1998 Ford Contour

BRAKE FAILURE. ON A 1998 FORD CONTOUR SVT (~118,440 MILES), THE BOLT ATTACHING THE REAR BRAKE CALIPER RESULTED IN A SINGLE POINT FAILURE TO THE BRAKING SYSTEM. *JB WHILE DRIVING NORTH ON US 301, JUST SOUTH OF LAPLATA, MD, I HEARD A POP AND THE CAR FELT AS IF I HAD RUN OVER SOMETHING, BUT NOTHING APEARED IN THE ROAD (FROM THE MIRRORS). LATER WHEN SLOWING WHILE APPROACHING AA TRAFFIC SIGNAL, I HAD NO BRAKES. THANKFULLY I WAS ON A SLIGHT INCLINE AND ABLE TO GEAR DOWN AND USE WHAT LITTLE BRAKES REMAINED TO STOP THE CAR AND CRAWL IT TO A PARKING LOT. AFTER HAVING THE CAR TOWED IN, MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT ONE BOLT ATTACHING ONE OF THE REAR CALIPERS HAD SHEARED OFF CAUSING THE LOSS OF BRAKING POWER ON THE CAR. THE CAR DID NOT LOSE ANY BRAKE FLUID DURING ALL OF THIS.

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

THERE WERE NO TRAUMATIC EVENTS SUCH AS CRASHES OR INJURIES. MY COMPLAINT IS ABOUT AN EQUIPMENT FAILURE DUE TO A DEFECT OF WHICH FORD WAS AWARE. *AK THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS OF MY 1998 FORD CONTOUR BROKE EARLY IN JULY 2004. THE CAR HAD 164000 MILES ON IT. ALTHOUGH THEY DID NOT ISSUE A RECALL, FORD DID ISSUE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS FOR 10 YEARS, 150,000 MILES. (THIS IS DOCUMENTED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER : 01I013000) THIS WAS ISSUED ON AUGUST 3, 2001. THAT IS ALSO THE DATE FOR A RECALL FOR THE INSTALLATION OF SPRING CATCHER BRACKETS IN CASE THE SPRINGS BROKE. (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER : 01V255000) I HAD MY VEHICLE IN FOR THE RECALL ON 3/29/2002. I CALLED THE TOLL-FREE NUMBER PROVIDED BY FORD ABOUT THIS PROBLEM (1-866-436-7332) AND ALSO HEARD ON A RECORDED MESSAGE AT THAT NUMBER THAT ANOTHER MAKE OF FORD CAR (TAURUS) IS CURRENTLY UNDER A REPAIR PROGRAM FOR THE SAME PROBLEM: COROSION OF THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS. THIS RECALL PROGRAM IS FOR 1999-2001 TAURS AND SABLES STARTED, ACCORDING TO THE RECORDING, IN THE FIRST WEEK OF AUGUST 2004. THIS TAURUS-SABLE PROGRAM OFFERS FREE REPLACEMENT OF THE COIL SPRING FOR TAURUS AND SABLE MODELS FOR 10 YEARS/150,000 MILES OR UNTIL JULY 31, 2005 IF THE VEHICLE IS OVER THE MILEAGE REQUIREMENT IN THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. ALSO DURING THE RECORDING AT THE TOLL FREE PHONE NUMBER, THERE IS NOTIFICATION OF A SAFETY SPRING SHIELD RECALL THAT WILL GO INTO EFFECT DECEMBER 2004. I BELIEVE IT IS BASICALLY THE SAME SAFETY RECALL PROGRAM OFFERED FOR THE SAME PROBLEM ON MY FORD CONTOUR IN 2001. IT IS MY CONTENTION THAT THE REASON THE TAURUS/SABLE WAS GIVEN A FREE REPAIR OFFER UNTIL JULY 31 2005 REGARDLESS OF MILEAGE IS BECAUSE THE TAURUS IS ONE OF FORD'S BANNER MODELS. I BELIEVE THAT THE OFFER OF FREE REPAIRS UNTIL JULY 31, 2005 WAS NOT MADE FOR THE CONTOUR BECAUSE THE CONTOUR IS A MODEL THAT WAS DISCONTINUED SOME TIME AGO. THERE ARE RELATIVELY FEW CONTOURS COMPARED TO THE FORD TAURUS AND SABLE, WHICH FORD STILL SELLS.

CONSUMER STATED THAT THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE SYSTEM WAS DEFECTIVE. VEHICLE LOST POWER, AND BEGAN TO SMOKE. CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THE WIRING OF THE TEMPERATURE GAUGES WAS DONE INCORRECTLY. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT THEY COULD DO.*AK THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE WAS DAMAGED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED AS A RESULT OF THE OVERHEATING. *NM

HAD VEHICLE TAKEN IN FOR NORMAL PMI (PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE INSPECTION) SERVICING AND DURING INSPECTION-- THE REAR PCRV (PRESSURE CONSCIOUS REDUCING VALVES WERE FOUND TO BE CORRODED AND LEAKING. THIS VEHICLE IS OPERATED IN WI (SALT IS USED ON ROADWAYS UP HERE). THERE IS A RECALL OUT FOR THIS ITEM, BUT IT COVERS NON-ABS VEHICLES ONLY....... MY VEHICLE HAS THE ABS SYSTEM. IT LOOKS LIKE THE RECALL WASN'T EXPANDED FAR ENOUGH..... PROBLEMS ARE STILL OUT THERE!!!!! THE TECHNICIAN THAT DID THE REPAIR ON THE CAR SAID THAT HE HAD DONE THAT SPECIFIC RECALL ON OTHER VEHICLES MULTIPLE TIMES, AND STATED THAT THE REPLACED PCRVS ON MY CAR WERE THE *OLD STYLE* VALVES..... THAT IS WHY HE WAS CONCERNED AND RECOMMENDED I REPLACE THE PCRVS ASAP--- WHICH WAS DONE THAT DAY. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT/INJURY/FATALITY INVOLVED IN THIS INCIDENT OBVIOUSLY. BUT THERE COULD HAVE BEEN. THE RELATED RECALL INFORMATION THAT I'M REFERRING TO IS AS FOLLOWS: NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID: 00V075000. *JB

RECALL NO.#99S23, AIRBAG SENSOR MODULE: RECALL NO.#01F22, HEATER BLOWER RESISTER: WHEN THE VEHICLE IS RUNNING THE AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS ON AT ALL TIMES. ALSO INTERMITTENTLY THE HEATER WILL NOT WORK PROPERLY WHEN THE SYSTEM IS ENGAGED. THE HEATER WILL ALSO BLOW OUT A FOUL ODOR SIMILAR TO SULFUR. THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR VEHICLE BUT, THE CONSUMER'S IS NOT A PART OF THE RECALL. *NM