2000 Ford Contour

I HAVE A 2000 FORD CONTOUR THAT I PURCHASED IN 2000 WHILE I LIVED IN NH. IN EARLY 2001, I MOVED OUT OF NH AND TO MA. LAST YEAR, I STARTED TO PAY ATTENTION TO A VERY NOTICEABLE WARPING IN MY DASHBOARD. THE DASHBOARD HAS STARTED TO PULL AWAY FROM THE WINDSHIELD. THE BLACK VENTING PIECE IS NO LONGER CONNECTED AND COULD BECOME LOSE AND SERVE AS A PROJECTILE IN AN ACCIDENT. MY FRONT WINDSHIELD NO LONG DEFROSTS PROPERLY WHICH CAN CAUSE PROBLEMS WITH SEEING WHILE DRIVING. I JUST FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS A RECALL IN 2001, AND I CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT THE NOTICE WAS SOMEHOW SENT TO MY OLD ADDRESS. *JB

THE LEADING EDGE OF THE DASHBOARD (PORTION NEAREST THE WINDSHIELD) HAS "WARPED" UPWARD SEVERELY (6+ INCHES!). IT NOW PRESSES AGAINST THE WINDSHIELD, PREVENTING THE DEFROSTER FROM FUNCTIONING PROPERLY AT ALL. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD ESPECIALLY DURING WINTER MONTHS. IT IS UNKNOWN IF THIS DASHBOARD WARPAGE WOULD INTERFERE WITH AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. THERE WAS A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM BY FORD TO CORRECT THE ISSUE, BUT THIS PROGRAM TERMINATED IN 2002, AND THIS WARPAGE COMMONLY DOES NOT/DID NOT OCCUR UNTIL WELL AFTER THE PROGRAM ENDED. *JB

THE VENT BRACKET ON THE DASH BECAME LOOSE AND WAS ABOUT TO FALL OFF WHEN I REMOVED IT FROM THE CAR. THE DASH PAD BEGAN TO SHRINK AND PULL AWAY FROM THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND DASH IMMEDIATELY AFTER WE GOT THE CAR. THE MANUFACTURER DISCONTINUED TO PROVIDE A REPLACEMENT IN 2004. THERE WAS A REPAIR CAMPAIGN FOR A 6 MONTH PERIOD--BEFORE I OWNED THE CAR. I WOULD LIKE FORD TO PROVIDE A REPLACEMENT PART TO ME AT NO COST. I WILL INSTALL IT. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE DEFROSTER IS BLOCKED BY THE LEADING EDGE OF THE SHRINKING DASH PAD; PART OF THE DRIVER'S VISION IS BLOCKED; THE GRILLE IS DANGEROUS IF IT BECOMES LOOSE IN THE CAR; THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT WILL BE INTERFERED WITH UNLESS THERE IS A REMEDY. *JB

THE DASHBOARD IS WARPED AND IS PEELING AWAY FROM THE BASE CAUSING LIMITED VISIBILITY OUT OF THE FRONT WINDOW AS WELL AS LIMITING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE FRONT WINDOW DEFROSTER. HAVE NOT CONTACTED A LOCAL FORD DEALER AS OF YET AND I AM RELUCTANT TO GIVEN THE GROWING NUMBER OF DISSATISFIED CONSUMERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. ANY ASSISTANCE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. INCIDENT DATE IS UNKNOWN, I USED 1/1/05 BECAUSE THE DEFECT BEGAN IN EARLY PART OF 2005. CAR WAS PURCHASED USED IN JUNE 2004 AND THERE WAS NO DEFECT AT THAT TIME. *NM

THE DASHBOARD ADHESIVE IS DEFECTIVE ON MY 2000 FORD CONTOUR SVT. THE DASH AROUND THE DEFROSTER VENT AND UP TO THE WINDSHIELD HAS WARPED SO BADLY THAT THE DEFROSTER VENT ACTUALLY POPPED OUT OF THE DASH AND HIT THE WINDSHIELD WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. THE DASH EVENTUALLY CURLED UP HIGH ENOUGH TO TOUCH THE DASH, MAKING THE DEFROSTER INEFFECTIVE TO CLEAR FOGGING ON THE WINDSHIELD. THE PASSENGER AIRBAG IS ALSO SEPARATING FROM THE DASHBOARD DUE TO THE WARPING. FORD HAD ORIGINALLY HAD A SERVICE BULLETIN FOR THIS PROBLEM, BUT ONLY LEFT IT OPEN FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. THE PROBLEM IS A DESIGN FLAW, SO I AM INDICATING THE VEHICLE'S BUILD DATE AS THE INCIDENT DATE, EVEN THOUGH THE DASH CONTINUES TO GET WORSE. *NM