Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| OTHER | |||
| 09/20/2002 | 100000 | 4 | 11/09/1999 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 1999 ford contour. the contact received a letter from the manufacturer stating that the dashboard needed to be replaced. after the replacement was made, the dashboard developed a gap next to the passenger side vent, which over time, caused the vent to sink behind the dashboard. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer (ken gordon ford) and had it repaired. while driving approximately 55 mph under normal conditions, the vehicle overheated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and the thermostat was repaired. a few days later the vehicle overheated again. the contact discovered that the timing belt and water pump needed to be replaced. the current and failure mileages were 100,000. | |||
| 12/15/2006 | 76000 | 1 | 01/01/2005 |
| 1. dash warp causes visibility problems, defroster malfunction, loose trim. i drove over a seam in the roadway at an overpass (small bump) & the vent trim popped loose. this is simply an aging issue as there was no unusual event. my car is a 1999 ford contour, but this issue is also prevalent on the mercury mystique 1999 & 2000 , and some 1998 models with the newer style dash. 2. the trim popped loose from the dash while commuting on i-45 to work. the vent trim came to rest in front of the air bag & on my arms as i drove, but fortunately did not cause an accident. 3. 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. *jb | |||
| 08/06/2005 | 52000 | 1 | 05/12/2003 |
| Instrument panel padding pulling loose and curling at windshield. also defroster grille popped off. interferes with defrost air flow. padding glued and stapled and old defroster grill attached with screws. windshield was replaced to have working room. repair was made by an auto trim shop with a cost of $400.00 *jb | |||
| 05/02/2006 | 67000 | 1 | 12/30/2004 |
| There is no incidents to report. however the dash on this vehicle is warped. i have seen this same problem on ford contours and mercury msytique's that was manufactured in 1999. the warpage reducing driver visibility and prevents the defogger from operating properly. *jb | |||
| 03/05/2003 | 1 | 06/21/2000 | |
| Dash warpage on 1999 ford contour: dash has warped at least 3 inches. defroster vent can no longer fit into dash causing defrosting issues for driver. warpage is very near front passenger dash airbag. ford and the dealer respond that there was not a recall for dash warpage. i have found a notation for a recall 01b78 dash warpage on a service invoice from sept. 2001. dealer ran checked recall and found no warpage at this time. *jb | |||
| 12/01/2005 | 75200 | 1 | 07/15/2004 |
| 1-gradual warping of the dash starting from the edge closest to the windshield 2-it is starting to severely inhibit the effectiveness of the defroster and will inhibit the line of sight out the windshield if it continues to warp 3-this has not yet been corrected. *jb | |||
| 10/01/2002 | 36000 | 1 | 04/13/2001 |
| The dashboard vinyl has separated from the dash and curled up which affects visibility as well as reducing the effectiveness of the defroster. *jb | |||
| 11/15/2005 | 2 | 05/14/1999 | |
| Dash board warping on 1999 ford contour. repair was attempted, but only a temporary solution. dash has continued to warp and has cracked in one place as well. *jb | |||
| 06/22/2005 | 1 | 06/20/2005 | |
| The dash board started warping a few years after the car was purchased. a dashboard temporary fix to stop the warping has caused the rest of the dash to pull away from the speedometer and tachometer. *jb | |||
| 06/01/2005 | 19350 | 1 | 07/22/1999 |
| August 2001 ford notified us of a defect in the cover of the instrument panel. that the panel may warp and come undone first around the defroster grill opening. ford identified program #01b78 to fix this problem. we brought vehicle in for service as instructed by letter and service was denied as the gap in the warpage was only 1.75 and needed to be 2 in order to be replaced. now, in 2005 the dashboard panel has completely warped up and off. it obstructs driver's field of vision through windshield and prevents the defroster from working properly. this is a definite safety issue. ford refuses to cover known defect now. *jb | |||
| 10/01/2005 | 1 | 01/01/2001 | |
| 1999 ford contour dashboard buckled and consumer is concerned that the airbag may not deploy properly, if at all. *ts *jb | |||
| 01/09/2002 | 1 | ||
| The dashboard of my 1999 ford contour is warped beyond repair. the dashboard is peeling back from the windshield. this manufacturing defect has caused my defrost to work improperly, making visibility poor whenever the defrost would be needed. ford has refused to help fix it although they have recognized that it is a problem with a customer satisfaction program that expired around the time that i purchased my vehicle. this is a huge safety issue for all contour owners as well as all on the road. *jb | |||
| 09/01/2003 | 1 | 05/01/2000 | |
| Dt: the consumer owns a 1999 ford contour. the consumer stated the dashboard was warped, making it difficult to use the defroster. the consumer stated that this would make it difficult to drive during the winter because the defroster can not properly work. the consumer has not contacted the service dealer or the manufacturer. the vehicle was involved in a previous accident, but the consumer states the dashboard was doing this prior to the accident. *jb | |||
| 10/04/2002 | 40000 | 2 | 10/01/2001 |
