1998 Ford Contour

TOOK THE CAR IN FOR AN ALIGNMENT AND DISCOVERED THE FRONT COIL SPRING WAS BROKEN. DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE SPECIAL EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THIS PARTICULAR PART AND PAID FOR THE REPAIRS MYSELF. FORD ADMITS THERE IS A PROBLEM BUT WON'T REIMBURSE ME BECAUSE WORK WAS DONE BY A NON-FORD AUTHORIZED REPAIR SHOP AFTER THE LETTER NOTIFYING ME OF THE EXTENDED WARRANTY WAS SENT OUT. EVEN THOUGH THE LETTER WAS SENT OUT TWO YEARS BEFORE THE PART ACTUALLY FAILED. EVEN IF FORD DOESN'T WANT TO REIMBURSE ME FOR THE LABOR DONE BY THE NON-FORD SHOP, THEY SHOULD AT LEAST REIMBURSE ME FOR THE COIL SPRINGS BECAUSE THEY HAD TO BE ORDERED DIRECTLY FROM FORD!! *AK

WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH A POPPING NOISE WAS PRODUCED FROM THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE. WHEN DRIVER LOOKED OUT SHE DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING SO SHE CONTINUED TO DRIVE. SUDDENLY DRIVER NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE TIRE. SHE PULLED OVER. AS A RESULT THE COIL SPRING BROKE, PUNCTURING THE TIRE. NO IMPACT REPORTED. TWO WEEKS LATER THE PASSENGER'S SIDE COIL SPRINGS FAILED, PUNCTURING THE SECOND TIRE. *AK *TS

THE CONSUMER'S HUSBAND SUSPECTED THAT ONE OF THE COIL SPRINGS WAS BROKEN. BUT WHEN HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE MECHANIC, HE WAS TOLD THAT ALL FOUR COIL SPRINGS WERE BROKEN. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT HER HUSBAND KEPT HEARING A THUMPING NOISE WHILE DRIVING. *AK SHORTLY AFTER, TWO TIRES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. RECAL#'S 01I013000 AND 01V255000. *SC *JB

I OWN A 1998 FORD CONTOUR COVERED BY RECALLS 01S23-01M08 PERTAINING TO FRONT SPRING FRACTURE AND EXTENDING WARRANTY TO COVER 10 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES. THE VEHICLE FALLS UNDER THE TIME AND MILEAGE REQUIREMENTS. I TOOK THE CAR TO FRED MARTIN FORD FOR NOISE IN FRONT END AND THEY TOLD ME THE PROBLEM WAS A BROKEN SPRING. THEY FAILED TO TELL ME THAT THE PARTS WERE COVERED UNDER THE FORD RECALL AND INSTEAD TOLD ME THE REPAIR WOULD COST ME OVER $500.00. AFTER WAITING A WEEK AND BEING TOLD THERE WERE NO SPRINGS AVAILABLE FOR MY MODEL ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY, I STARTED TO INVESTIGATE ON MY OWN AND FOUND OUT ABOUT THE RECALL AND ALSO THAT THERE ARE OVER 460 VEHICLES WAITING FOR THESE PARTS IN THE UNITED STATES. I WAS TOLD THAT IT COULD BE OVER A MONTH BEFORE THE SPRINGS ARE AVAILABLE. APPARENTLY, THERE IS A DISPUTE BETWEEN FORD AND ITS SPRING SUPPLIER. FORD CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE WAS NO HELP AND I AM STILL WAITING FOR THE FORD ZONE MANAGER TO GET BACK TO ME. THE DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT SUPPLY A LOANER OR RENTAL VEHICLE WHILE I AM WAITING FOR THE PARTS. I HAVE SINCE PULLED THE VEHICLE OUT OF FRED MARTIN FORD, 4701 MAHONING AVE. YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO 44515, AND TAKEN IT TO ANOTHER DEALER. I FEEL THAT FORD IS NOT LIVING UP TO THE TERMS OF RECALL 01S23-01M08 AND NOT REPAIRING MY VEHICLE PROMPTLY AND FREE OF CHARGE. *JB

CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALLS 01I013000 & 01V255000 CONCERNING FRONT COIL SPRING FAILURE. CONSUMER LEARNED THAT THE COIL SPRING ON THE RIGHT SIDE BROKE. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO REPAIR SHOP AND THEN TO THE DEALER, WHO INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THE COIL SPRING WAS COVERED UNDER THE RECALLS, AND NEEDED TO ORDER THE PART. CONSUMER WAS WAITING FOR THE PART TO ARRIVE. *AK

I NOTICED I HAD A FLAT TIRE. I TOOK IT OFF WENT TO HAVE IT REPAIRED,THEY TOLD ME IT COULD NOT BE REPAIRED BECAUSE THE SIDE WALL HAD BEEN PUNTURED.I THEN HAD TO REPLACE THE TIRE ONLY TO FIND OUT THE NEW TIRE WOULD NOT WORK, THERE WAS A LOUD CLANKING SOUND WHEN YOU TRIED TO MOVE THE CAR. I THEN PUT THE SPARE (PONY) ON AND TRIED TO MOVE THE CAR THE TIRE GOT HOT AND SMOKED.SO WE TRIED TO TAKE IT BACK TO THE COMPANY WE BOUGHT THE TIRE FROM,IN THE PROCESS WE HAD A BLOW OUT AND HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED IN. ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT THE SPRING HAD BROKEN ,PUNCTURED THE TIRE ON TH INSIDE SIDEWALL AND WRAPPED AROUND THE STRUTT AND BENT IT..BECAUSE OF YOUR DEFECTIVE SPRINGS.. WE ARE FORCED TO BUY NOT ONLY A NEW TIRE BUT A SET OF SPRINGS AND NEW STRUTTS. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT FORD PRODUCTS ARE KNOWN FOR THIS. THAT IT HAPPENS ON A DAILY BASIS. THIS IS GOING TO COST ME FIVE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE DOLLARS AT THE VERY LEAST.....WHY HAS THE'RE BEEN NO RECALL ON THESE SPRINGS????? THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY DISASTROUS SITUATION HAD IT HAPPEN AS WE WERE GOING DOWN THE INTERSTATE. I FEEL THAT SOME TYPE OF COMPENSATION IS IN ORDER....MY CAR IS A FORD CONTOUR A 1998 WITH ONLY ROUGHLY 50,000 MILES ON IT. THE SERVICE WORK IS BEING DONE BY SEARS AUTO CENTER BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE WE PURCHASED THE NEW TIRE. YOUR PROMPT RESPONSE AND SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM WOULD ENCOURAGE MY CONTINUED FAITH IN FORD PRODUCTS, WHICH HAS BEEN SOMEWHAT SHAKEN. RESPECTFULLY YOUR, RACHEL G MILLER. *AK

WHILE DRIVING THERE WAS A LOUD BOOM AND THE FRONT LEFT TIRE WAS RUBBING. CONSUMER DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHO INDICATED THAT THE RIGHT FRONT COIL SPRING BROKE. THE SPRING WAS REPLACED. HOWEVER, WITHIN 6,000 MILES THE FAILURE RECURRED, THE LEFT FRONT SPRING BROKE. THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO REPLACE THE SPRING BECAUSE THE MANUFACTURER DISCONTINUED MANUFACTURING THE PART. *AK THE STEERING KNUCKLE WAS REMOVED AND REPLACED DUE TO THE WHEEL BEARING RACE SPINNING IN THE KNUCKLES WHICH CAUSED ABNORMAL WEAR OF THE KNUCKLE. THE KNUCKLE AND THE BEARING WERE REPLACED. *SC *JB