer states it was a manufacturing defect.
Consumer recieved recall letter 99v247000 concerning the fuel pump. Contacted the dealer.no parts were available to correct the problem. Please give any further details.
Consumer could smell gas in the vehicle while driving. Took to the mechanic and stated the fuel injectors were leaking. Please provide any further information.*ph
While traveling and slowing to stop or turn, vehicle stops and/or stalls. It also cuts off while trying to be started.vehicle hadfuel in tank during time of incident.no accident or injuries have occurred
Gas latch has never worked properly.
I have only had the vehicle since february 14th this year. I can not fill my gas tank all the way full. It has been leaking gas every time i do. I have tried several times at different stores when i gas up my car to see if it was because i had been parked on an incline. It does not matter if i am on level ground it still leaves a puddle under my car.it is worse if i park on anything but level ground . Please let me know if there is anyway to fix the problem.
Gas tank failed.
Power steering becomes disables when driven through puddles of water.safety should be a recall by ford motor corp
Afterfilling fuel tankwith gas the tank leaks from the bottom which could result in a fire cause unknown. Please give any further details.
Fuel tankcannot be filled up fully.whenever their is an attempt to fill the tank, gas splurges every where. Dealer has been contacted.
I received a card that said: danger, the ford that you are driving is involved in a product safety campaign #99525 and needs immediate attention. What is the safety campaign about?we bought this vehicle used and the original car dealer is in another state.what is wrong with the car?
Ford need to replace this car with a safe one! come on 6 electrical failures? when will the fire start from the failures?..dateline nbc next!
Fuel tank spills gas when fueling more than half full. Yh
Consumer filledtank with gas and after paying and coming back ou noticed gas was spilling all over the ground. It continued to leak for 3 hours.dealer found a crack in fuel tank.consumer had to get replace whole assembly at his cost.
Since purchase of vehicle when driving through a puddle of water or in rain, power steering will go out. At that timealernator light comes on, has been to dealer numerous times for this , seems to be a design flaw. Also, filling up with gasoline vehicle will smell for long time.
While driving at any speed and when applying the brakes, they are not hard but medium.when driving over any speed bump thereis a very loud noise coming from the back of the vehicle by the fuel tank.
Have had numerous problems:interior/brake lights failed to light.replaced switch twice.fuel filler door will not open with latch inside.never worked.cigarette lighter failed.power window on driver's side has failed.car intermittently will not start due to drained battery.mechanic could find no cause for this related to alternator/charging system of car.never able to fix this.trunk leaks water around seal. Abs light keeps coming on .mechanic could find no problem with abs.air conditioner/heater would only blow out defrost setting. Also bad smell comes from ac when on. Rear seat belts keep jamming; not able to use sometimes because they won't come out.worst problem so far:transmission has failed.not yet fixed.i loved this car once, now i hate it!the whole thing should be recalled.
I smell gasoline, and when i fill my car with gasoline it leaks.i have had it looked at by a mechanic and it has been determined that it is the fuel fill pipe vent hose. I have spoken with ford and they tell me that my vehicle is not covered under the recall.
Recall 99v-247 filler neck not completed due to lack of parts. Yh
Vehicle was leaking fuel onto the ground whenever consumer filled the tank up with fuel.took vehicle to dealer shop, and dealer informed consumer that fuel filler neck had a crack and needsreplacement. Consumer would like to know is this normal for this part to be defective. Vehicle have only 46,000 miles of wear.
Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle was not included in nhtsa recall #99v247000, regarding fuel; hoses/lines/pipes/fittings due to the vin. Having similar problems the manufacturer parts were replaced by an independent service dealer, but the problem recurred. Fuel was dripping onto the tail pipe. The service dealer and manufacturer were notified.updated 10/04/06.
Consumer notice, the dash board defroster duct air vent is cracked and inoperable. Dealer has been notified. Please provide further information.ts
Battery not able to hold the current. Also, headlights and interior lights are not working.
While driving with headlights ontail lights and dashboard lights went out without a prior warning.dealer had been contacted,andcause could not be found.
Problems with the engine light coming on and the servicing dept at the ford dealer and other auto servicing center could not figure out why to this day it is on.at one time the entire interior lights and rear brakes lights went out. It currently shut its self off ( stalls) and get hot. The engine sounds revved up and shortly after the ac unit went out.everything has been checked out/ the alternator was replaced the crankshaft was replaced some wiring had to be replaced all the fluids are where they should be and it still stalls and overheats for no reason. Both front windows electrical motors have gone out.
While driving tail lights andinstrument panel lights went out. Dealer was notified about the problem. The problem was corrected at owner's expense.problem due to water condensation in the fuse box.*ml
Headlight switch circuit is severely overheating, causing the switch harness to burn and the switch to fail. Also, while driving at night the tail lights/dash lights failed.
Whenever starting vehicle or even driving electrical system would start acting up.windshield wipers would go on by themselves,have not been turned on. Lights, interior & exterior, would go out.ignition will not startvehicle sometimes.also,would hear a clicking noise. Did not have a battery problems.heater blower failed to work. No recalls on vehicle for electrical problems.
In june 1998 replaced brake pads, and had rotors turned because they were warped.had to replace brake pads again, including rotors in february 1999.two months later rotors again warped.in july 1998 had to replace alternator.in april 1999 dash lights and tail lights quit working - had headlight switch replaced.
The right and left tail lights and instrument panel lights failed.the terminals on the headlight switch show signs of heat damage.this is the same symptoms as nhtsa campaign id # 99v103000 (mfg campaign # 99s14) applicable to certain 1995-1998 ford contour vehicles.this recall does not apply to my ford contour (vin # [xxx]) according to two ford dealers. The symptoms of this recall exactly describe the current symptoms of my ford contour and it is questionable as to why this recall is not currently applicable to my vin #.information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
While driving tail lights/odometer lights, and parking lights went out. Consumer took vehicleto dealer, and they replaced a switch. Consumer did not know which switch, onnov 1, 2000 same problem occurred. Took vehicle to another dealer, and they replaced headlight switch, and a f5rz14a411 *ba, head lamp switch.
I own a 1996 ford contour [xxx] that the instrument panel lights and tail lights went out on.there was a recall on this item (recall 99s14) back in 1999.upon bringing the car into an brookdale ford (brooklyn center, mn), they told me that they would fix the problem free of charge because it did not apply to my vehicle.i then called ford motor company customer relationship center.they told me that the problem was already fixed on my car (even though i never brought the car in for this service).they refused to help.even if the recall was fixed on my car, the fact that the same two parts of my car (instrument panel and tail lights) failed, tells me that the recall repair was not done correctly.information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)
Recall 99v103000. Remedy did not correctproblem. While vehicle was being driven instrument panel andtail lights completely went out.please give any further details.
Tail lights along with the interior lights do not work. Dealer has been contacted.
While driving headlights/ tail lights,and dash lightscompletely stopped working, there was no warning. Took vehicle to dealer. Also,vehicle has had three alternators within three months. Problem has not been remedied as of yet. Please provide any further information.
Have had numerous problems:interior/brake lights failed to light.replaced switch twice.fuel filler door will not open with latch inside.never worked.cigarette lighter failed.power window on driver's side has failed.car intermittently will not start due to drained battery.mechanic could find no cause for this related to alternator/charging system of car.never able to fix this.trunk leaks water around seal. Abs light keeps coming on .mechanic could find no problem with abs.air conditioner/heater would only blow out defrost setting. Also bad smell comes from ac when on. Rear seat belts keep jamming; not able to use sometimes because they won't come out.worst problem so far:transmission has failed.not yet fixed.i loved this car once, now i hate it!the whole thing should be recalled.
Received a manufacturer's recall notice #99s-14 ford/headlight switch /wiring harness; took vehicle to dealer shop for repairs; later on noticed instrument panel lights failed to operate. Notified dealer, and informedconsumerthat it would c additional $48.00 to get the lights back on. Can nhtsa provide further detail on this matter.
When the light switch is turnedto park lights, none of the park lights work--front or back, left or right.additionally, the dash lights do not work.when the light switch is turned to head lights, only the headlights and bright lights work--there are not tail lights or dash lights.all other lights work, such as the brake lights and turn signals.this occured during the thanksgiving holiday at night while driving through kansas city.we could not see our speedometer, and cars approaching from the rear could not see us until they approached and their lights shown on our car--very dangerous.
When headlightsareonthe interior lights will not come on.cause is unknown.
Consumer was driving vehicle on the highway when the instrument and tail lights went out. Learned that the switch was burnt out and needed to replace the electrical harness & switch.
Upon shutting door on driver's side of vehicle it opened back up. Door would not latch or lock. Had to hold door to drive. Dealer contacted.
Front passenger door lock had stopped working. Door could not be locked or unlocked frominside.currently,same problem had started onrear passenger door.
The driver-side locks on a 1996 ford contour.the locks won't work in cold weather and the driver cannot exit the vehicle when the locks are froze up.there are no manual overrides in place.ford headquarters refuses to replace the locks/or make the vehicle safe.
Doors are hard to close, dealership is aware of problem, dealership sent consumer manufacturers recall 99s25. But, this recall was for something else, left and right front door latches get stuck, right rear door will not open inside and outside, left rear door is fine.
Trunk lid not closing properly.
Emergency hand brake failed.
Speedometer failed.
While driving at 70 mph without prior warningodometer dropped, and the vehicle went into overdrive and wouldn't come out of overdrive.
Consumer took car in for 4th recall repairs. This one was for the engine wires. Dealer fixed problem. Consumer picked up car, andon that same eveningengine checklight came on. Took in vehicle for service, andspeedometer stopped working. Couldn't tell how fast car was going. Also overdrive light started to blink on/off.
This car has less than 70000 miles on it. We had trouble with the fuel door, front wheel bearings, brakes, door handles, transmission, electric windows, and now as a special treat the engine failed. This car has been the worst investment that my wife and i have ever made. I have have owned several cars and trucks with 200000 plus miles on them and none of them have ever been as problematic as this automobile.
Problems with 1996 ford contour front brakes, transmission, fuse box, heater blower motor, electrical and steering and suspension.*mrfor the second time, the vehicle had problems with the brakes making a loud rubbing sound, the stabilizer bar was replaced and needs to be replaced again. The transmission was leaking, water was inside of the headlight seals, which made the lights very dim, the selector mode switch on the heater motor blower did not work properly, which made the heat not work at a 100%. The upper ball joints, rack and pinion and wheel bearing were all defective.