| I along with many other people have had the same issue with my dash board peeling back. i took it in for the recall instead of repairing it they just reglued it. a year later it came apart again and they would not fix it agin. i called ford they said the recall had expired but since i did have it fixed once i would have to take it up with the dealership. they said the same thing and that i would have to pay out of my pocket to fix it. i don't have that type of money and feel as if there should be an additional recall on this issue. | |||
| 06/01/2005 | 106755 | 1 | 11/20/1999 |
| There was a recall on the 1999 ford contour lx , for the dashboard peels back. i never recieved a notice we had moved from pennsylvania to georgia. i contacted ford and they said they could not honor their recall notice. i would have to come up with 700.00 -850.00 dollars to get it fixed. i would also have to incur payments for a rental, while my car is being worked on. please help. | |||
| 03/19/2005 | 45000 | 2 | |
| My 1999 ford contour has less than 50,000 miles on it. the dashboard is coming unglued and has warped significantly. i am concerned that my safety is jeopardized. in addition, the headlights are literally falling out, due to what i perceive to be structural failure. there is no sign of visible rust or decay. again, my safety is at risk, as my visibility is minimized by the inaccuracy of the aiming of the headlights. *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 | |||
| 07/01/2004 | 32000 | 3 | 12/20/1999 |
| The instrument panel cover warped causing the defroster vent to pop out. the dealer consulted and stated that the entire dash needed to be replaced and cost is 750.0. *ak *sc updated 01/30/06. *jb | |||
| 04/15/2003 | 77000 | 1 | 06/15/2000 |
| The dashboard of our 1999 ford contour has experienced a severe warpage and is now resting upward about 5 inches higher than its normal position. the defroster grill popped out earlier and in the winter the defrost function does not work properly on the windshield. the current position of the warped dashboard is obstructing our visibility of the roadway and a service technician at the local ford dealership admitted that it was a hazardous. there was a ford customer satisfaction program (#01b78) which was issued in august 2001 and effective until august 31, 2002 admitting to problems with dashboard (instrument panel) warpage on the 1999 & 2000 ford contour. i have contacted ford customer service on at least 4 occasions over the past year plus without any satisfaction and the problem is getting worse. the ford dealer (heritage ford in south burlington, vermont) indicates that this is a factory problem which is not being addressed. they were to notify a ford regional service technician over a month ago but i haven't heard from anyone. the local dealer estimates that it would cost me $1400 to $1800 to fix this problem. based on what i've outlined above, i feel that it should be completed at ford's cost. i feel that this a very serious problem, which is getting worse with the impaired visibility and could possibly cause an accident. i can't even see the hood from my sitting position in the driver's seat. also, if i were to try and sell the car, it would be basically non saleable because of this dangerous problem. there are a substantial number of complaints filed with your agency regarding this problem that i researched under the categories of other, visibility and visibility...defroster among others. how many complaints are required before you force ford to issue a recall for this very dangerous situation? ford has already admitted a flaw in the dashboard with their customer satisfaction program. any assistance would be greatly appreciated. | |||
| 09/15/2003 | 64645 | ||
| Low coolant light has came on , coolant ok seceral months ago. now the check engine light has came on. how can i get the fuse box checked without costing alot. only have 64645 miles on car. can't believe there is problems already. | |||
| 09/15/2003 | 0 | ||
| My 1999 ford contour clear paint is bubble up. i have a red car. i want to know if it's been in a wreack could that be the reason or it's just bad paint. i bought my car in september 2000. | |||
| 1 | 09/26/2000 | ||
| Problems with vehicle's dashboard.*mr *cb *jb | |||
| 1 | |||
| The consumer noticed that the dashboard was warped. this allowed big pieces of plastic to fly through. some of the plastic pieces were sharp and came in contact with the occupants. the dashboard warping is due to the sunrays and heater blower. *nlm | |||
| 10/23/2003 | 1 | 07/15/2003 | |
| I own a 1999 ford contour, in which the dash cover (vinyl and foam) are separating from the metal shell underneath. it is approaching the passenger's side airbag (srs), and my concern is it my either cause an unexpected deployment of the airbag resulting in an accident, or it may prevent the airbag from deploying in the event of an accident. i have contacted ford and their answer was they would submit it to the engineers to determine if a recall was in order. unless there are enough people reporting this problem, i feel they will take no corrective action. i have personally observed to other '99 contours with the same problem. unfortunately, i was unable to contact the owners and ask them to make complaints as well. *la | |||
| 10/06/2003 | |||
| Dash board is warping near the windshield. i was told the warranty to fix that part was expired. the cost to fix it would be $300. this problem has been going on for a couple of years and i fixed it myself. ford never sent me a recall notice and now they are claiming they did. *la | |||
| 06/12/2003 | 5000 | 2 | 08/30/1999 |
