1999 Ford Contour

I HAVE A 1999 FORD CONTOUR. A FEW YEARS AGO THE TOP OF THE DASH WARPED, CAME UP REALLY HIGH. IT WAS AN UNSIGHTLY MESS, NOISY, AND IT ALSO RAISED QUESTIONS ON WHETHER THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WOULD WORK CORRECTLY. AT THAT TIME IT WAS REPAIRED BY FORD. HOWEVER WITH TIME, THE REPAIR JOB MAKES SOME NOISES AND DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT'S HOLDING AS WELL AS WHEN IT WAS DONE. FORD HAS WASHED THEIR HANDS OF THIS. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE AND BELIEVE FORD SHOULD STAND BEHIND THIS DASHBOARD PROBLEM FOR THE LIFE OF THE CAR. THANK YOU. *NM

1. DASH WARP CAUSES VISIBILITY PROBLEMS, DEFROSTER MALFUNCTION, LOOSE TRIM 2. WITH THE DASH WARP THE VENT TRIM IS CONTINUALLY POPPING OUT . THERE HAS BEEN NO ACCIDENT OR INCIDENT BUT IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT I DON'T WANT THE VENT TRIM POPPING OUT AND PREVENTING AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT OR CAUSING ANY FURTHER HARM TO ME OR MY FAMILY. THERE HAVE BEEN REPEATED INCIDENTS OF DEFROSTER CAUSING VISIBILITY PROBLEMS BECAUSE OF THE VENT TRIM NOT PROPERLY DISPERSING AIR. THE VENT TRIM WAS PLACED LOOSELY ONTO THE DASH SO THE DEFROSTER WOULD STILL BE USABLE, BUT THE WARPED DASH PREVENTS IT FROM BEING PROPERLY SECURED. A NEW VENT TRIM WILL NOT FIX THIS PROBLEM. THERE WAS AN OLD RECALL WHICH INCLUDED A 'REPAIR KIT', BUT IT HAS EXPIRED. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE RECALL RE-INSTATED. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE IN GEAR. A POP NOISE WAS HEARD AND SMOKE CAME OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE THEN CAUGHT FIRE. THE INSURANCE COMPANY DEEMED THE VEHICLE A TOTAL LOSS AND IT WAS NEVER TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER. A FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORT WAS PROCESSED.*AK UPDATED 12/11/06. *JB

THE TRANSMISSION ON MY FORD CONTOUR WENT OUT AFTER JUST 70,000 MILES. OF COURSE IT WAS AFTER THE WARRANTY HAD ENDED. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT OTHER CONTOURS WERE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. FORD DID NOT RECALL AND I PAID 3000 DOLLARS FOR FORD TO REPLACE IT. ALONG WITH THE STARTER. ALSO THE BATTERY FOR THE CAR IS AN INTERNATIONAL BATTERY WHICH IS FOR BMW'S AND "INTERNATIONAL" VEHICLES. FORD IS AMERICAN YET MADE A CAR THAT NEEDED AN INTERNATIONAL BATTERY. SO A YEAR AND A HALF AFTER THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED SEARS HAS INFORMED ME THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS LEAKING FLUID AND RECOMMENDS I NOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE ANY MORE. WHILE THAT HAPPENED THE ALTERNATOR WENT OUT ON IT. THIS CAR IS JUNK AND FORD KNOWS IT!! YET THEY HAVE DONE NOTHING ABOUT IT!!! *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED AFTER PURCHASING TWO CONTINENTAL TIRES, THE STEERING WHEEL WOBBLED AND VIBRATED SO BADLY THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE CONTROLLED. AN INDEPENDENT TIRE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE BELTS FRAYED AND ONE TIRE HAD A BROKEN BELT. THE VEHICLE WAS PROPERLY ALIGNED AFTER PURCHASING THE TIRES. THE TIRES WERE CONTINENTAL, SIZE 205/6015. CONTINENTAL ASKED THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE TIRES TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP. THIS DEALERSHIP REQUESTED THE CONTACT SEND THE TIRES TO THEM. UPDATED 10/18/2006 - *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED, WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH BLUE SMOKE ISSUED FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND FROM THE EXHAUST PIPE. THERE WAS ALSO A RATTLING SOUND EMITTING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE MOTOR THEN BOGGED DOWN AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE ABOVE 20 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE SERVICE DEALER WHERE UPON INSPECTION, THE SERVICE DEALER'S MECHANIC DETERMINED THERE WAS NO PROBLEM FOUND. ON 7/13/06, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME EVENTS AND STALLED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND WAS UNABLE TO BE RESTARTED.

I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM FORD IN AUGUST 2001 THAT STATED THE FOLLOWING "THE COVER OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL HAS WARPED....AT NO COST TO YOU, YOUR DEALERSHIP WILL EVALUATE THIS CONDITION AND REPAIR AS REQUIRED. THIS PROGRAM WILL BE IN EFFECT UNTIL AUGUST 31, 2002, REGARDLESS OF MILEAGE." THE DEALERSHIP EVALUATED MY CAR IN LATE 2001 AND STATED THAT A REPAIR WAS NOT NECESSARY. HOWEVER, BY THE SUMMER OF 2004, THE WARPING HAS BECOME SO BAD THAT THE DEFROSTER GRILL BEZEL CAN NO LONGER BE RETAINED BY THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. ENGINEERS AT MY COMPANY (WHICH MAKE INSTRUMENT PANELS) STATED THAT THE WARPING CREATES A SAFETY CONCERN AS THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT MAY BE AFFECTED. FORD NOW REFUSES TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE AT THEIR COST. I FEEL THEY SHOULD BE LIABLE AS MY VEHICLE WAS STORED IN THE GARAGE AND THEREFORE DIDN'T RECEIVE THE CUMULATIVE THERMAL ENERGY REQUIRED TO WARP THE PART PRIOR TO FORD'S REPLACEMENT PROGRAM EXPIRING. *NM