Speedometer/odometer failed.
Speedometermalfunctioned, not allowing the vehicle to go into third gear.vehicle has been repaired.
Transmission shifted into reverse while shifter was still in drive. Overdrive light was blinking.
Vehicle shuts off in gear at 25 mph. Overheated upon acceleration. Dealer contacted, and stated the alarmwas the cause. Problems still exists.
Car stalls in forward/reverse gears.
While driving at 70 mph without prior warningodometer dropped, and the vehicle went into overdrive and wouldn't come out of overdrive.
At first vehicle would indicate wrong gear and then it binded up the gear shift so eventually had to remove some plastic from gear shift just to shift the gear then the automatic gear shift indication will not indicate what gear the car is in at all.possibly causing wrong gear selection could cause collision in parking lot.
Asked dealership to perform recall 00v-367000 and they said ford has no such recall.
Transmission replaced due to grinding and scraping, was also replaced once by previous owner.
I can't even remember how many time i have had to come to this site about this car.without any warning the transmission went out and now still owing money on this car i am looking at $2000.00 for a new transmission.
Have had numerous problems:interior/brake lights failed to light.replaced switch twice.fuel filler door will not open with latch inside.never worked.cigarette lighter failed.power window on driver's side has failed.car intermittently will not start due to drained battery.mechanic could find no cause for this related to alternator/charging system of car.never able to fix this.trunk leaks water around seal. Abs light keeps coming on .mechanic could find no problem with abs.air conditioner/heater would only blow out defrost setting. Also bad smell comes from ac when on. Rear seat belts keep jamming; not able to use sometimes because they won't come out.worst problem so far:transmission has failed.not yet fixed.i loved this car once, now i hate it!the whole thing should be recalled.
Stalling in traffic with high outside temperature, overdrive off light flashes, very rough shifting, diagnostics indicate torque converter clutch slipping, transmission being replaced.
This is our second car with this model overdrive transmission (cd4e) that has failed at approximately the same mileage, the first was a 1995 mazda 626 vin# [xxx].the majority of the driving miles on both vehicles were considered highway miles at a cruising seed of 55mph or greater, generally with the cruise control on.information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
Transmission went out, and pressing on gasvehicle felt like it was in neutral. Contacted dealer.
I just got the car from used car dealer on 02/07/08 drove fine went home and in the morning i went out got kids in car and went to back up and had no reverse..the shop i took it to said the transmission is out. The car only has 81000 miles on it....and there has been alot of complaints made about this transmission in 1996 ford contours... I think some thing needs to be done ...
While driving, the transmission would down shift on its own.the transmission would hesitate then shift.the driver was able to drive it to the dealer for inspection.the mechanic was unable to duplicate the problem.please fill in additional information. The consumer stated that the transmission indicator deteriorated and fans out therefore can not indicate what gear the transmission is in.*tc
The vehicle will intermittently jump from first to second gear. Also, a lound popping noise occurs, cause unknown.please give any further details.
While vehicle is being driven overdrive activates, andvehicle completely shuts down in heavy traffic, cause unknown.please give any further details.
While driving gear would slip from drive into neutral with no warning. The engine would revthen pop back into (automatic) gear. Would start shifting into drive or reverse until foot is pressing accelerator. Then shifts into neutral. Its happens intermittently. Will be taking vehicle to dealer.
Twice the transmission failed on the freeway and had to be completely replaced even though the car was 1 and 3 months old. The dealer was extremely rude and i promise i will never purchase another ford again and neither will anybody that has heard my story.
Tranamission failed.yh
Transmission does not recognize any gears.vehicle was towed to dealer & dealer hasn't had a chance to findthe cause of the problem. Vechicle is also idleing very high.
While driving the overdrive off light continues to come on. And when this happens, car loses speed.
The transmission is making a grinding and scraping type noise.i should not have to for any of the cost of the transimission.
My transmission went out on my 1996 ford countour (66000+ miles). I was told that my transmission went to high line pressure and blew a piston drum in the transmission. The transmission in my car is a cd4e which is also found in madza cars.the cd4e transmission is known for it many problems releated to going to high line pressure andblowing the piston drums in its' earlier designs between (1994 - 1998). Why aren't these defective transmissions recalled for correction.
When shifting into third gear there is a grinding/clashing noise= tsb # 96248;contacted local dealership andwas informed ford does not cover anything, car needs a new shift fork and rebuilt input shaft; cost $1000.
Automatic transmission got stuck in park position.please provide further information.
Transmission/torque converter, andengine valve failure.
Vehicle has a crack in transmission housing. Consumer states while mechanic was performing routine maintenance he observed a crack in the bottome of the transmission housing, since no transmission work has ever been performed under consumer's ownership roughly since 41,000 miles in the mechanic's opinion that either the transmission housing was cracked when installed or another transmission was put in resulting in a cracked housing, he also observed what might be bad front coil springs, they are making a rubbing nosie on an uneven surface or in a sharp turn to the right,consumer has contacted manufacturer they have calledher consumer back but they have turned the complaint into a feedback report consumer has also had rotors turned and serviced twice.
At highway speedstransmission casing cracked,causing thevehicle to decelerate rapidly. Dealer and manufacturer have been notified.
Torque converter failed in january, 2001, causing damage to the automatic transmission which required replacement at a cost of $2,600.five months later, the torque converter again required replacement.replaced with ford parts.now in april, 2002, the transmission againcaused problems with stalling in traffic, overdirve light flashing, very rough shifting.diagnostics indicate the torque converter came apart and damaged the automatic transmission again.replacement cost will be $2,400.
When driving at 70 mph the vehicle is shifting very hard. It downshifts from overdrive to second gear, and all the components on the dashboard start going out. Vehicle has been intorepair shop six timesand the dealer can't determine the cause of the problem. Also,when applying the brakes, the child in the child seatgoes forward, and the harness strap left a red spot on the child.
Was driving one day and overdrive light comes on and cars starts to shift real hard no exact speed matters all the time and engine check light is on all the time.
When traveling at any speedtransmission drops out of gear ,causing loss of forward motion and loss of acceleration. Consumer has contacteddealer. Please provide any further details.
Consumer has had numerous problems with the 1996 ford contour.*mrthere has been so many recalls on consumer's vehicle that she wasn't aware of because the manufacturer never sent notices.since then consumer has been paying for entire full price and is asking for reimbursement.however, the biggest problem with the vehicle is the gas fumes which is leaking therefore leaving poisonous carbon monoxide fumes coming in through the heater vents.these harsh chemicals are damaging to the lungs, brain, respiratory system and its making consumer very tired among other symptoms.
While driving about 25 mph transmission felt like it was shifting into neutral. Vehicle had to be towed. Then, took vehicle to dealer, andfound out that piston assambly was intransmission broke.
I bought a 1996 ford contour from and individual in july of this year.it ran well, for a few days, and then the od light kept coming on, and it felt like it was shifting into low. I kept mashing the button on the shift arm and the light would go out and then come back on this would go on for several days, then it would be ok for several days, just to start up all over again. Then i had the old changed in november and the would not stay cranked for me to get home. The wires under the hood are all flaking of there plastic covering. I assume this is why it will not stayed cranked. I can not drive it in this condition.
The vehicle's automatic transmission failed (1996 ford contour).*ph
Over drive light flashes and over drive system will be activated suddenly couldn't be turned off.
Transmission failure - complete failure of 2-3 gear shift and also locking torque converter.
The front part of the vehicle makes a dragging sound while driving. The dealer indicated there was an internal transmission problem. The serpentine belt was replaced. Updated
Car would not shift, entire transmission rebuilt $2600.
The contact owns a 1996 ford contour.while attempting to shift the gears on the floor shift, the contact experienced incorrect gear selection.he took the vehicle to the dealer and a technician stated that they did not repair vehicles after ten years.the manufacturer stated that his vin was not included nhtsa campaign id number 98v233000 (power train:automatic transmission:lever and linkage:floor shift); therefore, the contact would be responsible for the repair costs.the failure and current mileages were 86,000.
The vehicles overdrive failed resulting in transmission failure, the manufacturer has been contacted.nlm
Transmission automatic transaxle failed at highway speed.
The cear is pealing, 2 transmisisons have failed and now the a/c int. Blower only runs on high.
My 1996 contour has literally broken down.i have 99,000 miles and have completely replaced the transmission, the front suspension system, and the car still is not dependable, and the same problems re-occur.i hpay more in repairs than i do for my monthly payment.
Consumer took car in for 4th recall repairs. This one was for the engine wires. Dealer fixed problem. Consumer picked up car, andon that same eveningengine checklight came on. Took in vehicle for service, andspeedometer stopped working. Couldn't tell how fast car was going. Also overdrive light started to blink on/off.
Transmission slips in and out of gears, especially when in high gears.
Traction control system filed.
I hope you can help me. I have a complaint i'd like to register with you about the safety of a car made by ford motor company. The vin (vehicle identification number) is [xxx]. I am the owner of a 1996 ford contour lx and recently i became aware (on my own accord) that ford motor company has the following two safety recalls on my vehicle1. Recall 99s14 - head light switch and wire assembly2. Recall 98s26 - automatic transaxle shift indicator (prndl) bezel.upon acquiring this information i contacted ford motor company's local dealer kingston industrial garage in order to ascertain whether my vehicle qualifies for these recalls. I was subsequently advised by them that while my vehicle qualified for recall 99s14-head lamp switch and wire assembly, however it does qualify for recall 98s26 - automatic transaxle shift indicator (prndl) bezel. This is occurring despite the fact that my vehicle meets one of the requirements as stated in a letter issued to dealers and customers by ford motor company's mr. A. R. Kaduk-manager of vehicle service and programs dated october, 1998 which reads "certain 1995-1998 model year contour vehicles equipped with automatic transmission built from september 1, 1994 through january 8, 1998 at the kansas city assembly plant, usa" and it is this statement that makes my vehicle eligible for this recall, and how can they justify honoring one safety recall and not another.as a consequence of their refusal to honor this safety recall i am presently forced to drive an extremely unsafe vehicle due to the fact that i am unable to determine the selection of gears as a result of the defective automatic shift indicator (prndl) bezel which if not addressed with dispatch will sooner or later result in severe damage to myself and others. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. I look forward to hearing from you soon.information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)
Automatic shift lever may not indicate correct gear (p, d, r) lever hangs up when switching between p, d, r.problem has been occurring for appx three years.
The gear shift indicator does not inidicate what gear the vehicle is in. The dealer/manufacturer i are aware ofproblem problem has not been corrected.
