Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION - SWITCH | ||||||||||||||||
| 99V060000 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | from 01/04/1999 to 01/14/1999 | V (Vehicle) | 4569 | 03/26/1999 | MFR | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 03/17/1999 | 03/25/1999 | 571 | 114 | |||||
| Defect Summary | Vehicle description: passenger vehicles built with automatic transmissions which utilize a park/lock solenoid. it is possible to rotate the ignition key to the lock position and remove the key without the shift lever and transmission being in park. these vehicles do not comply with the requirements of fmvss no. 114, theft protection. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | This could result in a crash and possible personal injury. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will inspect these vehicles. vehicles that have units with ignition keys removable in gear positions other than park, will have the steering column replaced. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Owner notification began march 26, 1999. owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673. also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236). | |||||||||||||||
Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||||
| 04104 | 05/21/2004 | 10008993 | Malfunction indicator lamp illuminated with diagnostic trouble code p0420 and/or p0430/ 2.5l engine only. *tt | 09/07/2004 | |
| 03181 | 09/15/2003 | 10004027 | Remote keyless entry (rke) - service tips. *tt | 11/14/2003 | |
| 17009 | 08/01/2003 | 10003149 | Malfunction indicator lamp (mil) illumination with no hard fault. *tt | 10/09/2003 | |
| 16880 | 06/01/2003 | 10002598 | Inoperative shift interlock solenoid or repeat instrument interface module failure. *tt | 09/08/2003 | |
| 00239 | 11/13/2000 | 616520 | A condition may exist with possible electronc damage occuring to the compuvalve from voltage spikes between the compuvalve connections when connecting or disconnecting the main compuvalve harness c4025. *tt | 03/01/2001 | |
| 98246 | 12/07/1998 | 604059 | Ford motor company has released a new electrical grease ( f8az - 19g208-aa ) to reduce the possibility of moisture corrosion at the terminals. *yc | 03/16/1999 | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - BATTERY | |||||
| 15830 | 04/01/2002 | 637575 | Battery lamp on, however the charging system is functioning properly. *tt | 12/03/2002 | |
| 0245 | 03/04/2002 | 636065 | Information regarding discharged battery charging service tips and guidelines. *tt | 11/05/2002 | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS | |||||
| 5963 | 05/01/1999 | 6091734 | Information on installing fuses at pre-delivery. *tt | 11/14/2000 | |
| 12846 | 06/01/1999 | 606909 | Subject on installing fuses at pdi (pre-delivery inspection). *tt | 09/07/1999 | |
| 12597 | 03/01/1999 | 605320 | Information on installing fuses at pre-delivery. *tt | 06/08/1999 | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION - ANTI-THEFT CONTROLLER | |||||
| 0162 | 04/02/2001 | 619266 | Vehicles equipped with passive anti-theft system (pats) may not start or crank. *tt | 05/22/2001 | |
| 985154 | 11/01/1998 | 613289 | Information on diagnosing and servicing the integrated passive anti-theft system (ipats). *tt | 06/20/2000 | |
| 985104 | 11/01/1998 | 613254 | Some vehicles may exhibit a concern with unable to program passive anti-theft system (pats) keys. *tt | 06/20/2000 | |
| 12122 | 11/01/1998 | 613144 | Information regarding the diagnosis and service to the integrated passive anti-theft system (ipats). *mjs | 06/19/2000 | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION - MODULE | |||||
| 15828 | 04/01/2002 | 637571 | Some vehicles may exhibit diagnostic trouble code b1213, b1342, b1601, b2431. *tt | 12/03/2002 | |
| 9949 | 03/08/1999 | 604765 | Conditions with diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p0460 stored in continuous memory without any driveability concerns. *tt | 05/12/1999 | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - STARTER ASSEMBLY | |||||
| 6906 | 09/01/1999 | 6090218 | Exhibiting a starter grinding noise and / or lack of starter drive engagement. *tt | 03/10/2000 | |
| 9913137 | 08/01/1999 | 609049 | Concerns with 2.5l engine equipped vehicles and cd4e transaxle exhibiting a starter grinding noise and / or lack of starter drive engagement. *tt | 12/07/1999 | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING | |||||
| 99222 | 10/18/1999 | 6089681 | Subject on a wire harness terminal repair kit available for repairing electrical wiring harnesses. *tt | 02/11/2000 | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | |||||
| 13542 | 11/01/1999 | 610920 | Experiencing an intermittentnoise described as a buzz or rattle from the center of the instrument panel or behind the cluster area. *tt | 05/18/2000 | |
| 99178 | 02/23/1999 | 607648 | On some vehicles, a diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p0325 (knock sensor circuit malfunction) may appear during koer, but further testing determines the knock sensor to be satisfactory. *tt | 10/04/1999 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | ||||||
