1997 Ford Contour

I HAVE 1997 FORD CONTOUR SE. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH IT, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON CONSTANTLY, RADIATOR LIGHT COMES ON CONSTANTLY, RUNS POORLY. I HAD ALL CHECKED WHEN THEY HAPPEN ON MULTILPLE OCCASIONS. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, I FOUND THAT THERE MAY BE A PROBLEM WITH THE WIRING HARNESS IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I WAS TOLD BY A FREIND THAT HE HAD HEARD OF A PROBLEM LIKE THIS AND FORD WAS FIXING THEM, AND I SHOULD CALL THE DEALER. I CALLED THE DEALER AND THEY CONFIRMED THERE WAS A RECALL BUT BASED ON MY VIN I WAS NOT INCLUDED DUE TO THE AGE OF MY CAR. THIS WAS DONE AT BRANDON FORD AROUND THE JULY/AUGUST TIME FRAME. THINKING THAT I HAD TO DO THE REPAIR MYSELF, DUE TO THE COST AT THE DEALERSHIP (OVER $3000.00), I STARTED LOOKING FOR PARTS MYSELF ON THE INTERNET. THERE I FOUND THE RECALL/EXT. WARRANTY INFO. 99M03 AND IN THIS IT STATES 10 YEARS OR 100,000 MILE. I AGAIN GOT HOPE THAT MAYBE THEY HAD MISSREAD THE RECALL AT THE DEALER SHIP. I THEN RETURNED WITH VIN AND THE INFO 99M03 IN HAD AND ONE OF THEIR SERVICE ADVISERS CONFIRMED THAT IT SHOULD BE COVERED. I THEN MADE AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE NEXT DAY TO DROP THE CAR OFF AT 8:30AM TO HAVE IT DONE. I CALL THAT SAME DAY AT 2:30PM TO CHECK TO SEE IF AND FOR HOW LONG I WOUNLD NEED A RENTAL CAR. I WAS TOLD AT THAT TIME THAT MY CAR WAS NOT COVERED DUE TO IT'S AGE AND THAT IT RAN OUT ON 10/26/06. HAD THE FIRST PERSON LOOKED THE INFO. UP PROPERLY BACK IN THE JULY/AUGUST TIME FRAME IT WOULD HAVE BEEN FIXED. I WAS ALSO TOLD BY THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT THE REPAIR WOULD TAKE THEM APPROX. 3 DAYS TO DO, AND FOR ONLY GIVES THEM 6-7 HRS TO DO IT, SO THEY LOSE MONEY TO DO THESE REPAIRS. BASED ON THE 99M03 INFO I SHOULD HAVE RECIEVED A LETTER STATING THE EXT. WARRANTY WHICH I DID NOT, BUT HAD RECIEVED OTHER RECALL INFO. *NM

I BELIEVE ALL 1997 FORD CONTOURS SHOULD BE RECALLED, OVER THE PAST 3 YEARS I HAVE REPLACED THE CLUTCH, WATERPUMP, BLOWER MOTOR, BOTH LOWER CONTROL ARMS, BUSHINGS, SWAY BARS, WHEEL BEARINGS, FRONT & REAR BRAKES AND ROTORS(BOTH TWICE!!!!), AXLE, 2 OXYGEN SENSORS, CATALYTIC CONVERTER, EGR VALVE, COIL SPRINGS, BATTERY, BALLJOINTS, DOOR LATCH, ALMOST ALL OF THE FULL FRONT SUSPENSION!!!! THERE ARE MORE PARTS THAT I HAD REPLACED BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER ALL THE NAMES OF THE PARTS THERE ARE TOO MANY!! MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL NOT TURN OFF, SEAT BELT LIGHT WILL NOT TURN OFF, SHORT IN THE DRIVERS SIDE POWER WINDOW, THE ENGINE WILL (REV) UP BY ITSELF WHEN IT'S IN GEAR AND WHEN IT'S NOT, SHORT IN THE DRIVERS SIDE POWER SEATS, WATER LEAKAGE IN THE TRUNK, A/C LEAKS ONTO THE PASSENGER SIDE FLOOR, ALL DOORS SQUEAK NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, CARPET IS FALLING OUT, HORN WILL NOT WORK MOST OF THE TIME, SAME FOR THE CRUISE CONTROL, WINDSHIELD WIPER SPRAYER DOES NOT WORK, KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE, ENDED UP IN VERY BAD DEBT BECAUSE OF THIS AND NO ONE WILL TAKE IT, I STILL OWE MONEY ON THE PIECE OF CRAP. CONTACTED FORD MOTOR AT ONE TIME REGARDING ALL THE PARTS I REPLACED AFTER THE FIRST YEAR I HAD IT, THEY SAY IT'S NOT THERE PROBLEM. DEALERSHIP WHO SOLD IT TO ME SAYS IT WAS JUST FINE, BULL CRAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I BELIEVE THAT THOSE ARE TOO MANY ITEMS FOR A 1997 TO GO WRONG ON. *AK

IN OCTOBER 2001 (AT 67000 MILES), COOLANT WAS LEAKING FROM THE WATER PUMP ON MY 1997 2.5-LITER V6 FORD CONTOUR. WATER PUMP WAS REPLACED. ON JUNE 2002 (AT 73000 MILES), THE WATER PUMP STARTED LEAKING AGAIN. WATER PUMP WAS REPLACED AGAIN. ON DECEMBER 2002 (AT 80000 MILES), THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN, I.E. THE PUMP WAS LEAKING. WATER PUMP WAS REPLACED. ON APRIL 2003 (AT 85000 MILES), THE WATER PUMP AGAIN BEGAN TO LEAK FROM AROUND THE SAME SPOT (PER THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN). WATER PUMP WAS REPLACED. WITH THIS LATEST OCCURRENCE THE FORD DEALERSHIP TECHNICIAN (@ CENTURY FORD IN ROCKVILLE, MD) CALLED FORD HOTLINE WITH THE HISTORY OF THE PROBLEMS. THE HOT LINE CALLED BACK LATER AND INFORMED THE TECHNICIAN THAT THEY HAD DISCOVERED THAT THE FIBER MATERIAL FROM INSIDE THE RADIATOR HOSE WAS SHREDDING, WITH THE END RESULT BEING THAT THE PARTICLES WOULD FLOW INTO THE WATER PUMP AND RUIN THE SEALS, THUS NECESSITATING CHANGING THE WATER PUMP. NO FORD TECHNICAL BULLETIN EXISTS ON DEFECTIVE RADIATOR HOSE. AT NO TIME DID DEALERSHIP RECOMMEND THAT RADIATOR HOSE BE REPLACED BECAUSE IT WAS DEFECTIVE OR BECAUSE IT LOOKED WORN OUT. *JB