Power train:automatic transmission:gear position indication (prndl)details: automatic shift lever may not indicate correct gear (p, d, r) lever hangs up when switching between p, d, r. Problem has been occurring for appx three years.
Shift lever damage, no longer able to tell what gear is shifted to, there is a recall but this vehicle is not affected due to vin.
The gear shift indicator is broken, and does not indicate what gear the vehicle is in. The problem was reported to the dealership. Dealer stated that vehiclewas not included in recall # 98v233000 due to vin,and could not be serviced free of charge.
Prndl indicator is broken, similar complaint to nhtsa # 98v233000, found ford recall # 98s26, dealer and manufacturer will not cover vehicle under this recall campaign.
Shift lever indicator is worn.can no longer see what gear is being used. There is recall 98v233000, but this vehicle is not affected.
Gear shifter failed.
Gear shift indicator is not reading the actual gear position ,causing incorrect gear selection. Also, ther eis recall 98v233000 for the same problem. However, vehicle not included in the recall. Please provide any further details.
Shift leverdoes not show the proper gear that the car is in.dealership has informed consumer that recall 98v233000 does not affect this vehicle.please provide any additional information / attachments.
Recall 98 v 233 000/shift level damage: shift level is not correctly indicating actual gear, consumer contacted dealer, and informed consumer that vehiclewas not covered under recall due to vin. *yd
Floor shift leverbroke. Indicator showing drive/reverse, etc., failed to work properly. Very hard to shift into park. Took to dealer to check cause & was informed no recalls on vehicle.driver cannot tell if vehicle is in drive or reverse.
Question regarding how a similar make, model and year vehicle with the identical problem is not included in a recall.*mr the consumer was referring to recall #98v233000.
Recall 98s26. Floor lever is not correctly indicating in whichgear the vehicle is in. Plastic piece around lever has cracked. Dealer contacted and states vehicle does not comply to recall. Problem still exists. Provide further information.
Torque converter failed in january, 2001, causing damage to the automatic transmission which required replacement at a cost of $2,600.five months later, the torque converter again required replacement.replaced with ford parts.now in april, 2002, the transmission againcaused problems with stalling in traffic, overdirve light flashing, very rough shifting.diagnostics indicate the torque converter came apart and damaged the automatic transmission again.replacement cost will be $2,400.
Stalling in traffic with high outside temperature, overdrive off light flashes, very rough shifting, diagnostics indicate torque converter clutch slipping, transmission being replaced.
Transmission failure - complete failure of 2-3 gear shift and also locking torque converter.
Transmission/torque converter, andengine valve failure.
All the bolts sheared off on bracket supporting transaxle, causing it to fall down and wedge against the exhaust pipe.heard a noise prior to discovering problem.vehicle driven to mechanic for repairs. Owner has bolts.
The left front axle broke while i was driving the car and it punctured my tire and damaged the rim of it.the mechanic says it was just worn out even though the car is only 3 years old.the check engine light stays on all the time, and there is nothing wrong.the engine rumbles when it idles.the brakes grind all the time, and i have replaced the left rotor 3 times in less than a year.the carpet comes out from under the rear seats an the passenger's side.
Right rear light continued to go out. Replace bulb few times. Right wheel bearing had to be replaced. Major fan belt replaced. Alternator replaced. Light on radio goes off when head lights turned on. This happened after they fixed my recall for lights. Gas cap cover is very hard to open. Takes several times to try and open. When air is on smells come through really strong from other cars. Owner notification recalls are not taken care of until they actually happen. These are coil can break and car go down blow out tires. Also electrical harness can break and wires will connect with other parts of the car and cause a fire. I have sent a letter to the president of ford and explained how i felt this car was unsafe and if anything happened to me or my family they would be held responsible. I never received a response from anyone. They should be made to take back all contours and give us a safer car for us and our families to drive. I am a single parent and cannot afford to finance another car. They need to provide a loan and new car for us. I will be contacting ford again in the near future to see if they will help with taking my car back and giving me another car/loan. As i told them in the letter they just wanted to sell and make money they didn't think of the family and or families that this car as it fell apart would effect. I appreciate that you have this web site that i can voice my concerns,problems with the ford and feel someone may pay attention before someone is hurt in these cars as have been many with the tire situation. I will help you in any way i can to clear up all of these problems. I keep the letter i sent ford in my car in case something happens someone will be able to read it and know i did try to get this problem dissolved before it was to late. Thank you so much for your help. Debbie jennings hewitt
Consumerheard a thumping sound. Took automobile to midas auto shop and was told that two bolts have sheared off the transaxle .
Man-trans: vehicle parked on hill, unoccupied, emergency brake not applied; popped out of gear; rolled forward down a hill; ran into two parked vehicles.tt
Speedometermalfunctioned, not allowing the vehicle to go into third gear.vehicle has been repaired.
The convertor clutch was slipping in the transmission, transmission was replaced.
Car has always stalled and i was told by a mechanic that it was because the car was made like a stick shift so it stalls at stop signs and lights sometimes. Now my car is stalling as i start going through lights and i was almost hit by a car from behind
The transmission failed while driving.nlm
Transmission failure.
Vehicle was hit from the rear, and driver's side seatbelt came loose from the panel, forcing the driver into the steering wheel. Dealer has not seen vehicle.
Seat beltsrear have completely fallen a part. There were no attachment t0 click on.dealershipwas awareofproblem.
Consumerwas at the traffic light going through the intersection. The traffic in front of himhad slowed down,but the car behind didn't comply. Car hit consumer's vehicle from behind, and smashedit in.sea tbelt failed to restrain, and driver sustained back and neck injuries.
The belt is far too long to be used with a car seat - we had to tie it in a knot in order to use our child seat!
Front lap seat belt failed to secure child. *sd
Passenger's safety belt failed in accident.
Both rear seat belts failed to extend outward with one of the seat belt retractors trapping a child at one point. Second failure was thatseat belt buckles/latches have fallen apart.rear seat belts were not usable at all except middle lap belt.please describe details.
Seat belt buckle failed.
When using rear seat belts, beltspull half way out, will not retract back. Belts are twisted or wrapped around mechanism inside door panel. Taking vehicle to dealership.
Both rear seat belts failed to extend outward with one of the seat belt retractors trapping a child at one point. Second failure was thatseat belt buckles/latches have fallen apart.rear seat belts were not usable at all except middle lap belt.please describe details.
Passenger's seat belt has become jammed withinretracting mechanism, and would not release, causingseat belt to become inoperable.please give any further details.
Vehicle was hit on the passenger's front side and the shoulder belt did not restrain the driver.also,the deployment of the driver's side air bagknocked driver out of seat and head hit the passenger side window.
My son was involved in a traffic accident where the car rolled overand hit numerous trees. Both air bags did not open and the seat beltbroke away... Miracously my son ended up in the back seat with onlya modest bump on his head. ....witnessess as well as the towing/wrecking yard could not believe there were no serious injuries, especially considering the conditionof the vehicle... When purchasing the autoi recall that safety reports were generallyfavorable...given the impact of this accident it is incredible thatthe airbags did not open and that the seat belt broke away...
Rear seat belt clip fell off/repaired.
The rear safety belts did not function properly, the left rear belt buckle did not lock into the latch plate when connected and the right rear belt only pulled far enough from housing to cover a small child.
Seat track problem: seat track "pops" and moves during cornering, which directly affects driver's position and steering; can cause unintentional swerving while cornering; seat track has been replaced 3 times and each replacement has failed.ford has not.
Front seat back collapsed rearward during low speed rear-impact collision.driver ejected into back seat.broken neck.quadriplegia.
The driver's seat is not firmly attached to the floor of the vehicle.thus, the seatback rocks slightly from side to side during cornering, and from front to back during acceleration and braking.the local ford dealer told me that this problem is common, and cannot be cured.specifically, the service advisor told me that certain 'rivets' or metal flanges in the seat track stretch over time and cause the loose feeling of the seat back.replacing the seat rails does no good, as the new parts are of the same design, and eventually begin to fail like the oem parts.this malfunction of the seat is a serious safety concern to me.having the seatback dislodged during normal driving could cause an accident.what's worse would be a seatback failure during an accident, possibly allowing me to be ejected from the vehicle.my only recourse in this matter is to purchase aftermarket seats of higher quality.seats from a manufacturer such as recaro or corbeau come with a substatial warranty, and are sure to be more durable and safe than the original equipment.in sum, i would like to see a safety-oriented recall of all ford products that have this seatback malfunction.specifically, i would like ford to redesign a more durable, safe seat mechanism and retrofit all existing cars.an additional note - i am a member of the ford contour enthusiasts group, as well as a ford contour mailing list recipient.of the 505 people on the mailing list, many have had the same seatback failures.i encourage you to contact the contour enthusiasts group at www.contour.org for more owner testimonials.thank you, tom disalvo.([email protected])
Brakes & rotors.dt
I got this car in april 96.i have had it in the shop several times because the car just completely loses power without any warning at all.it locks up the steering and brakes.it happens at all speeds and in varying temperatures.they have never been able to find the problem.the most recent episode was jan 14, 2001.sometimes i have to tow the car, other times it will start back up.this last time it started back up after about 5 minutes.fortunately, other drivers have been paying attention, and i haven't been killed.this car has also experienced:check engine light always on...dealer cannot find problem, but charges $110 to diagnose it each time!....the accelerator pedal cable broke in 2000.again, fortunately, i was in my neighborhood and no cars nailed me.the paint on this car is beginning to peel/crack even though it is garage kept.i have had to put 3 sets of brakes on this car...have also had the dash and tail lights go out (which they did fix) also the ac knob broke (which they fixed) i have taken it in for all known recalls.ford has never responded to my concerns about the complete power loss i keep experiencing and the dealer just suggests totally useless repairs that cost alot and do not solve the problem.
While traveling at 70 mph,odometer gauge dropped to 10 mph. Engine light and odometer light came on.consumer states that vehicle was towed to mechanic. Mechanicstated it was the speed sensor.
When pressing brakes it vibrates and makes noise.rotors have been replaced twice with because of same problem.service tech says it will be a continuous problem due to the type of brake pads the vehicle uses.
Problems with 1996 ford contour front brakes, transmission, fuse box, heater blower motor, electrical and steering and suspension.*mrfor the second time, the vehicle had problems with the brakes making a loud rubbing sound, the stabilizer bar was replaced and needs to be replaced again. The transmission was leaking, water was inside of the headlight seals, which made the lights very dim, the selector mode switch on the heater motor blower did not work properly, which made the heat not work at a 100%. The upper ball joints, rack and pinion and wheel bearing were all defective.