| EA01001 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 01/05/2001 | 07/31/2001 | BLOWER SWITCH/RESISTOR OR WIRING HARNESS | 01I009000 | |
| A | ||||||
| EA01001 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 01/05/2001 | 07/31/2001 | BLOWER SWITCH/RESISTOR OR WIRING HARNESS | 01V230000 | |
| A | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||
| 03/14/2007 | 99279 | 3 | 03/08/2006 |
| I have a 1999 ford contour i bought it and 6 months later the timing belt went out this cost me $800.00 out of pocket after the warranty paid their part. drove it another 3 months when it stalled out and started sputtering i replaced the plugs, wires, ignition control box, and fuel filter and found a hose that had a hole in it from being melted after replacing all of that found the transmission to be leaking and no way to get to it easily. still ran crappy took it to a garage and was told they could not figure it out brought it home and it won't run anymore it still does not run not sure what else to do had to buy another vehicle to get to and from work while still paying on this one and can not use it anymore. this is my second ford and i will not ever get another one. and with all this going on when the mechanic shut the back passenger the glass shattered and it was shut normally. also the radio has issues. *tr | |||
| 04/13/2007 | 99098 | 4 | 10/12/2003 |
| Vibration when brakes applied. this problem started before i even pulled off the lot when i bought it used. the dealership had supposedly fixed it. now, this was the second time that i needed to replace the rotors and brake pads. the first time i bought a set of tires, then got an alignment. was told i needed different tires since the vibration did not stop. bought more tires ,and was told that it had nothing to do with the alignment. today, my car would not accelerate. the check engine light came on, and i immediately took it to a repair shop. it's going to cost $120 just to have diagnostics done. i also heard strange noises from the back of the car every time i brake. i'm shopping for a new car tomorrow. i have yet to meet someone who can tell me exactly what was wrong with my car and fix it!*ak | |||
| 10/22/2006 | 75000 | 2 | 03/20/1999 |
| 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 | |||
| 04/06/2006 | 81600 | 12 | 05/25/2001 |
| My car sporadic stalled in traffic because the new fuel pump would shut off. the cause was faulty wiring that shorted out and in turn destroyed the cars computer. no parts are available so dealer was using parts from different make/model parts for repairs. i was told that this is a recurring problem. *jb | |||
| 06/27/2002 | 7 | 05/04/2001 | |
| My dash began to buckle to the point where the defrost vent would not stay in place. the dash face on the left side of the steering wheel is falling off. the floor on both sides in the front seat gets soaked every time i drive through puddles or rain. the dome lights would not go off. the door buzzer has tendencies to come on while you are driving even though all 4 doors are shut tight. the fuel pump went out and when the mechanic was going to replace it, he brought to my attention that all wires connecting to the pump had burned the wiring insulation. the fuel pump happens to be located in the fuel tank. there were bare wires in the fuel tank! (i do still have the fuel pump)the trunk latch located inside the drivers side front seat has not worked since 1 month after purchasing the vehicle. all of these things have happened since i purchased the vehicle in 2001 and i cannot seem to get ford to own up to any of them. the recall on the dash apparently is not important enough for them to assist me. i cannot get through to someone who will help me solve these problems at any of the dealers in my area. i am currently still paying for a vehicle i am afraid to drive and no longer care to be associated with. needless to say the car is sitting in the driveway and i will probably never drive it again. | |||
| 07/19/2004 | 35000 | 15 | 12/12/2002 |
| The tail lights became inoperable after four replacements. also, the windshield wipers did not work in low gear, and the running lights malfunctioned. *ak the electrical connector splice from the headlight switch opened. (the right side tail light was inoperative) the tail lights, front running lamps were out again, a fuse was bad and found some more wires in the trunk wired incorrectly, the dashboard lights and the license plate tail lights worked intermittently, there was a wiring short in the harness in the cowl area, there was a blown fuse in the exterior lighting, on another occasion, the #33 fuse was found open, the sunroof was inoperative due to a shorted motor, bad drive gear and two cables. *sc *jb | |||
| 05/19/2004 | 1 | 08/09/1999 | |
