1995 Ford Contour

TRACTION CONTROL AND ABS BRAKE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. TOOK TO DEALER. THEY SAID CONSUMER NEEDED A NEW COMPUTER , TOTALLING $1200. CONSUMER PAID TO HAVE IT FIXED, AND THERE IS STILL NO TRACTION CONTROL OR ABS BRAKES. CURRENTLY, DEALER INDICATED THAT CONSUMER NEEDED WIRING HARNESS THAT CONNECTS TO COMPUTER. A MECHANIC SAID IT WAS A PROBLEM WITH THESE PARTICULAR CARS THAT WATER GETS IN THE WIRING HARNESS AND SHORTS OUT THE COMPUTER. ALSO,CONSUMER SAID IF BRAKING IN SKID CAR WOULD KEEP GOING. *AK

HAD TO REPLACED BRAKES. HEADLIGHTS DIM WHEN BRAKE IS PRESSED,INTERIOR LIGHTS STAY ON WHEN LEFT TAIL LIGHT GOES OUT (REPLACED 4 TIMES SINCE 1996) STEERING WHEEL BOUNCES UP AND DOWN WHEN SITTING WITH CAR RUNNING AND IN GEAR MUST PUT CAR IN NEUTRAL AT STOP LIGHTS OR SITTING IN GEAR, SO AS TO NOT GET VIBRATED TO DEATH, MECH-NOT ABLE TO FIX PROBLEM, JUST THE WAY CAR IS BUILT.

BECAUSE THE AXLE WAS PUT IN WRONG, MANY PROBLEMS OCCURED, INCLUDING TRANSMISSION AND ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. I DO NOT KNOW ALL THE DETAILED PROBLEMS, BUT I HAVE A RECEIPT FROM MY MECHANIC WITH EVERYTHING LISTED. HE SAID THAT BECAUSE THE AXLE WAS NOT INSTALLED PROPERLY, THE TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKED THROUGH IT AT AN ODD ANGLE. I ALSO HAVE A FAX FROM FORD THAT WAS SENT TO MY MECHANIC REGARDING WARNINGS OF THE AXLE BEING INCORRECTLY INSTALLED ON MY PARTICULAR VEHICLE. YOU MAY CONTACT MY MECHANIC FOR ANY INFORMATION YOU MAY NEED. HIS NAME IS KEN FOWLER, THE OWNER OF A-1 TRANSMISSIONS IN LUBBOCK, TX. HIS PHONE NUMBER IS 806-792-4319.

AT ABOUT THE TIME INDICATED PREVIOUSLY, THE PLASTIC STRIP THAT INDICATES WHICH GEAR THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAS SEPARATED. THE BASIC WARRANTY WAS UP, SO I HAD REPAIRS ATTEMPTED BY MY SERVICE AND INSPECTION STATION. THEY DID NOT WORK. OCCASIONALLY THE PIECES BIND SOMEWHAT AND MAKE SHIFTING DIFFICULT. I CANNOT USE THIS STRIP TO JUDGE WHICH GEAR I AM IN, SINCE IT DOES NOT READ CORRECTLY. FORD SAYS THAT MY VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED IN YOUR CAMPAIGN NUMBER 98V233000. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A SAFETY DEFECT WORTHY OF A RECALL. I NEED TO COUNT GEARS TO KNOW WHICH ONE I AM IN. IF ANYONE ELSE WERE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE, THEY MIGHT DAMAGE THE CAR OR THEMSELVES BY SELECTING A WRONG GEAR BECAUSE THE DEFECTIVE STRIP GAVE THE WRONG INFORMATION. FORD DENIES ANY RESPONSIBILITY IN THIS MATTER ( WITH ALL KINDS OF "GEE, WE'RE REALLY SORRY, BUT ..."). I HAVE NOT ABUSED THE VEHICLE IN ANY WAY. IT HAS BEEN CONSISTENTLY AND PROPERLY MAINTAINED WHILE IN MY POSSESSION. I AM 61 YEARS OLD AND LONG PAST ANY DESIRE TO ABUSE MY VEHICLES. *AK

THE BEZEL FIRST FAILED ON 12/20/95 AT ABOUT 31,000 MILES. THE BEZEL WAS REPLACED ON 01/05/96 AT ABOUT 33,460 MILES. THE REPLACED BEZEL FAILED AT ABOUT 85,000 MILES. I FOUND OUT THAT THERE IS A SAFETY RECALL ( 98S26 ) THAT INVOLVES 1994-998 MODEL YEAR CONTOUR/MYSTIQUE ( SEE ATTACHED RECALL NOTICE FROM FORD. I DID NOT GET THIS NOTICE. I CHECK WITH THE DEALER , THEY TOLD ME THAT MY CAR WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THE RECALL AND THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I CALLED THE FORD CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER AND EXPLAIN MY PROBLEM. THEY SAID THAT SINCE MY VEHICLE WAS NOT IN THE LIST OF RECALLS THEY WILL NOT DO ANYTHING TO CORRECT THE FAULT. MY VEHICLE EXHIBITED THE SAME SYSMPTON AS THE SAFETY RECALL 98S26 (WHICH INVOLVES ABOUT 210,500 VEHICLES FROM 1995 TO 1998). THIS PROBLEM WAS NOT DETECTED BY FORD TILL LATE 1998. FROM FORD'S RECALL LETTER IT INDICATED THAT PARTS MANUFACTURE PRIOR TO 08/14/98 WILL MOST LIKELY TO HAVE THE PROBLEM. THE PART IN MY CAR WAS REPLACED ON 01/05/96. THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE ONE CANNOT TELL WHICH GEAR THE TRANSMISSION IS IN. THERE IS ANOTHER PROBLEM WITH THE GEAR SHIFTER- IT NEEDS A LOT OF EFFORT TO SHIFT FROM ONE POSITION TO ANOTHER. I AM INCLUDING THE SERVICE WORK ORDERS AND THE RECALL DOCUMENTS FROM FORD. *AK