This car has less than 70000 miles on it. We had trouble with the fuel door, front wheel bearings, brakes, door handles, transmission, electric windows, and now as a special treat the engine failed. This car has been the worst investment that my wife and i have ever made. I have have owned several cars and trucks with 200000 plus miles on them and none of them have ever been as problematic as this automobile.
Intermittent problems with abs, when applying brakes at 5 mphabs kicks in,there is a pulsing noise at that time. Dealer numerous times, cannot remedy problem.
About 2-3 months after i had my car i tried to trade it in for another car because of the deffects on it, but the dealer would not help me out then. Is there anything i can do about it now? no safety defect listed in the summary.
The left front axle broke while i was driving the car and it punctured my tire and damaged the rim of it.the mechanic says it was just worn out even though the car is only 3 years old.the check engine light stays on all the time, and there is nothing wrong.the engine rumbles when it idles.the brakes grind all the time, and i have replaced the left rotor 3 times in less than a year.the carpet comes out from under the rear seats an the passenger's side.
When depressingbrakes with normal force vehicle continued totravel, causing a crash.
Antilock brakes failed.
Consumer has had numerous problems with the 1996 ford contour.*mrthere has been so many recalls on consumer's vehicle that she wasn't aware of because the manufacturer never sent notices.since then consumer has been paying for entire full price and is asking for reimbursement.however, the biggest problem with the vehicle is the gas fumes which is leaking therefore leaving poisonous carbon monoxide fumes coming in through the heater vents.these harsh chemicals are damaging to the lungs, brain, respiratory system and its making consumer very tired among other symptoms.
While driving about 20 mph next to a close curve saw a deer in front of vehicle onroad. Tried to avoid hittingit by stepping onbrakes. They locked up, andvehicle rolled over. None of front air bags deployed.
Left and right front abs stators have cracks which are clearly visible.this causes the abs system to activate on a low speed stop. At about 40 mph the abs light comes on and the system doesn't work.the brakes work in regular mode.this was discovered on 6/21/05 but had been happening . Mechanic changed an abs sensor wire with a cut in it . Had to look further to find cracked stators.mechanic said that the ford dealership he called admitted there was a problem with some models,cracked stators on windstars,offered no solution. I called my ford dealer and was not helped .a part like this bears no weight and should not be failing.the cracks make the computer think there is a reason to activate and then at 40mph to shut down.the rear stators were not checked for cracks yet. Thank you
While parking vehicle, the engine suddenly revved up for no reason & then shot forward. Applying brakes, did not stop vehicle. It went over small embankment. Air bags did not deploy.
While driving 25 mphdriver attempted to apply the brakes and vehicle continued to accelerate. As a result the vehicle was towed home, and then to the repair shop.
While driving the car began to malfunction and then cut off , when vehicle cut off,driver lost control because the wheels locked up.
Brakes: brakes make a loud scraping sound. Front rotors have been changed twice.when driving and applying the brakes, there's a loud scraping noise and the vehicle is very hard to stop. Has been in shop so many times the dealer indicates that there is nothing else they can do for it.
Brakeshave little resistance when pressure is applied tobrake pedal, feels "mushy.also,abs light oninstrument panel came on. Dealership examinedvehicle and resetabs light.as the consumer was driving away fromdealership,abs light came back on. Dealership then determined they have to perform rewiring work to correct the problem.please provide any additional information / attachments.
In october, 2000, on a highway offramp, the brake pedal went fully to the floor.car crashed into the rear of another vehicle with approx. $5000 damage to my car.in mid-december, 2000, my daughter was driving the car and pedal once again went straight to floor.she pumped once, brake worked, avoided accident.will install new master cylinder on technician's suggestion.at 77 years old i am afraid of the next occurrence.have others had this experience??
The vehicle's defective braking systemcauses extended stopping distance which almost cause an accident.dealer cannot determine problem.
Have had numerous problems:interior/brake lights failed to light.replaced switch twice.fuel filler door will not open with latch inside.never worked.cigarette lighter failed.power window on driver's side has failed.car intermittently will not start due to drained battery.mechanic could find no cause for this related to alternator/charging system of car.never able to fix this.trunk leaks water around seal. Abs light keeps coming on .mechanic could find no problem with abs.air conditioner/heater would only blow out defrost setting. Also bad smell comes from ac when on. Rear seat belts keep jamming; not able to use sometimes because they won't come out.worst problem so far:transmission has failed.not yet fixed.i loved this car once, now i hate it!the whole thing should be recalled.
Whenever i turn on the heater, a/c, defrost, or fan my abs light turns on and my brakes are spongy. I have lost all brakes on two occasions when the abs light came on. When my car sits for a weekend, the battery dies. Installed a new battery, still dies. Ford cannot find a cause for either problem. I have taken my car in to have the wiring harness changed for the lights, those went out. Also, my a/c fuse had caught fire, whole fuse box and blower was replaced.
Abs failed to stop vehicle after brakes were applied. Vehicle started slowing up after abs light came on. Brake pedal went to the floor.eventually was able tostop vehicle.been to mechanic 4 times,master cylinder proprtional valve was replaced to correct problem, which still was present. Consumer stated this has been an reocurring problem.
While driving the abs light illuminated on the dash intermittently.when this occurred the anti lock brakes engaged prematurely.the abs would then disengage and the brakes would lock up. *nlm
Major harness & electrical wiring which is under recall that the ford dealership will not honor.
When turning couldhear a bumping sound in steering. Took vehicle to dealer. Nothing was found. Noise waslouder. Couldnot control vehicle during rain. The brakes failed to slow & stop vehicle. Had cracked front end. The front suspension sway bar also broke.
Consumer does not feel the vehicle is safe, due to the extensive amount of recalls (6) that have been sent regarding the safety of the vehicle, request vehicle to be exchange or recalled completely due to manufacturer errors, most recent recall (00v-075) brake system. *mjs
When driving at any speed and applying the brakes,brakes are working intermittently, and brake pedal goes straight to the floorboard.
Brakes and brake line failed.
Consumer received recall notification (00v-075), however dealership denied service, vehicle does not apply.*mjs
Brakes failed.
While driving and brakingengine revved and suddenly accelerated and the brakes would not slow down the vehicle.had to use the emergency brake, and run up an a curb in order to stop the vehicle.manufacturer contacted.please provide further information.
When driving at any speed and applying the brakes there is agrinding noise coming from the brakes.
Defective brakes.
While driving at any speed and when applying the brakes, they are not hard but medium.when driving over any speed bump thereis a very loud noise coming from the back of the vehicle by the fuel tank.
Upon slightly wet surface or possible oil driver applied brakes slightly, he lost control,hitting curb w/cause unknown, resultin gin an accident/injury.
Brakes failed twice once while driving in an ice storm, each time brake failure was followed by a grinding noise, had to be applied 3 times before stopping vehicle, serviced twice for this problem, however problem not rectified.
Abs failed to stop vehicle after brakes were applied. Vehicle started slowing up after abs light came on. Brake pedal went to the floor.eventually was able tostop vehicle.been to mechanic 4 times,master cylinder proprtional valve was replaced to correct problem, which still was present. Consumer stated this has been an reocurring problem.
Brakes were making a loud squeaking noise coming fromleft front brake drum.took to mechanic,and they replaced both left and right front brake system.consumer has not contacteddealer. Please provide any further information.
In june 1998 replaced brake pads, and had rotors turned because they were warped.had to replace brake pads again, including rotors in february 1999.two months later rotors again warped.in july 1998 had to replace alternator.in april 1999 dash lights and tail lights quit working - had headlight switch replaced.
Rear caliperslocked uo,causing overheating of brake rotors, odor and potential to boil hydralic fluid leading to brake failure.
The calipers on the front disk brake system tend to want to roll inward off of the rotors on both sides of the vehicle. This has happened twice to date.vehicle: 1996 ford contour
Vehicle pulsates when brakes are applied due to warped rotors.
Vehicle has a crack in transmission housing. Consumer states while mechanic was performing routine maintenance he observed a crack in the bottome of the transmission housing, since no transmission work has ever been performed under consumer's ownership roughly since 41,000 miles in the mechanic's opinion that either the transmission housing was cracked when installed or another transmission was put in resulting in a cracked housing, he also observed what might be bad front coil springs, they are making a rubbing nosie on an uneven surface or in a sharp turn to the right,consumer has contacted manufacturer they have calledher consumer back but they have turned the complaint into a feedback report consumer has also had rotors turned and serviced twice.
Brakes: brakes make a loud scraping sound. Front rotors have been changed twice.when driving and applying the brakes, there's a loud scraping noise and the vehicle is very hard to stop. Has been in shop so many times the dealer indicates that there is nothing else they can do for it.
The front end of vehicle shakes and rattles when slowing down..the smell of burning wires are present when ac and heaters are utilized.very dangerous if you live in cold climate area. Could cause injury or even death during wintermonths. Ford should do a safety recall on all engine, internal wiring harness, and fix rotors.
The calipers on the front disk brake system tend to want to roll inward off of the rotors on both sides of the vehicle. This has happened twice to date.vehicle: 1996 ford contour
The left front axle broke while i was driving the car and it punctured my tire and damaged the rim of it.the mechanic says it was just worn out even though the car is only 3 years old.the check engine light stays on all the time, and there is nothing wrong.the engine rumbles when it idles.the brakes grind all the time, and i have replaced the left rotor 3 times in less than a year.the carpet comes out from under the rear seats an the passenger's side.
Consumer contacteddealer in reference to recall 00v075000/ rear brake valve.dealer stated parts were not available. Dealer refused to correct recall problem. Please provide any further details.
Ford need to replace this car with a safe one! come on 6 electrical failures? when will the fire start from the failures?..dateline nbc next!
On three different occasions applied the brakes and brakes failed,the third time brakes failed and vehicle hit another car,took to dealer on each time,dealer said the drumd were dirty.
Brakes were making a loud squeaking noise coming fromleft front brake drum.took to mechanic,and they replaced both left and right front brake system.consumer has not contacteddealer. Please provide any further information.
Brakes and brake line failed.
Abs failed to stop vehicle after brakes were applied. Vehicle started slowing up after abs light came on. Brake pedal went to the floor.eventually was able tostop vehicle.been to mechanic 4 times,master cylinder proprtional valve was replaced to correct problem, which still was present. Consumer stated this has been an reocurring problem.