| The dash on my 1999 ford contour gl began peeling away more than two years ago. despite receiving a recall letter from ford about the problem, i was unable to have it replaced/repaired. about the same time, i started having problems with the radio cutting out. i could push in a cassette then remove it to get the radio to come back on, but nothing else would work. just yesterday i drove my car with no problem...until i turned off the ignition. when i attempted to restart the car, i was unable to do so. when i turn the key to the first stop, the accessory position, the radio, lights, etc., all work fine. when i turn the key further, to start the car or to the second stop to power other devices (ac, power windows, etc), it behaves as if the battery is dead. the buzzer (door open, keys in ignition) is very faint, radio doesn't work, windshield wipers move one very slow pass (even though they are turned off), can't get the car out of park. i had the car towed home, but can't afford to have it checked out. will call the dealership, but am not hopeful of getting the car fixed. *ak | |||
| 55000 | 1 | ||
| A new battery was installed. it was discovered that there was a constant strain of 32 amps being discharged, causing the battery to drain, and not being charged. *ak the key could be turned off with the ignition in the lock position and the transmission in park. when the drivers side door was opened, the buzzer that reminds the consumer that the key was still in the ignition had gone off even when the key was not in the ignition. *sc | |||
| 03/01/2003 | 1 | 02/09/2001 | |
| Dashboard is curling up from the windshield. since this has started the vent for the defogging systems has popped completely out, the warning bell for the lights left on and key in ignition have stopped working and the radio cuts in and out. i took it to my auto repair shop who contacted my extended warranty company (who supposedly cover me bumper to bumper according to the dealer i bought the car from) who state if it is not safety related they don't cover it. i then went to a local dealership with the problem as the car is a 1999 with barely 40,000 miles and expressed my concern about the things that have stopped working as well as the fact that as the dash rolls back it will deploy the passenger side air bag. the dealer stated it was not their problem even though they stated that the earlier models had the same problem which apparently was never fixed and gave me ford customer service. i then contacted ford who after 5 days informed me that they felt it was not their problem, that i should take it to my local dealer and pay approximately $1800 to $2000 for a new dash to be installed but that i should save my paperwork after the repairs are done in case of any further trouble. since the dash is in perfect condition aside from the curling, no cracks, discoloration or drying out i don't feel i should pay to have this problem resolved. if you can assist please let me know. *nlm | |||
| 03/01/2000 | |||
| The electrical system was replaced. *cj | |||
| 01/01/1999 | 24 | 11/28/1998 | |
| Vehicle experiences continued electrical power failures causing vehicle to loose all electrical power while driving in excess of 50 mph, unable to rectify failures. | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | |||
| 12/20/2005 | 60000 | 1 | 02/02/2000 |
| Alternator died after only 60,000 miles. *nm | |||
| 04/27/2005 | 30000 | 50 | 08/15/2001 |
| Well i had the worst experience ever in my life since i bought this car. i had this car repaired so many time i cant start to name off dates. i do know less than 6 months after i bought this car i drove to the beach less than 30 minutes always and it cut off. it started back up, but cut off 4 time before i got home. next day i had to take it to the dealer to repair it. since i had this car it has been nothing but a burden. i had to replace the ball joint once before, and as i write this letter it is being done again for a 2nd time. my heat and air stop working. heat only works on high, and my defrost take for ever to clear my windows. my door just wont stay closed it pops open while driving. on my passengers side on the floor. it gets soaked with rain everything. if its rainy and im driving my car makes a loud scratching noise. my brakes have to be changed every 3-4 months. shocks gave out less than a year after buying my car. my engine light wont go off. i took my car to over 3 ford dealers and many shops, and no can say why the light keep popping on. so today i dropped my car off to the shop to have brakes,door,engine light, ball joints and to see why the over drive off light keep blinking while im driving. this is the worst car ever made by ford. i know its nothing on my behalf why this car is so horrible because is know 4 other people who have or had the same problems as me. they were smart enough to get rid of this piece of | |||
| 06/24/2004 | 30 | 08/23/2000 | |
| I bought a 1999 ford contour on 9-23-00 . i had the alternator replaced june of 2004 . now , every time you let off the gas , the car stalls out. due to this problem i have been stalled out in the middle of very heavy traffic , large intersections , railroad crossings , and making left turns with on comming traffic . i must drive this car , because it is my only means of transportation. i have put this car in the shop 3 times since last june . one of the shops was the local ford dealership. they kept my car for a month , said they did not know what is wrong with it , and for me to come get it. also , i am still making payments on a car that i can not drive, and no one is able to repair! | |||
