1995 Ford Contour

I WAS DRIVING MY 1995 FORD CONTOUR WHEN I LOST MY POWER STEERING. I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY TO CHECK MY POWER STEERING FLUID. THE FLUID CONTAINER WAS EMPTY. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO FIRESTONE SERVICE TO CHECK THE PROBLEM. I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE MECHANIC ASKING IF I HAD TRANSMISSION WORK DONE ON THE CAR. I INDICATED I DID IN 9/97 WHEN THE FORD DEALER, RITTENHOUSE-KERR, REPLACED THE ORIGINAL TRANS UNDER FORD WARRANTY. I ASKED HIM WHY HE WAS ASKING ABOUT THE TRANS WHEN IT WAS THE POWER STEERING THAT WAS INOPERATIVE. HE INFORMED ME THREE BOLTS THAT HOLD THE TRANS TO THE MOTOR MOUNT WHERE MISSING AND THAT CAUSED THE TRANS TO DAMAGE THE AXLE WHICH CAUSED THE POWER STEERING LINE TO BE CUT RESULTING IN THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING. HE SUGGESTED I BRING THE CAR BACK TO THE FORD DEALER FOR REPAIR. RITTENHOUSE-KERR ACKNOWLEDGED THE BOLTS WHERE MISSING BUT COULD NOT GIVE A REASONABLE EXPLANATION WHY. I SUGGESTED THEY WERE DEFECTIVE OR NOT PUT IN PROPERLY. THE DEALER WOULD NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILTY FOR THE FAILURE OF THE BOLTS. I THEN CALLED FORD ON SEVERAL OCCASSIONS AND THOUGH COURTEOUS, THEY ESSENTIALLY TOLD ME TO TAKE IT UP WITH THE DEALER. I THEN BROUGHT THE CAR TO ANOTHER MECHANIC TO GET REPAIRED. I HAD THE POWER STEERING LINE AND AXLE REPLACED BUT COULD NOT GET THE TRANS ATTACHED TO THE ENGINE MOUNT. THE MECHANIC EXPLAINED THERE ARE THREE BOLTS (FORD PART NUMBER W500034-S303) THAT HOLD THE TRANS TO THE ENGINE MOUNT. IN TWO OF THE THREE OPENINGS WHERE THE BOLTS THREAD INTO THE TRANS, THERE WERE PARTS OF BROKEN BOLTS IN THEM AND THE THIRD HAD STRIPPED THREADS PREVENTING THE BOLT FROM HOLDING. I CONTACTED THE DEALER AND FORD AGAIN. NEITHER WOULD ACKNOWLEGDE RESPONSIBILITY. IF USEFUL, I HAVE PICTURES I CAN PROVIDE. YOUR ASSISTANCE IN LOOKING INTO THIS UNSAFE SITUATION IS APPRECIATED. ALSO, DID FORD HAVE A RECALL ON TRANS BOLTS FOR THE 1993 TAURUS MODEL?

MY THROTTLE CABLES WERE REPLACED IN SEPTEMBER OF 1998 PURSUANT TO A RECALL. IN LESS THAN ONE YEAR, THE THROTTLE CABLES COMPLETELY SEVERED. BECAUSE THE MILEAGE WAS BEYOND THE 12000 MILES FORD ALLOWS UNDER WARRANTY, I HAD TO PAY $225 TO HAVE MY THROTTLE CABLES REPLACED, AGAIN, AND INCURRED $150 TOWING BILL. THE RECALL ON MY THROTTLE CABLES WAS FOR THE 1995-1996 CONTOUR. THIS MONTH, ANOTHER RECALL OF THE 1997-98 CONTOUR (NHTSA-99V194000) WAS ISSUED FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. FORD HAS NEVER FIXED THE PROBLEM - THEIR SOLUTION TO THE 1995-96 RECALL WAS TO PUT ANOTHER DEFECTIVE SET OF THROTTLE CABLES ON MY CAR, WHICH DIDN'T EVEN LAST A QUARTER OF THE MILES THAT THE FIRST DEFECTIVE CABLES DID! I DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE NHTSA'S STANDARD IS FOR FIXING A DEFECT UNDER A RECALL, BUT IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE THAT FORD IS ALLOWED TO REPLACE ONE DEFECTIVE PART WITH A PART THAT IS EVEN MORE DEFECTIVE - THAT IS SIMPLY NOT A FIX AND THAT SHOULD SIMPLY NOT BE PERMITTED. THROUGHOUT MY ENTIRE OWNERSHIP OF THIS CAR, FORD AND ITS DEALERS HAVE REPEATEDLY DISPLAYED THEIR COMPLETE APATHY AND LACK OF CONCERN FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS AND THE PROBLEMS THEY EXPERIENCE WITH THE PRODUCTS THAT THEY PLACE INTO THE MARKET AND THAT THEY MAKE A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF MONEY FROM. WHEN I CONTACTED FORD'S CUSTOMER SERVICE, I WAS ESSENTIALLY TOLD THAT FORD COULD DO NOTHING FOR ME EVEN AFTER I EXPLAINED THAT THEY HAD SIMPLY PUT ANOTHER DEFECTIVE PART ON MY CAR AND PLACED MY LIFE IN DANGER BY DOING SO. THE KIND OF DISREGARD OF ETHICS (THAT IS, FEELING PERFECTLY JUSTIFIED IN USING ONE DEFECTIVE PART TO REPLACE ANOTHER REQUIRED TO BE REPLACED BY A RECALL) DISPLAYED BY FORD AND ITS DEALERS SHOULD NOT GO UNCHECKED. AND, I DO NOT EVEN KNOW IF MY NEW THROTTLE CABLES ARE THE SAME DEFECTIVE ONES RECALLED ON THE 1997-98 CONTOURS THIS MONTH, OR WHETHER THEY ARE THE "NEW FIX" FOR THOSE CARS. I'M NO EXPERT, BUT IT IS PRETTY UNUSUAL FOR AN AUTOMOBILE TO EVEN NEED THROTTLE CABLES REPLACED ONCE-LET ALONE TWICE IN ONE YEAR. THANKS.

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE THROUGH A RATHER BUSY INTERSECTION THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. WITHIN 5 TO 10 SECONDS LATER MY CAR STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC AND WOULD NOT RESTART. I CONTACTED FORD MOTOR COMPANY ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND THEY STATED THAT THEY WERE UNAWARE OF ANY PROBLEMS OF THIS TYPE, BUT SAID THAT THEY WOULD HAVE THEIR ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT LOOK INTO THIS PROBLEM. I ASKED FOR WRITTEN CONFIRMATION AND THEY SAID THEY CAN'T "DO THAT". I DON'T BELIEVE THAT MY PROBLEM WAS AN ISOLATED CASE.