Ford need to replace this car with a safe one! come on 6 electrical failures? when will the fire start from the failures?..dateline nbc next!
While driving 20 mph check engine light appeared on the dashboard and remained on. Vehicle vibrated uncontrollably. Vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection, andmechanicdetermined that the brake vacuum hose needed to be replaced and replaced it.however, the problemrecurred.
Vehicle experiences continued difficultly in steering.
When driving and upon hitting a puddle of water the steering column locks up,resulting in the consumer losing control of the vehicle. Consumer has contacted the dealer, dealer, knows of the problem.
During rainy weather, the steering becomes locked temporarily whenever a puddle is hit.
Corrosion under the car (police inceptor ).car was purchase from a local dealer in bamberg, sc that sell many crown victorias.he indicated my car came from up north, pennsylvania.
The steering locks temporarily during rainy weather and vehicle hits a puddle.
While driving vehicle about 10 mph when rainning, consumer drove over a pot of water. He lost control of steering wheel and the steering locked up to one side, making it hard to drive.
Problems with 1996 ford contour front brakes, transmission, fuse box, heater blower motor, electrical and steering and suspension.*mrfor the second time, the vehicle had problems with the brakes making a loud rubbing sound, the stabilizer bar was replaced and needs to be replaced again. The transmission was leaking, water was inside of the headlight seals, which made the lights very dim, the selector mode switch on the heater motor blower did not work properly, which made the heat not work at a 100%. The upper ball joints, rack and pinion and wheel bearing were all defective.
Steering locks every time it rains and the vehicle runs through a puddle.
Steering wheel, column, dash board, and now i can feel it in the drivers seat ,vibrate when car is at a complete stop.vibration lessens slightly when the car is placed in park.the ford service dealer in warner robins, gadiagnosedthe problem as "correctiondiag and needs air bag, radiator support and steering wheel damper"i was also advised none of the repairs were covered under my esp plan as these were external probalms and the warranty only covers internal.my warranty runs at at either 72000 or on nov 10, 2000.i am concerned about the air bag specifically.will it deploy when it should, or shouldn't or not at all?i asked the service department if their records indicate any serious damage would be done if i did not have the repairs done and they told me no.this i don't beleive as i feel the problem getting worse.how will i be able to control the car if this problem continues to get worse?i feel ford should look into this problem, if it is a major defect it could result in a major lawsuit.
No summary provided by consumer
No summary provided byconsumer( dot number: ??? tire size: ??? )
Steering column bolt siezed causing steering column to lock up while driving.
Vehicle shuts off in gear at 25 mph. Overheated upon acceleration. Dealer contacted, and stated the alarmwas the cause. Problems still exists.
Power steering failed.
Occasionally, when the vehicle rolls through a puddle, the steering will fail and the battery light will appear, with the engine almost stalling. This has happened with the car going as fast as 35 mph and as slow as 5 mph. The problem has been reported to the dealer on several occasions, and the dealer has reportedly contacted the manufacturer regarding this particular problem. Additionally, the first time the vehicle was taken back to the dealer to report the problem, the service personnel was aware that the problem existed with the specific model. After repeated returns to the dealer (at least three separate complaints), the dealer informed us that the problem was fixed and that the car was even "driven through several puddles" without any steering failure. The last time the vehicle was taken in was approximately august, 1999. The warranty has since expired, and the dealer says that it is our responsibility to pay to have the problem fixed. Unfortunately, we have taken the car back several times, and the problem still exists. On 02/13/00, the vehicle again experienced steering failure.
Since purchase of vehicle when driving through a puddle of water or in rain, power steering will go out. At that timealernator light comes on, has been to dealer numerous times for this , seems to be a design flaw. Also, filling up with gasoline vehicle will smell for long time.
Power steering becomes disables when driven through puddles of water.safety should be a recall by ford motor corp
While attempting to make a right turn steering wheel was hard to turn. Brake pedal was hard. Consumer restarted vehicle, andvehicle went back to normal.consumer feels it is dangerous to lose power. Please provide any further information.
When driving through puddles there is a loss of power steering. Dealer says it needs a splash shield kit.
Power steering hose and pump failed.
The steering belt on vehicle is too low to the ground. When it's raining it gets wet & causes the driver to lose control of vehicle when making turns. Took to dealer & informed cannot do anyting. It was designed like that.
When driving vehicle in wet conditions, water is backsplashed by front right tire into the engine compartment, specifically where the main drive belts are. This causes the power steering pulley to slip and sieze, thereby causing a lock up on the steering mechanism. This has occurred numerous times and creates a hazardous situation because you loose control of vehicle momentarily. We lost control of vehicle recently in the expressway, while traveling on wet pavement and puddles. Steering siezed and car went out of control. Fortunately we brought the car under control before causing major accident.
When driving through a small puddle at 20mph, the power steering failed, making it difficult to manuever vehicle into a parking spot.dealer believes the power steering belt slipped.
Power steering hose and pump failed.
Consumer experiencing problem withpower steering belt slipping. Whenever vehicle is driven in the wet condition road the water would come underneath onto the power steering belt, causing the belt to slip, and steering to fail.dealer notified, and refused to correct the problem because claimed vehicle was not underwarranty. However, consumer indicated that vehicle wa sunder an extended warranty sold by the dealer. However, warranty doesn't cover any item that the manufacturer is responsible for.
Tie rod broke just pulling out of a parking space. Lucky it was'nt on the freeway.
The rear power window on the passenger side does not work.the moulding on the outside of the rear windows has been loose ever since the i bought the car.the carpeting in the rear of the car has been loose/ hasn't fit ever since i bought the car.the blower no longer blows through the panel vents--only through the defroster/defogger vents.
Tie rod broke just pulling out of a parking space. Lucky it was'nt on the freeway.
Idler arm andfront control arm failed.
Excessive power steering fluid leak.the original rack and pinion assemply was replaced, due to leakage, with ford parts. The replaced parts also leaked. After second replacement, the power steering hose leaked.at least two power steering hoses have been installed, both have leaked.all repairs attempts have been made by authorized ford dealers under the manufacturers warranty.
I have had multiple problems w/ my 96 ford contour since i bought it 2/23/96. I have had it in for service multiple times, and i get told it's covered under warranty why worry about it. The srv.mngr.at my dealer supposedly talked to a "tony" at ford & told him to tell me as long as it's covered under warranty i shouldn't complain it is no money out of my pocket. That is unsatisfactory -i believe my car to be a defect in that years line of contours & i would like something done about these problems. My car runs worse than any used car i have ever owned! all i ever wanted done was to rectify the situation,they could have easily replaced my car with one similiar to that year & model & i would have been happy. I really would like a response to this matter. I am to the point where i will contact a lawyer to seek help dealing with ford & kennedy ford , if i can not get a fair & aggreeable outcome to this situation.thank you.
Rack and pinion failed.
Wet/leaking trunk.also leaking from trunk to back seat.can't locate where the leak is coming from.
Screw for driver side sunvisor fell off while vehicle was in motion, causing blocked vision totally. The driver side visor fell off twice.the second fall shorted electrical wires causing radio, clock and other components to fail.
The paint above the windshield started to crack. * mrthe consumer felt the window may separate from the structure and the roof may rust.scc
Drivers side front wheel fender guard became detached from vehicle.nlm
I can tell by the marks on the passanger side door that the window assembly was replaced prior to my buying the car.since i bought the car the drivers side window got stuck down and seeing the cost of the part and labor i couldn't afford to get it fixed so the guy just put the window in the up possision for me.the back drivers side window is so loose that i can't roll it down because it rattles too much.the gas pedel sticks all the time.i can be going whatever speed l;imit and have to hit the gas real quick to get it to slow down and when i get ready to go the pedel is stuck again and i have to push hard and then it all of a sudden goes with a jerk.this has been the car from hell.
Rear passenger door unable to open, coupled with the fact the windows only open half way as a child safety feature.
Air leak caused noise around the door while driving.
Consumer can't get intorear door duehandle being broken from the outside. Vehicle has been into the shop three times for repairs, and consumer is still having this problems.
No summary provided by consumer
No summary listed for above vehicle.
Roof rusted under paint. *mr ph
Seal in trunk split.
No summary provided byconsumer( dot number: ??? tire size: ??? )
No summary listed for above vehicle.
Trunk handle inoperative.
Front support system bolt has stripped off. Consumer had to have left front subframe replaced. The stripped bolt in the front sub frame was replaced with a new bolt and the problem was solved.
Vehicle constantly vibrated,whencomingto a stop it vibrated so hard as if itwas going throwconsumer out of the car. Mechanic indicated this wasthe way vehicle was operating.
While driving vehicle makes a whinning sound, andloses power.dealr has been contacted.
The struts replaced due to noise & the rear bearing's were replaced due to failure. Problem still exist.
While driving extreme vibration occurred within the steering column. Also, engine idled very fast, and the vehicle jerked., dealer stated that this was a normal condition.please give any further details.
Was driving 20mph when front end broke loose. Struts had broken. Vehcle hitground, andthen was thrown across 2 lanes of traffic. It finally hit a parked vehicle. No injuries.
My car was recalled in 2001. The past 6 mo my electrical system smells like its burning or something melting. Almost like its going to catch on fire
When turning couldhear a bumping sound in steering. Took vehicle to dealer. Nothing was found. Noise waslouder. Couldnot control vehicle during rain. The brakes failed to slow & stop vehicle. Had cracked front end. The front suspension sway bar also broke.
Corrosion under the car (police inceptor ).car was purchase from a local dealer in bamberg, sc that sell many crown victorias.he indicated my car came from up north, pennsylvania.
Consumerbought vehicle in september. She went outside that morning to start it up her vehicle and she noticed a knocking noise comming from underneath the hood. The dealer replaced starterand water pump butproblem still exist.
1. Sterring is vibrating primarily when the a/c is on, 2.in hot weather,vehicle will stall while idling or at a stop.
Problems with 1996 ford contour front brakes, transmission, fuse box, heater blower motor, electrical and steering and suspension.*mrfor the second time, the vehicle had problems with the brakes making a loud rubbing sound, the stabilizer bar was replaced and needs to be replaced again. The transmission was leaking, water was inside of the headlight seals, which made the lights very dim, the selector mode switch on the heater motor blower did not work properly, which made the heat not work at a 100%. The upper ball joints, rack and pinion and wheel bearing were all defective.
When driving at any speed and stopping at a stop, their is alot of vibrating within the steering and the dashboard rattles.