| 11/01/2003 | 75000 | 2 | 05/06/2000 |
| Stalls and won't restart. i had the alternator changed and the fuse behind the head light switch by goodyear. they did a complete diagnostics test and said the only thing it could be was the alternator and maybe the fuse. i got the car back and it ran fine for about 3 hour's then stalled. i had to take it back 3 more times after the initial visit and still had the same problem. good year could not figure out the problem and had my car towed to a ford dealer ship where i had to pay again for a diagnostic test which came back clean, so they suggested a new battery and fuse. the car was working fine until exactly one year later when the same exact thing happened, it stalled yet again. i can barely open the door's with my key and it takes about three times to do so. i went to walmart and bought some fuse's and for now is working. i have taken the car to 2 place's one a ford dealer ship and have the same problem as last year, if both place's could not find the problem then, then why should i waste my money again. there is a defect some where in the electrical system and i should not have to change the fuse so often. *ak | |||
| 12/01/1998 | |||
| My vehicle has a design flaw. the vehicles stalls after splashing through water. only 1-2 inches are necessary to cause a stall. also, the vehicle stall when turning in the rain. the engine will squeal, the alternator light will come on, and the vehicle will become very difficult to stop and steer due to loss of electrical power. this problem was identifed in ford's technical service bulletin # tsb 97-11-2. this design flaw is only supposed to affect 1995-1998 contours. however, it must be noted that my contour is an early 1999 (manufactured in september 1998). the tsb describes that the vehicles needs to have a splash guard installed. repeated requests to ford motor company have not lead to any action being taken. i believe that my vehicle is dangerous to drive through any amount of accumulated water. its tendency to stall forces me to drive through puddles very slowly which creates a dangerous situation for vehicles around me. i believe that ford should fix this design defect free of charge (labor and parts). i would greatly appreciate any assistance that your agency could provide. | |||
| 08/01/2000 | 1 | 06/01/1999 | |
| I wrote a letter to ford (dated august 18) letting them know that i was not happy about having to pay over $700 for an alternator (which was supposedly only 1 year old) and an air flow sensor. i bought the car used in june 1999 and didn't feel that i should be replacing either after only a year. please see letter attached. this morning (10/17/00), my car wouldn't start until i put it in neutral.*ak | |||
| 09/04/1999 | 1 | 09/01/1999 | |
| Fortunately i was able to extinguish fire before it was serious. ford's concern regarding the incident is minimal | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - BATTERY | |||
| 08/01/2000 | 2 | 12/01/1999 | |
| Since 12-15-99 i had cougar in service 3 times for water leak/ 2 times shift lock ,locked down because of brake light failure have complained about rear brake elco noise when backing up/ car hesitating at 50+ miles an hour /pulling to right when passing and giving the car more acceleration/car idling real high and wanting to take off when you first release the brake/ the windows not going up and down / the battery exploded/ the service was terrible at gateway the noise is still in the rear wheels . there is more where this came from the cougar will fall apart/ the engine or transmission is a problem . *ak( dot number: tire size: p/215/s0r1 ) | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - BATTERY - CABLES | |||
| 11/01/2004 | 56149 | 3 | 06/02/2004 |
| While driving the heater blowers failed. the smell of burning wire started to fill the vehicle. the defogger completely failed. consumer could not see through the windows. however, there were burnt wires under the hood. please provide any further information. *nm....replaced starter motor and damaged battery cables. *ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS | |||
| 04/27/2005 | 30000 | 50 | 08/15/2001 |
| Well i had the worst experience ever in my life since i bought this car. i had this car repaired so many time i cant start to name off dates. i do know less than 6 months after i bought this car i drove to the beach less than 30 minutes always and it cut off. it started back up, but cut off 4 time before i got home. next day i had to take it to the dealer to repair it. since i had this car it has been nothing but a burden. i had to replace the ball joint once before, and as i write this letter it is being done again for a 2nd time. my heat and air stop working. heat only works on high, and my defrost take for ever to clear my windows. my door just wont stay closed it pops open while driving. on my passengers side on the floor. it gets soaked with rain everything. if its rainy and im driving my car makes a loud scratching noise. my brakes have to be changed every 3-4 months. shocks gave out less than a year after buying my car. my engine light wont go off. i took my car to over 3 ford dealers and many shops, and no can say why the light keep popping on. so today i dropped my car off to the shop to have brakes,door,engine light, ball joints and to see why the over drive off light keep blinking while im driving. this is the worst car ever made by ford. i know its nothing on my behalf why this car is so horrible because is know 4 other people who have or had the same problems as me. they were smart enough to get rid of this piece of | |||