| I am an original owner of a 1999 ford contour se sport. about 2 years ago there was a maintenance recall for the contour's dash coming up due to bad glue. i took my vehicle to the nearest ford dealership and found that my dash was so bad it had to be replaced. my car was still under warranty at this time also. now my dash is comming up just like it did before, evidently the dash they replaced it with still had the defective glue in it. i contacted ford explaining this to them and finding out that the maintenance order had ended last year. i told them about it being replaced and doing the same thing it done before while also explaining my concern about the passenger side airbag releasing at any given time. this could very well hurt someone like myself who has had open heart surgery and then had to have my chest rewired due to my sternum not fusing back together correctly not to mention what this could do to one of my children. they refuse to repair my dash even though i did what the letter told me and couldn't have avoided this problem from happening again. i didn't make the dash nor did i make the glue, but i upheld my responsabilities. this is a safety concern and should be repaired by ford at there expense not mine. *jb | |||
| 04/22/2003 | 0 | 03/27/2003 | |
| I just bought a ford contour and the dashboard is coming up and it could deploy the airbag, so what if anything is someone going to do about this, as you can see i am not the only one with this problem, i had no idea that there was a program for the dashboard. if it is a recurring problem then it should be a recall on it. *nlm | |||
| 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 | |||
| 08/01/2001 | 50000 | 20 | 03/13/1999 |
| When i go to start the car sometimes it just makes a whining noise and wont start, that happens two or three times a month, also the dash board is comming up.*jb | |||
| 01/22/2003 | |||
| Consumer called complaining about having problems with the dashboard which is inoperable obstructing the driver's view dealer has inspected the vehicle but is not longer under guarantee. please provide further information. ts | |||
| 1 | |||
| Consumer stated the vehicle dashboard is coming unglued. the dealership indicated that there was a consumer service campaign for the problem, however it ended in september 2002.*jb | |||
| 12/01/2002 | 1 | ||
| Dashboard is coming unglued and buckling, obstructing consumer's view out of front windshield while driving.*jb | |||
| 10/29/2002 | |||
| Vehicle instrumental panel is whopping. consumer had vehicle serviced, dealership informed them at that their was a recall for this part, but the recall has expired. consumer was never notified of recall. ts | |||
| 08/20/2002 | 1 | ||
| The instrument panel is delaminating. there is a recall but per manufacturer this vehicle is not affected. nlm | |||
| 06/01/2002 | 1 | 12/01/2001 | |
| I took car back the next morning after purchase, dealer claims there is nothing he can do, the engine light has been on since day one and i have taken it back twice, they replaced the differential sensor, it went off for about 10 mins and has been on ever since. now everything else seems to be going wrong with this car. | |||
| 06/10/2002 | |||
| One piece vent on dashboard has popped out. dashboard has rolled itself upward, locking approximately 2 1/2 inches of front windshield. vehicle has a tehnical service bulletin listed. dealer was contacted. please provide more information.*ak | |||
| 02/01/2002 | 11/01/2000 | ||
| The dashboard is coming off. as it is coming off it is curling up and i am afraid it is going to get in the way of my vision as i am driving. it is a '1999 and i feel like it should not be coming apart like that.*ak | |||
| 05/23/2001 | 1 | 05/01/1999 | |
| The decorative plastic piece came off the dashboard shortly after the vehicle was purchased. the dealer put it back,but the piece continued coming off and it was put back again. the manufacture was not helpful to correct the defect. *yh *cb | |||
| 12/01/2000 | 1 | 04/01/1999 | |
| Vinyl is rolling up on the vehicle's dashboard. it's getting close to passenger's side air bag, which may or may not deploy. consumer has yet to contact dealer. *ak consumer has contacted dealer and several others who refused to do anything. *slc | |||
| Dashboard is curving up and its is progressivly getting worse, causing poor visibility. dealer is aware of defect, and states defect is common problem. *ak | |||
| 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 ) | |||
| 10/02/1999 | 5 | 10/01/1999 | |
| This car has been defective since the day i bought it 10-2-99 with o5 miles on it. i've had it in the dealers shop and they agree there is a problem they cannot solve,but noe they won't even work on it anymore and hav made the statement we have put too much money in it already i've spoken to managers and contacted ford motor company twice by phone the response was to give the dealer two bussiness days to let me know what they are going to do.my loaner car and appointment for the ford motor company to review my car is 7-27-00. this car is a lemon i feel should be taken off the road, im afraid it could endanger someone not knowing what is even wrong with it ,what system or anything. can you have any input in this situation, i have a disabled child in a wheelchair and depend solely on this car for his health and specialist appts. this car is a nessesssity not a luxury. thankyou sincerely, virginia smith. no safety defect discussed in summary. *ak | |||
| 02/12/2000 | 2 | 08/01/1999 | |
| Full frontal collision with a larger vehicle; reported to ford litigation; no response from manufacturer. no safety defect listed in summary. *ak | |||