When traveling at any speed the vehicle cuts off without prior warning, causing loss of all power.in addition, the steering wheel shakes when traveling over 60 mph, resulting in poor steering control. Consumer has contacted the dealer, dealer unable to determine the cause. Please provide any further details.
I printed out all of the recalls on 1996, ford contour but when i went to the ford place they said the recalls are not on my particular car.so is that so?that cars are made in batches and only certain batches are recalled.i have a 1996 ford contour, 4 cylinder motor. That does have all of the problems on the recall list for my car.
This car is a lemon - it is not safe.
Loud humming noise and vibration during right turn.taken to dealer and repaired at my cost prior to complete failure.
The consumer hears a squeak in the left front wheel.
Consumer took this vehicle in to be repaired under the recall 99s14 for an ignition switch, the vehicle was repaired, but now theirs is a problem withfront endvibrating very hard. The dealer has been contacted.
My 1996 contour has literally broken down.i have 99,000 miles and have completely replaced the transmission, the front suspension system, and the car still is not dependable, and the same problems re-occur.i hpay more in repairs than i do for my monthly payment.
Rubbing noise while driving--noise is louder when turning wheel to left when changing lanes and going around curves.
Consumer has had numerous problems with the 1996 ford contour.*mrthere has been so many recalls on consumer's vehicle that she wasn't aware of because the manufacturer never sent notices.since then consumer has been paying for entire full price and is asking for reimbursement.however, the biggest problem with the vehicle is the gas fumes which is leaking therefore leaving poisonous carbon monoxide fumes coming in through the heater vents.these harsh chemicals are damaging to the lungs, brain, respiratory system and its making consumer very tired among other symptoms.
Idler arm andfront control arm failed.
Was traveling 60mph & driver lost control of vehicle. Had swerved first left & went off road & then swerved to the right into 30ft ditch. Vehicle towed to mechanic & was informed the left ball joint had broken which causedloss of vehicle control. The vehicle was totaled. Driver/passengers suffered injuries.
Driving 60mph. Heard popping noises. Vehicle uncontrollable. Went off road & down 30ft embankment & flipped over twice. Mechanic checked & noticed left front lower ball joint had fallen out. This caused a loss of control. 4 people were injured & everyone was wearing seat belts.
Purchase car new was driving and lower ball joint came loose .tt
Window stuck down, and struts needed.....4 years old???
Springs infront broke, and then vehicle started to veer left to right.also,struts were damaged. Dealershipwasaware of it.
Consumer had taken vehicle to dealer for a regular oil change. But when he got home, hestarted smelling something like a burning oil. Checked under vehicle where he saw the front shock asorberrustedfor no reason because he left vehicle in on indoor garage.
Springs infront broke, and then vehicle started to veer left to right.also,struts were damaged. Dealershipwasaware of it.
Springs arebroken at the driver side and making clicking noise .mechanic ( midas shop) told me that this is a classic problem with this model of cars due to bad design for these cars to break very easy mostly on the left side.
Vehicle has a crack in transmission housing. Consumer states while mechanic was performing routine maintenance he observed a crack in the bottome of the transmission housing, since no transmission work has ever been performed under consumer's ownership roughly since 41,000 miles in the mechanic's opinion that either the transmission housing was cracked when installed or another transmission was put in resulting in a cracked housing, he also observed what might be bad front coil springs, they are making a rubbing nosie on an uneven surface or in a sharp turn to the right,consumer has contacted manufacturer they have calledher consumer back but they have turned the complaint into a feedback report consumer has also had rotors turned and serviced twice.
The parking brake wouldn't release.we towed the car to midas.the inspection identified normal brake wear, but also serious front end deficiencies.the manager told us both front coil springs were broken and had been broken for some time, causing one strut to bend.he said had the second strut bent or broke, the car body would have dropped down onto the tires.he said the car was unsafe to drive. *nlm
Sway bar failure caused vehicle to make rattling noise while turning left. Yh
Consumer was informed by a mechanic that stabalizer bar was brokenwhen she tookvehicle into dealer to havehave a realignment. This was a common problem with these vehicles.consumer was charged a total of $463.26 to have this defect repaired.
Rear passenger side struts have poped and cracked since new.nlm
Rear passenger side struts have poped and cracked since new.nlm
Rear passenger side struts have poped and cracked since new.nlm
Broken rear coil springs.
I heard a loud noise coming from the front of the car everytime i drove over any surface that was not flat.without taking the car apart a mechanic told me it was possibly the struts that needed to be replaced.it turns out that theright front coil spring was broken and i was told that ford would have to repair the problem and this was not normal.i took my car to the ford repair shop and they replaced both front coil springs for $632.00. I was later told that their was a program to replace defective coil springs for free but it ended months before my coil springs had broken
Had received several recalls on vehicle springs, recall 01v230000, and heater blower sensor, recall 01i009000. Took vehicle to dealership's mechanic several times to have repairs done, even left vehicle with mechanic. Received call to pick up vehicle, and also informed none of the recalls were ever repaired. Mechanic refused to complete the recall repairs.bramview ford; queen st; brampton ontario canada; 9054511041.
I was informed both rear springs had cracked and it was a potential saftey hazzard.tires plus said it is possiable for the spring ends to puncture the tires.
Dealer finally replaced tires with michelin x1 and vibration is down to barely noticeable.we feel the tires are masking the problem.ford admits having the same problem with the sister model sold in germany, doesn't know what causes it but these extremely expensive tires seem to help.they use pirelli gold, michellin x1 in germany to "fix" the problem. They ruled out other causes such as suspension, alignment, wheel balance, etc.we are worried that there is an inherent design flaw that will cause major failure.
Goodyear tire failed.
Prior to receiving recall notice, the left front firestone tire blew out causing damage to the vehicle (00t-005).
No summary listed for this vehicle.
I have had multiple problems w/ my 96 ford contour since i bought it 2/23/96. I have had it in for service multiple times, and i get told it's covered under warranty why worry about it. The srv.mngr.at my dealer supposedly talked to a "tony" at ford & told him to tell me as long as it's covered under warranty i shouldn't complain it is no money out of my pocket. That is unsatisfactory -i believe my car to be a defect in that years line of contours & i would like something done about these problems. My car runs worse than any used car i have ever owned! all i ever wanted done was to rectify the situation,they could have easily replaced my car with one similiar to that year & model & i would have been happy. I really would like a response to this matter. I am to the point where i will contact a lawyer to seek help dealing with ford & kennedy ford , if i can not get a fair & aggreeable outcome to this situation.thank you.
Consumer took car in for 4th recall repairs. This one was for the engine wires. Dealer fixed problem. Consumer picked up car, andon that same eveningengine checklight came on. Took in vehicle for service, andspeedometer stopped working. Couldn't tell how fast car was going. Also overdrive light started to blink on/off.
The left front axle broke while i was driving the car and it punctured my tire and damaged the rim of it.the mechanic says it was just worn out even though the car is only 3 years old.the check engine light stays on all the time, and there is nothing wrong.the engine rumbles when it idles.the brakes grind all the time, and i have replaced the left rotor 3 times in less than a year.the carpet comes out from under the rear seats an the passenger's side.
Engine check light keeps coming on every month for the last 6 months, had it on computer every time, no codes found. Car running with no power. Car is missing.
Was driving one day and overdrive light comes on and cars starts to shift real hard no exact speed matters all the time and engine check light is on all the time.
Check engine light stays on, replaced o2 sensor with light returning on.
Unknown if wiring recall is a problem in my car,will dealership check that for free? no safety defect (s) listed.
Asked dealership to perform recall 00v-367000 and they said ford has no such recall.
The inside release for fuel compartment filler door failed.
Engine check light and battery light illuminates.took vehicle to dealer, and had electrical problem; repaired but problem still exists.
Without warning engine check light came oncausing vehicle tostart to knock and make alot of noise. Prior to this incident, vehicle was takento dealer to be checkedfor excessive use of oil.
Whenfilllinggas tank upgasoline come out underneath vehicle. Dealership is aware ofproblem.
Consumer has defective parts , such as. Headlight switchis ticking noise inside of the vehicle,and all dashboard lights are out.
After the recall for the heat blower 010i 009 000 was completed. The defect re-occurred eight times. *nlm
No summary provided by consumer
Engine check light is on and there is a burning smell within the vehicle.also, all the lights on the dashboardaren't working, and the water pump had to be replaced. *al
Engine check light stays on while the vehicle is in motion. Dealer has been notified.
Stalls out if you take your foot off the gas, surges between 1-4 rmps, engine light is on, all started after i had the heater blower switch replaced.
Problems with the engine light coming on and the servicing dept at the ford dealer and other auto servicing center could not figure out why to this day it is on.at one time the entire interior lights and rear brakes lights went out. It currently shut its self off ( stalls) and get hot. The engine sounds revved up and shortly after the ac unit went out.everything has been checked out/ the alternator was replaced the crankshaft was replaced some wiring had to be replaced all the fluids are where they should be and it still stalls and overheats for no reason. Both front windows electrical motors have gone out.
Paint on the vehicle looks as if there are spidar webs everywhere in the paint - clearcoat.it is getting worse and has spread all over the car. No safety defect.
Recall repair (99v-103) completed, however harness connector assembly replaced and not the switch, panel lights feel hot to the touch and illumination is dim after repair work completed. Mjs
We would like to find out any information on hidden warranties and hidden insurance.
Engine check light has come on.vehicle has not been examined by dealer.
This car has less than 70000 miles on it. We had trouble with the fuel door, front wheel bearings, brakes, door handles, transmission, electric windows, and now as a special treat the engine failed. This car has been the worst investment that my wife and i have ever made. I have have owned several cars and trucks with 200000 plus miles on them and none of them have ever been as problematic as this automobile.
While traveling at 70 mph,odometer gauge dropped to 10 mph. Engine light and odometer light came on.consumer states that vehicle was towed to mechanic. Mechanicstated it was the speed sensor.
Vehicle stallsand dies ant various speeds without warning.also,engine checklight stays on. Vehicle is able to be started immediately after it dies. Dealer has inspected vehicle , andwas not able to duplicate problem.manufacturer has been notified.
The consumer was sold a vehicle that did not have a title.
Cruise control component replaced due to vehicle missing and sputtering at 65 mph.
Stalls out if you take your foot off the gas, surges between 1-4 rmps, engine light is on, all started after i had the heater blower switch replaced.