| 11/01/2003 | 75000 | 2 | 05/06/2000 |
| Stalls and won't restart. i had the alternator changed and the fuse behind the head light switch by goodyear. they did a complete diagnostics test and said the only thing it could be was the alternator and maybe the fuse. i got the car back and it ran fine for about 3 hour's then stalled. i had to take it back 3 more times after the initial visit and still had the same problem. good year could not figure out the problem and had my car towed to a ford dealer ship where i had to pay again for a diagnostic test which came back clean, so they suggested a new battery and fuse. the car was working fine until exactly one year later when the same exact thing happened, it stalled yet again. i can barely open the door's with my key and it takes about three times to do so. i went to walmart and bought some fuse's and for now is working. i have taken the car to 2 place's one a ford dealer ship and have the same problem as last year, if both place's could not find the problem then, then why should i waste my money again. there is a defect some where in the electrical system and i should not have to change the fuse so often. *ak | |||
| 08/01/2001 | 0 | ||
| Rear of fuse box overheated, and one of the plugs melted. consumer has contacted ford, and they have refused to look at it because it was out of warranty. please provide any further information.*ak | |||
| 12/20/1999 | 4 | 11/01/1999 | |
| While driving; radio & interior lights will shut off when blinker, door & or other electronic component used or for no reason at all. also have had problems w/ alarm system. dealer unable to locate sorce of problem, changed radio twice, alarm & fuse box once. | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION | |||
| 09/22/2005 | 60000 | 1 | 11/10/1999 |
| 1999 ford contour se sport dashboard peeling. my dashboard started to peel away at approx 60,000 miles. i now have 80,000 miles on my car. i did not receive notice of a recall on this matter, which was apparently a secret. i have owned 3 fords and will never buy another due to the lax customer service and failure to take responsibility for product failure. i have also had all the head gaskets replaced (i am 60 and hardly hot rodding), rear struts and something related to a loud humming sound under the hood that was essential for the car to remain in working order and problems with the key sticking in the ignition and also a fuel pump. *tr | |||
| 12/14/2004 | 3 | 12/01/2001 | |
| I inadvertently found that it is possible to rotate the ignition key in my car to the lock position and remove the key without having the gear in park and just having my foot on the brake. as i released the brake, my car rolled a few feet into my garage and i realized the car was not in park. there were no damages. i contacted my repair shop about the ignition issue. they informed there was an old recall on my vehicles' make/model. i did some research and located nhtsa's information as it relates to campaign 99v060000. i contacted for. they informed me my vin was not part of a recall, that they could not give me any information whether my car's make/model had ever been in a recall and that no on in the entire ford motor company could tell me, nor did they have any referral sites for me to find this information. i still need to get this issue fixed. *nm | |||
| 02/28/2005 | 1 | 07/24/1999 | |
| 1999 v6 contour se. rh rear spring made by visteon broke from corrosion @ 87k miles. lh rear spring covered with rust visteon is also maker of front springs that had recall on 95-97my front springs. poor spring coating design incl. iron phosphate. ignition switch failure at 75k miles. had to be replaced. top of dashboard was recalled with a kit. kit did not fix problem -- excessive rattles still exist. i understand that was the intent of recall & ford has no additional kits or plans to replace faulty recall. kit was replaced around 60k miles. faulty dpfe sensor on this duratec engine. dealer told me replacement sensors had a re-design that did not have exposed area that constantly triggers check engine light. original sensors get contamination and will trigger the check light continuously. ford did not recall and only replaced if complaints under warranty. i noticed problem around 60000 miles.*ak | |||
| 07/27/2004 | 8000 | 1 | |
| The consumer was able to remove the key while the vehicle was still running and in gear. the manufacturer rejected the claim. *jb | |||