While traveling at 70 mph,odometer gauge dropped to 10 mph. Engine light and odometer light came on.consumer states that vehicle was towed to mechanic. Mechanicstated it was the speed sensor.
While driving extreme vibration occurred within the steering column. Also, engine idled very fast, and the vehicle jerked., dealer stated that this was a normal condition.please give any further details.
Throttle cable sticks, can prevent from returning to idle.owner states that there is a recall on the vehicles that have traction control . This vehicle does not have traction control, and is experiencing the same problem.owner will be notifyingford.(97v-205).
Throttle linkages and control hesitate on occasion as well as sudden acceleration.
On the morning of 11/10/2000, i just completed entering the southbound dallas tollway from legacy dr. In plano, tx.upon reaching cruising speed, my vehicle continued to race at full throttle.fortunately, traffic was light at the time of the incident.in addition to removing my foot from the accelerator, i tried to apply the brakes gently to find there was no power assist.i was able to get my foot under the accelerator pedal to insure that it was not stuck to the floor.with both feet and great effort i was able to apply enough braking force to safely manuever the automated toll gate.the vehicle continued to race uncontrollably and i exited at the west parker road exit in plano.the only way i was able to come to a stop at the traffic light i encountered was to slip the vehicle into neutral gear.at that point the engine was screaming, so i turned the ignition off.i restarted the vehicle on green and it started up at full throttle.upon putting the vehicle into 'drive', the tires lost traction and the vehicle continued to speed along in a "runaway" fashion.i had to pass through another traffic light and intersection (with the same manuever as previously described) before i reached a shopping center parking lot (parkwood center, plano, tx).at this point i telephoned aaa for a tow to the dealership.while waiting for the tow truck, i made several attempts to restart the vehicle and each time the engine raced at full throttle.the dealer evaluated the problem as being a faulty resonater assembly for the engine air intake (allegedly a worn out gasket, which required replacement of the whole unit).i find it hard to believe that ford engineers would permit the development of a product which has the potential to create such a serious and life-threatening situation.just for your information, on another matter regarding this vehicle, ford contacted me directly and reimbursed me $1,000.this was during the latter part of 1999.
While backing out of a parking area the vehicles engine began to accelerate until the rear bumper struck a light pole. Driver then placed the transmission into drive and the car surged forward at an uncontrollably high speed, jumping the curb and striking a concrete pillar, resulting in considerable damage to the front area of the vechicle and bruising the drivers left arm.pressing hard on the brakes seemed to have little or no effect. It appears that the throttle linkage/cruise control or some related mechanism malfunctioned.
The contact owns a 1996 ford contour.the contact stated that the vehicle would independently accelerate when driving with the cruise control activated at various speeds.the contact stated that the failure started intermittently but progressively became worse over time. The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was not contacted. The failure and current mileage was 91,000.
Several times during the past 3 months the gas pedal/accelerator seemed to "stick" or race and i could not get the car to idle to back down until i put it in gear.july 3, while driving in busy traffic, the accelerator/gas pedal went to the floor and fortunately i was able to steer the car around a corner to the side of the road.the police were able to push the car into a car repair place where the mechanic suggested i call ford about a recall.the speed control cable had just snapped right off!i called from the repair place andford said there was no recall on my vin vehicle.i had the car towed to my home as i was leaving town the next day.i have returned now and after searching your site have found what seems to be the recall for the very problem i have with my 1996 ford contour.i called a ford dealership and was told my vin did not have the recall problem.what is my next step, please?lucy [email protected] : fordmodel : contouryear : 1996manufacturer : ford motor company mfr's report date : dec 03, 1997nhtsa campaign id number : 97v225000 component: vehicle speed control:cablespotential number of units affected : 38000summary:vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with the traction control option. The throttle cables were damaged during vehicle assembly leading to fraying or separation of the throttle cable.consequence:this condition could prevent the engine from returning to idle.
Throttle body hose assembly : loud howling sound, engine surging. Engine:stalls when first started when engine is cold.
Vehicle experienced a sudden surge when vehicle was at a stop light. Consumer put transmission in neutral to stop the vehicle from pulling off on its own.dealer has been contacted.
While parking vehicle, the engine suddenly revved up for no reason & then shot forward. Applying brakes, did not stop vehicle. It went over small embankment. Air bags did not deploy.
While traveling at approximatley 60 mph engine started running andrpms went to 8000. Consumer puttransmission in neutral and turnedvehicle off.upon start up after the engine had been shut off, the engine began revving again.dealership has not examinedvehicle yet.please provide any additional information/attachments.
While parking vehicle,backing up, vehicle suddenly accelerated, jumped curve and slammed into metal newspaper box.
Power steering becomes disables when driven through puddles of water.safety should be a recall by ford motor corp
While driving and brakingengine revved and suddenly accelerated and the brakes would not slow down the vehicle.had to use the emergency brake, and run up an a curb in order to stop the vehicle.manufacturer contacted.please provide further information.
Cruise control has never worked.
While driving at 15 to 20 mphaccelerator pedal got stuck and the consumer lost control and hit an apartment building and then a bank.
Accelerator sticks and driver has to push hard, then it overaccelerates, and this may cause an accident if there issomeone in front. There's too much force.
After the vehicle came to a complete stop the engine continued to rev at high rmps. This was due to the defect described in the accelerator cable recall 00v425000, but the vin was not included in the recall. N
The accelerator cable shredded and jammed causing the accelerator to stick at 65 mph.
Consumer having trouble scheduling recall repair due to lack of parts.
The accelerator cable broke causing vehicle to stall and leaving the consumer stranded, there is a recall (97v225), however the dealer states that the vin is not included in the recall.
Transmission does not recognize any gears.vehicle was towed to dealer & dealer hasn't had a chance to findthe cause of the problem. Vechicle is also idleing very high.
Accelerator cable broke while driving. Dealer has been notified. The vehicle has steering problem too, but the dealer would not fix it unless the owner pays for the repair.
The brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle didn't stop until it impacted a building.prior to the incident, the vehicle was at idle in the park gear for 5 minutes.the passenger sustained injuries.the check engine light illuminated and the vehicle was continually being taken to the service dealer for the problem.when the incident occurred, there was no warning.the service dealer suggested that the throttle sensor ,somehow, became stuck and the engine overrode the brakes. *scc
While driving vehicle would not go into reverse. Tried to go forward, hit accelerator lightly and didn't move, second time, took off and went into garage. Passenger's mirror came off. Dealer contacted, and was aware of the problem. But, couldn't remedy the problem. Problem still exists. Provide further information.
My car was in the shop 5 times in one month - all electrical problems. Alternator, battery, starter, wiring harness, speed sensor and oxygen sensor were all changed.the ford dealership does not understand why i am having all these problems.it was also in a garage fire at the dealership in this time and i had smoke damage to my car on top of the engine problems.needless to say, i loss money on the trade in.this is the worse car i have ever owned and will never own another ford car or truck again.
While driving down the road and attempting to stop, vehicle would not stop, but accelerated.ran off the road. Driver managed to pull the emergency brakes up, and she jumped out of the vehicle. Vehicle kept digging into the dirt.the rear was in the air .
My 1996 ford contour's (w/v6 2.5l duratec motor)engine check light came on around jan 2 of 2001.i scheduled an appointment to have it checked out at the closest ford dealership in modesto, ca. As soon as possible.the next available appointment was on friday jan 05, 2001, later on that week.once i took it in, they had diagnosed the problem as being my (3) catalytic converters and my throttle body.the service advisor then told me that he had to check with ford because he believed that the work was covered under a ford recall 97e61.the next day he responded to me and told me that ford had said that it wasn't covered and that my bill would be $1,300.00.i then asked him why it wasn't covered and he told me because my vin# doesn't show it.he then asked me to take it up with ford the actuall company.so i've been doing research on it myself and have come up with a little bit of info.ford's customer service has told me that the reason my car is not covered is because it doesn't fall under the 97e61 criteria for recall.so i asked what actuall part does not fall undeer the criteria.they asked me to take it up with nhtsa and they can give me that info.what i have found is that cars that were built at 2 ford plants, cautlin, and kansas city plants are the ones that are affected.well my car was built at the kansas city plant.the other criteria i know about is if the car was built within march of 95 thru march of 96.well my car was first sold in feb. 96 and it's a 96 model so it would have to fall within that time frame.i am currently having my car fixed at a different ford dealership but my cost is still over $1,100.00. Plesae help me.cesar garcia call me any time at 408-674-9315 to let me know you have received my letter.i would also like a copy e-mailed to me of what i have written so i have a record at [email protected].
Blower motor failure. The blower controls the defroster and heater.the failure results in fog, frost etc so visibility is greatly limited.if one can see well an accident is possible.
Rubber window molding on driver's side loose, windshield trim failed also.
Vehicle was serviced for recall 00v367000/ manufacturer's recall 00s44concerningengine cooling fan.aftervehicle was picked up, same day, consumer foundair conditionerand heater were not working. Onlydefroster worked.dealer openedhood and stated nothing was done to affect air conditioningunit/heater.advised consumer to call back next week to speak to service manager.
The rear power window on the passenger side does not work.the moulding on the outside of the rear windows has been loose ever since the i bought the car.the carpeting in the rear of the car has been loose/ hasn't fit ever since i bought the car.the blower no longer blows through the panel vents--only through the defroster/defogger vents.
Ford need to replace this car with a safe one! come on 6 electrical failures? when will the fire start from the failures?..dateline nbc next!
Whenever starting vehicle or even driving electrical system would start acting up.windshield wipers would go on by themselves,have not been turned on. Lights, interior & exterior, would go out.ignition will not startvehicle sometimes.also,would hear a clicking noise. Did not have a battery problems.heater blower failed to work. No recalls on vehicle for electrical problems.
Ac/heater/defroster/blower part that was defective has been recalled, but ford refuses to cover under this recall the a/c compressor, which failed prematurely.chris early, at joe machens ford, columbia, mo, informed me that the compressor has nothing at all to do with the ac/heater/defroster/blower, and so, will not cover the work under this recall.i find it hard to believe that the a/c compressor has nothing to do with the ac/heater/defroster/blower and its problem (blowing air quite hard, but with none coming out the vents, and not heating or cooling the car/defrosting the window).though i have had the car in 9 or 10 times to have the ac/heater/defroster/blower problem fixed, i still have trouble with it from time to time.surely this kind of strain caused the a/c compressor to work harder, and be subject to undue stress and therefore immature wear and tear and ultimately failure. (even the service technicians expressed surprise at the earliness of the compressor failure).please investigate this problem, since i have had trouble getting anywhere with ford in the past -- i still haven't gotten any sort of reply from ford as to my inquiries to their customer service department about the problem, which i registered in writing to them in august 1998.thank you for your time and your work!