| 08/01/2003 | 52000 | 3 | 07/11/2003 |
| The consumer was able to rotate the ignition key to the lock position and remove the key without the shift lever and transmission being in park. *ak on three separate occasions, the vehicle rolled while parked, because the key was removed from the ignition while the gear was still in drive. *jb | |||
| 12/01/2001 | 01/01/2000 | ||
| Windshield wipers will come on intermittently, and air bag light illuminates while driving, causing vehicle to stall and die. dealer has been notified. car was on fire which burned up fuse box. *ak | |||
| 11/01/1998 | |||
| Problems started at 119miles, dealers either don't confirm problem or say it's normal for this car. multiple repair attempts at 4 dealers. severe vibration and pull at highway speeds are the tires (confired with my winter tires-no problem), klunking from front end when going over bumps, all dash warning lights come on during winter at idle-go out after restart or engine acceleration, front seats wobble side to side-dealer says normal for car-wan't present when new, pulsing front end shimmy on highway-not tire related-possible cv shaft issue-dealers stated npf, engine spark knocks under light loads-no change with different gas grades or brands-dealers says npf, headlamps go dim at idle-dealers says normal-not present when new, poor low beam visibility from headlamps, aluminum wheels are too porous-lose abnormal air amounts-dealer says npf. most of these have been since new or started within 1st year of new- no dealers has yet confirmed problems when they are readily apparent to others. in shop for over 3 months total since new. *ak (tiresize: p205/60r15)( dot number: tire size: p205/60r15 ) | |||
| 02/01/1999 | 1 | 12/01/1998 | |
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak | |||
| 01/22/2001 | |||
| Vehicle was making spitting and sputtering noises, and then it stalled. while consumer went inside to call dealer, about a half hour later, went back out and found vehicle on fire consumer did not know why vehicle caught on fire.*ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION - SWITCH | |||
| 08/24/2007 | 100000 | 4 | |
| Tl*the contact owns a 1999 ford contour. the vehicle stalls and makes a lot of noise during acceleration. the overhead lights and other interior lighting will not dim when the vehicle is turned off. the contact must remove the bulbs to dim the lights. when the key is inserted in the ignition, the ignition switch locks up. a mechanic stated that the front sway bar was leaking and the brakes, rotors, and struts were corroded and needed to be replaced. the purchase date and powertrain were unknown. the current and failure mileages were 100,000. | |||
| 06/24/2006 | 40064 | 1 | 04/24/2006 |
| Starter engaged with no keys in ignition wire harness melt down from battery. starter started to smoke. mechanic me informed that contour has a recall but dealer(ford) has not this car. *jb | |||
| 08/01/2003 | 1 | ||
| Consumer was able to rotate the ignition key to the locked position and remove the key while driving and in gear. the cause had not been determined. consumer will contact the dealer in the near future. *ak | |||
| 5 | |||
| The driver was able to remove the key from the ignition switch. the mechanic replaced the ignition cylinder. please provide further details. *jb | |||
| 02/20/2004 | 68000 | 2 | |
| Consumer is able to take the key out of the ignition switch when the vehicle is not in park. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak | |||
| 02/01/2000 | |||
| Nhtsa recall 99 v 060 000/manufacturer's recall 99s06, fmvss 114: ignition switch is able to turn while driving. dealer was contacted,and informed consumer that this vehicle was not covered under recall due to vin. feel free to provide any further information.*ak | |||
| Intermittently ignition switch malfunctioned, and the vehicle would not start. dealer has replaced ignition switch, however, problem has reoccurred.*ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - STARTER ASSEMBLY | |||
| 11/01/2004 | 56149 | 3 | 06/02/2004 |
| While driving the heater blowers failed. the smell of burning wire started to fill the vehicle. the defogger completely failed. consumer could not see through the windows. however, there were burnt wires under the hood. please provide any further information. *nm....replaced starter motor and damaged battery cables. *ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING | |||
| 07/15/2003 | 81898 | 1 | 06/10/1999 |
| While traveling on the highway and without prior warning, a fog of mist leaked through the vents. the vehicle caught on fire in the engine compartment. *ak per inspection; a short was found in the main wiring loom. the vehicle was totaled. *scc *jb | |||
| 03/18/2002 | 1 | 03/15/2000 | |
| Electrical system - blinkers will not work, a/c will not come on, lighted switches on the doors will not light, and will not come out of park. have been told possible electrical harness is bad. was told by ford service manager that this is a known problem but ford will not make any recalls on it.*jb | |||
| 02/19/2003 | 62000 | 1 | 05/10/2001 |