Power steering becomes disables when driven through puddles of water.safety should be a recall by ford motor corp
In october 1999 i had my heater fan fixed because of a recall.within 12 months it broke again and the company fixed again on 8/30/00.in december it broke again which is less than 6 months.i called brunswick ford and they said i would have to pay to have it fixed because ford motor wouldn't cover only once to fix the item.i called ford motor and complained because it keeps breaking and they said that it was fixed and didn't care that it had broken 2 times and less time between each.they said that the vehicle was older and so many miles that that probably was why it kept breaking.i was very frustrated and felt there was no where to turn.once the recall is fixed is there a time limit or mileage limit that should pertain?
Heat/ac problem the same, my last bill was $500. It's supposed to be fixed this time.
Stalls out if you take your foot off the gas, surges between 1-4 rmps, engine light is on, all started after i had the heater blower switch replaced.
Had received several recalls on vehicle springs, recall 01v230000, and heater blower sensor, recall 01i009000. Took vehicle to dealership's mechanic several times to have repairs done, even left vehicle with mechanic. Received call to pick up vehicle, and also informed none of the recalls were ever repaired. Mechanic refused to complete the recall repairs.bramview ford; queen st; brampton ontario canada; 9054511041.
Heater hose had a leak due to bracket above rubbing into it. Took to dealer & was informed by mechanic it was a design flaw. Had part repaired.
While driving at 55 mph, the heater core blew out, and the consumer lost all power/leaked anti-freeze.
Consumer has had numerous problems with the 1996 ford contour.*mrthere has been so many recalls on consumer's vehicle that she wasn't aware of because the manufacturer never sent notices.since then consumer has been paying for entire full price and is asking for reimbursement.however, the biggest problem with the vehicle is the gas fumes which is leaking therefore leaving poisonous carbon monoxide fumes coming in through the heater vents.these harsh chemicals are damaging to the lungs, brain, respiratory system and its making consumer very tired among other symptoms.
The contact owns a 1996 ford contour.the heater fan motor for the defroster failed.the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was informed that the fan switch failed and would cost $58 to repair.the dealer kept changing the diagnosis until the contact spent $271; however, the vehicle was still not repaired.nhtsa campaign id number 01i009000 (visibility:defroster/defogger system: windshield: controls/wiring) was referenced.the dealer stated that the vehicle passed the ten year free period.the current mileage was 131,000 and failure mileage was 130,000.
My ac/heater switch has gone out twice.theres seems to be a short in which the plastic is melted behind the switch, where the switch cannot be turned.
Rear defrost button failed.
The heater blower switch failed prior to recall notice .nlm
Consumer experienced a power surge that shorted out the switch to the heater fan. Dealer has been contacted.
While driving withair conditioner on high, smoke started coming from the vents. When turning off the a/c, there was melting behind the switch for the blower.
Fan blower switch only operates on high speed.
Problems with 1996 ford contour front brakes, transmission, fuse box, heater blower motor, electrical and steering and suspension.*mrfor the second time, the vehicle had problems with the brakes making a loud rubbing sound, the stabilizer bar was replaced and needs to be replaced again. The transmission was leaking, water was inside of the headlight seals, which made the lights very dim, the selector mode switch on the heater motor blower did not work properly, which made the heat not work at a 100%. The upper ball joints, rack and pinion and wheel bearing were all defective.
While driving the rear window fell out of the housing onto the roadway, the consumer had replaced the window in july 2000, the officer inspected the window and found that the window seal appeared old and rusty. (ohio traffic crash report) *mjs
The blower fan was replaced by the dealer because of a recall.it lasted about 3 months and proceeded to break again.this time the dealer stated that i had to replace the fuse panel in the car.i took the car to a local mechanic and he reaffirm the defect.they also stated that they rarely had to replace a fuse panel. In addition to this repair, both power window regulators went out on the driver and passenger front sides of the car.the company that did the repair said this is very common in ford vehicles.i contacted the regional office of ford and they would not give me any restitution on these repairs.
I bought this car because i was told it was the best buy for my money and seeing i am a single mom i needed a dependable car and this has turned out to be the car of my nightmares.the dealership i bought it from was dishonest all the way down the road know that i had little money to pay for a car let alone to keep taking it in for repairs.i asked northgate ford to help me out on buying a car because i have not done this on my own before and to keep in mind the fact that i could be one of there sisters and really need them to help me to buy a car that wasn't gonna have a bunch of troubles.they agreed with helping me out and come to find out i have never been so screwed in my life.my goal is to buy a brand new car in 5 years or so and i will still buy ford but it won't be through northgate ford.i think northgate must have forgotten the rule of thumb "one unsatisfied person tells 10". No safety defec tmentioned.
I can tell by the marks on the passanger side door that the window assembly was replaced prior to my buying the car.since i bought the car the drivers side window got stuck down and seeing the cost of the part and labor i couldn't afford to get it fixed so the guy just put the window in the up possision for me.the back drivers side window is so loose that i can't roll it down because it rattles too much.the gas pedel sticks all the time.i can be going whatever speed l;imit and have to hit the gas real quick to get it to slow down and when i get ready to go the pedel is stuck again and i have to push hard and then it all of a sudden goes with a jerk.this has been the car from hell.
Dual fan on air conditioner was constantly on. Consumer statedhe received a manufacturer's recall letter for the driver side window. But, then otherside window was not working.
Passenger's side power window fell off track, causing window to fail tooperate,leaving window open for bad weather conditions. Dealer / manufactyrer notified and refused to repair unless cost goes to consumer.
All power windows are off track, consumer unable to put windows down.this vehicle has been experiencing problems since purchase.*jg
The window regulators on the ford contour are defective.the materials used are bend, crack, and break causing the windows to either fall into the door, or to become stuck when being rolled up or down.i have replaced the driver side door regulator 16 months ago thinking this was a one time occurrence but now find the passenger side one has the same problem.the dealer has admitted this is a fairly common problem with this vehicle.i have the original parts for the driver side door in my position and on inspection it is clear to see that the manufacturing of the material is faulty, under extreme stress which could lead to the collapse of the assembly.this of course would be a major concern if the window would collapse into the door frame while the vehicle was in motion.
The rear power window on the passenger side does not work.the moulding on the outside of the rear windows has been loose ever since the i bought the car.the carpeting in the rear of the car has been loose/ hasn't fit ever since i bought the car.the blower no longer blows through the panel vents--only through the defroster/defogger vents.
I have problems with power windows, front left side, this car has had 5 previous owner's
This car has less than 70000 miles on it. We had trouble with the fuel door, front wheel bearings, brakes, door handles, transmission, electric windows, and now as a special treat the engine failed. This car has been the worst investment that my wife and i have ever made. I have have owned several cars and trucks with 200000 plus miles on them and none of them have ever been as problematic as this automobile.
Power steering becomes disables when driven through puddles of water.safety should be a recall by ford motor corp
Have had numerous problems:interior/brake lights failed to light.replaced switch twice.fuel filler door will not open with latch inside.never worked.cigarette lighter failed.power window on driver's side has failed.car intermittently will not start due to drained battery.mechanic could find no cause for this related to alternator/charging system of car.never able to fix this.trunk leaks water around seal. Abs light keeps coming on .mechanic could find no problem with abs.air conditioner/heater would only blow out defrost setting. Also bad smell comes from ac when on. Rear seat belts keep jamming; not able to use sometimes because they won't come out.worst problem so far:transmission has failed.not yet fixed.i loved this car once, now i hate it!the whole thing should be recalled.
Had the drivers side power window repaired today, as well as passenger front side window repaired in july 2002.both window regulators had to be replaced at a cost of approximately $700 for both.the mechanics informed me this is a very common problem with this vehicle, which would seem to show a major manufacturer defect.please pursue a recall repair on this vehicle so customers can be properly compensated.
On three separate occasions, driver's windshield cracked, for no apparent reason.
Rusting windshield framing.consumer worried about the window blowing out. *tc
I have had multiple problems w/ my 96 ford contour since i bought it 2/23/96. I have had it in for service multiple times, and i get told it's covered under warranty why worry about it. The srv.mngr.at my dealer supposedly talked to a "tony" at ford & told him to tell me as long as it's covered under warranty i shouldn't complain it is no money out of my pocket. That is unsatisfactory -i believe my car to be a defect in that years line of contours & i would like something done about these problems. My car runs worse than any used car i have ever owned! all i ever wanted done was to rectify the situation,they could have easily replaced my car with one similiar to that year & model & i would have been happy. I really would like a response to this matter. I am to the point where i will contact a lawyer to seek help dealing with ford & kennedy ford , if i can not get a fair & aggreeable outcome to this situation.thank you.
On three separate occasions, driver's windshield cracked, for no apparent reason.
On three separate occasions, driver's windshield cracked, for no apparent reason.
Window stuck down, and struts needed.....4 years old???
Due to slanted windshield, vision at night is distorted.
Reflection/distortion of windshield caused by on-coming headlights.
Windshield wiper is inoperative. *mjs
No summary provided byconsumer( dot number: ??? tire size: ??? )
I have previously had problems with this vehicle and have taken it more than eight different times to be service and problem still has not been resolved even after having engine replaced i am having some of the same problems. Car has been serviced on a regular basis and still it has problems.e ..
The worst problem was the wheel falling off while in operation, with no warning.the axil, rotor, and balljoint was replaced. The heating and cooling is all messed up. The fan will only blow on low, it is niether hot nor cold. The tail lights and panel lights do not work. It's not a fuse
Front wheel and hub assembly rusting on both right and left side.
Lug nuts were loose, causing wheel to fall off while driving, resulting in loss of control/accident, also no deployment of driver's airb ag upon impact. Driver sustained injuries.
All four studs on right front tire, sheared off. Resulting in loss of control of vehicle and tire traveling loose through traffic. Tire completely destroyed front fender and rotor assembly was broken when car came crashing down onto it. Studs showed no signs that they hadn't been tightened to specs. (rounded out stud holes on rims or rounded out threads.) complete simualtanous stud failure on all four studs.
I have a loud clicking noise from rear of car only when four people in car.when inspecting wheels and tires found wheel to be cracked from hub center to rim edge between lug nut holes.inspecting other wheels found 2 more with same crack in length and location.
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