| Something in my wiring has burnt and shorted out wires in my car from trunk to under hood. car is being repaired as i write and is going to be very expensive. this is a 1999 ford contour se. a new wiring harness is being ordered and all wiring needs replacement. the car just stalled riding down road, had to have it towed. have been without car for approx. 1 week now. *jb | |||
| 1 | 02/01/1999 | ||
| Vehicle started smoking, consumer took the problem to the dealer who found that some wires had melted and must have shorted something out. *slc | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - FRONT UNDERHOOD | |||
| 08/25/2006 | 95000 | 1 | 06/01/1999 |
| 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 | |||
| 12/01/2001 | 01/01/2000 | ||
| Windshield wipers will come on intermittently, and air bag light illuminates while driving, causing vehicle to stall and die. dealer has been notified. car was on fire which burned up fuse box. *ak | |||
| 10/13/2000 | 1 | 08/01/1999 | |
| The dealership admited that a technician left a wire loose when they installed a new motor in my car. they were repairing all damage due to the fire. they did not. my son had an accident 4 months later. when the airbags deployed, the passanger side airbag was burnt and melted, therefore never completely deploying. | |||
| 04/07/2001 | 1 | 05/01/2000 | |
| We were driving (one mile from home) when it sounded like we had a flat tire. i pulled over and checked. tires were fine. heard thumping again. turned car around because of 87 year old father in vehicle. smoke came through the vents. i pulled into the driveway. smoke came out from under hood. husband was doing yard work. my son adam yelled that there were flames. my husband ran to the garage and got a fire extinguisher. put fire out. had to cut two wires to stop the smoking and sizzling. contacted state farm. a fire investigator said he believes that the way the wires were routed onto the fire wall, rubbed against a screw that was sticking out of the fire wall and over time wore the wire, causing a fire.*ak | |||
| 01/22/2001 | |||
| Vehicle was making spitting and sputtering noises, and then it stalled. while consumer went inside to call dealer, about a half hour later, went back out and found vehicle on fire consumer did not know why vehicle caught on fire.*ak | |||
| 02/15/2000 | 4 | 08/01/1999 | |
| I have had car in shop 4 different times,they changed to rotors and brakes the first time at 3,000 miles.they claim the rotors were warped from the factory. the next 2 times they claim the car is fine,the last time ( car is still in the shop since 2/15/00 this is written to you 3-09-00) they are replacing the front rotors and brakes again, they say they are replacing the defrost switch and a wiring harness,the engine drivetrain they don't know???. i have lost time at work and i don't fell safe in the car. i refuse to take my family anywhere in this car!!!!!. | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | |||
| 06/01/2004 | 65000 | 6 | 11/01/1999 |
| Dt: the consumer could hear the radiator coming on/over and over again. previously it overheated in june 2004. when the consumer took vehicle to dealer for repairs they changed the thermostat, added more water to the radiator, and something else in the transmission area. when the consumer picked up the vehicle the problem recurred. afterwards, there was a rattling noise coming from the dashboard. they told her that it was due to a bracket that broke.. dealer replaced the radio. the consumer stated that the air conditioner was no longer working properly since they replaced the radio. also, the dashboard was loosening and there were wires showing. the front driver's side window knob came off. these were the only known problems with the vehicle at this time. there had been no accidents concerning these issues. *ak | |||
| 07/03/2003 | 83000 | 1 | 03/15/1999 |
| I recently became aware of a recall that occurred in 2001 on 1995-1999 ford contours, mercury mystiques, and cougars. the dashboard in my 1999 ford contour is tearing and a friend of mine told me there was a recall on it. so i decided to check the recall information on nhtsa's website. instead i found other disturbing information. according to a report listed, the blower switch / resistor overheats and starts or could start a fire. it also states that failure of the blower switch causes loss of one or more blower speeds. however, i was never notified about neither recall. in july 2003, i had to have my 1999 ford contour (bought brand new) repaired because my a/c stopped working. the repairs involved the wiring in the fuse panel (repaired) and the blower / resistor was replaced. the cost: $60.00 (technician hooked car to a machine to diagnose check engine light staying on, parts & labor) and $187.40 (a/c problem, part $7.40 and labor $180.00). i was never informed by the service department (local ford dealership) that there had even been a recall. will i be reimbursed for this mishap? *jb | |||
| 05/09/2004 | 2 | 11/01/1999 | |
| Consumer stated dashboard was lifting, and defogger did not work. there was a recall regarding this issue. however, there was no recall information in the system. consumer was told that a letter was sent to her two years ago. *ak *tc | |||
| 07/26/2004 | 0 | 2 | 02/19/2001 |
| I have normal use on my car and on july 26, 2004 my air bag light and the emergency brake light came on. i read my owner's guide to see what the problem could be and it stated that if theses problems was to occur that i need it to be service by a qualified technician. i brought my vehicle in on july 27, 2004 to get it serviced. i informed ford that i smelled a wire burning, and that i saw a little puff of smoke on july 26, 2004 that came from under my dash board. i was informed my the ford dealership that they did 3 diagnostic test on it and they still could not figure out what the problem is with the airbag system. this is a safety problem that could have ended up deadly if i was to get into an accident because of the malfunctions in the car. as far as what is being done is beyond me because they still cannot figure out what the problem is, and what parts are going to be needed for the repairs on my car. i would like to matter to be investigated immediately before someone get hurt, and they don't have their air bag system nor emergency brake light system working. *ak | |||
| 04/04/2004 | 70000 | 1 | 04/01/2004 |
| I own a 1999'contour the dashboard has curled up at the vent area near window. have contacted ford motor co. and they refused to do anything about issue. i have contacted previous owners and they knew nothing of the customer satisfaction program provided by ford. ford tells me it was a time is of the essence type of thing . but i see that they have only tried to avoid taking responsibility for a faulty product. i will seriously consider never purchasing another ford . this has been my 4th ford that i have owned and it saddens me to see the poor response from ford about a potentially hazardous problem. *ak | |||
| 07/01/2003 | 7500 | 2 | |
| A recall was issued for the dashboard buckling. however, the problem recurred. consumer contacted the manufacturer and dealer, and their response was sorry, there was nothing they could do. *ak | |||
| 10/19/1999 | 15 | 10/01/1999 | |
| Our car has had problems since day one we have 2 different emblams on the fenders, window fell out, speakers busted, carpet ruined by leaks, fan switch only works on high setting, instrument panel smoked up as if burning, hood doesn't meet up with cowl, trunk stays soaked, and there are numerous other problems all happened within six months of original purchase. *ak | |||
| 05/15/2000 | 7 | 10/01/1999 | |
| Said car had defects almost as soon as we purchased it, we noticed it had 2 different emblams on the fenders and they had to run the vin# so they could find out which it was. the car started leaking within 6 months of purchase, they worked on it 3 times to no prevail(still leaks) the dash has bowed up at the windshield and at the panel behind the steering wheel, instrument panel has smoked up, heater switch only works on high setting, pass. side front window fell out of door track while going down the highway, speaker busted, carpet ruined because of leaks. blancetts had all of these parts ordered for over 6 months and they still did not get all of them in, an d ford motor company has closed them down. i don't know the specifics of the reasons for closing them, but they had trouble once or twice with getting cars and trucks with mileage rollback problems. | |||
| 02/01/2002 | |||
| Dashboard is coming up, and defroster does not work properly. also, there are bubbles on dashboard.*ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - REAR COMPARTMENT/TRUNK | |||
| 04/27/2005 | 30000 | 50 | 08/15/2001 |
| Well i had the worst experience ever in my life since i bought this car. i had this car repaired so many time i cant start to name off dates. i do know less than 6 months after i bought this car i drove to the beach less than 30 minutes always and it cut off. it started back up, but cut off 4 time before i got home. next day i had to take it to the dealer to repair it. since i had this car it has been nothing but a burden. i had to replace the ball joint once before, and as i write this letter it is being done again for a 2nd time. my heat and air stop working. heat only works on high, and my defrost take for ever to clear my windows. my door just wont stay closed it pops open while driving. on my passengers side on the floor. it gets soaked with rain everything. if its rainy and im driving my car makes a loud scratching noise. my brakes have to be changed every 3-4 months. shocks gave out less than a year after buying my car. my engine light wont go off. i took my car to over 3 ford dealers and many shops, and no can say why the light keep popping on. so today i dropped my car off to the shop to have brakes,door,engine light, ball joints and to see why the over drive off light keep blinking while im driving. this is the worst car ever made by ford. i know its nothing on my behalf why this car is so horrible because is know 4 other people who have or had the same problems as me. they were smart enough to get rid of this piece of | |||