This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
This problem started way back at the date below and I could not get Ford to fix this problem so I have been attempting to keep the car running by electrical taping the exposing wires. I wonder why amercian made vehicles are loosing to foreign companies... self explanatory I think. No pride in the american worker. Just do the job and make living. Complaint is Ford Contour gl engine wiring harnesses severely deteriorating. I work with electrical wiring on aircraft daily and have never seen wiring like this. I've worked in areas where aircraft wiring go through severe temperature changes, high humidity, and sea spray to name a few. No aircraft that I've worked on has had wiring like this. Transportation such as aircraft don't or should say cannot have wiring like this why can cars" obvious safety hazard for car owners around the country, car fails from wiring in the middle of rush hour traffic and what happens to the owner and possible other innocent drivers around them" this incident I believe requires immediate action. As I stated I am currently using electrical tape to attempt to keep the wires from touching and causing a fire or damage to other engine components. Currently chasing air conditioning, engine fan, and fuel injector problems with this wiring. A vehicles wiring should never become this brittle. This goes to prove why Ford is closing plants and Nissan and Toyota are on top of the automotive sales. Think about it Ford, trying to get by with cheap stuff and see where you are now, verge of bankruptcy.
The problem started on the incident date, wire problem cause the entire fan/ac/heater panel so no longer work, the wire got so hot hot it melted our under-dash fuse box, we went for 9 months and a baby with no A/C in hot and no heat in the cold, husband(josh murphy) went to junk yard after being turned away by dealership and got replacement parts off an identical car. That was in June of 2005. On that date we saw that all of the wires under the hood were severely cracked and damaged after eltrcial taping a few of the exposed wired there became a short that now cuases a computer problem and a loss of power then trying to accelerate anf pull into traffic, or just anytime it wants to. The over-drive light comes on and transmission starts to get really jerky and the odometer and everything else in the panal starts to malfunction, most of the time we dont even know how fast we are going or how many miles we have gone. We have a 18 month old and a new baby due in just weeks and I am scared that one time when I go to pull out the car just isnt going to go at all and we might get hit by someone, O and sometimes it just turns itself off in traffic too. The deaalership tell me that all of those wires were replaced in 2000 but they should have made it longer that 4 years without degenerating again. The local dealership also tells me that I would have to just pay for the work and being a new family we cannot afford something like that, especially since it was a recall item at one time. Please there has to be something done about this, I know we are not the only 96 Ford Contour owners with this exact problem either.
Consumer took vehicle to the dealer, and had the mechanic look underneath the hood. Vehicle was melting inside due to this problem. She had no air condition or heat.
A failure in wiring harness resulted in wires overheating, damaging wiring harness. Ford customer relations are neglecting service based on a letter from them with a mileage restriction of 100,000 miles.
- Sacramento, CA, USA
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Engine check light coming on. Took to kinsel Ford in June 2001...told catalytic converter going out. Engine light went off...started coming on again and car had alot of exhaust and running rough. Took to silsbee Ford and was told that the engine was out due to the engine cooling fan not coming on like it was suppose to so it also fried the wires. Ford is willing to pay for parts but refuses to pay for labor due to the fact that they say it was out of the 100,000 warrenty for the repair. I explained that the problem was going on when I brought it in in June and they didn't correct it then, according to the check out sheet they didn't even check it for that and I specifically asked for that recall to be checked. I had even been in in March of 2000 for the check engine light coming on. I was told by Ford that my car had no recall for the engine and engine cooling fan. Just extremely upset that you can have a recall, take your car in and it not be checked for it and when it goes out due to the recall that the company penalizes the consumer.
Vehicle had no power causing consumer to purchase a new battery. Vehicle wouldn't work with new battery because consumer noticed wires were not attached. Dealer stated " Ford has a program which is 10 year or 100,000 miles, but can only be fixed if a problem occurs." Consumers is responsible for the cost of repairs.
Consumer had just parked car and turn it off and heard a popping noise. Then, 10 to 15 minutes later, consumer saw smoke and fire coming from engine. Called fire department.
What exactly are they recalling on the 1996-1998 Ford Contour" is it the whole car or just the electric system? is that considered the wiring harness" the reason we're so interested is because we've had many major problems with our 1996 Ford Contour. We sent our car to the Ford of ocala, fl for the wiring harness recall, and they gave us a very hard time about fixing it. They were trying to get us to replace parts that weren't even bad, at the cost of $400 for one part. But then they said there was a whole list of things that were wrong with it, and after they fixed each of these parts, if our car still didn't start, then they'd get to fixing the wiring harness. We had 2 mechanics check these parts and they weren't bad at all. It took them 2 and a half weeks before they gave us our car back.then when we got it back, we had to take it to our regular mechanic who said they wired it wrong, and left the wiring to the air-conditioning and the alternator undone. That was 2 months ago, and we just had to replace our alternator. The mechanic that fixed the alternator said they did a lousy job, because half the wiring wasn't even done right. There is wiring in our car that is bare, and he said it could cause our car to catch on fire. Also, the wiring leading to the alternator is bare, which he said most likely shorted out the alternator. So now we need to have the wiring redone, and all of this has cost us hundreds of dollars. This car is the worst car ever made, we've had nothing but problems with it from the day we gotit! we had the air fixed, and after they did the recall, the air no longer worked anymore. Also, after they worked on the recall, there are many wires that are still cracked and brittle, and left bare. The wiring to the battery is completely bare, also, and we've had to replace the battery 3 times since we've had the car. The seatbelt locks up while driving where it is so tight I can't move at all.we're afraid it will catch fire! also more problems!
What exactly are they recalling on the 1996-1998 Ford Contour" is it the whole car or just the electric system? is that considered the wiring harness" the reason we're so interested is because we've had many major problems with our 1996 Ford Contour. We sent our car to the Ford of ocala, fl for the wiring harness recall, and they gave us a very hard time about fixing it. They were trying to get us to replace parts that weren't even bad, at the cost of $400 for one part. But then they said there was a whole list of things that were wrong with it, and after they fixed each of these parts, if our car still didn't start, then they'd get to fixing the wiring harness. We had 2 mechanics check these parts and they weren't bad at all. It took them 2 and a half weeks before they gave us our car back.then when we got it back, we had to take it to our regular mechanic who said they wired it wrong, and left the wiring to the air-conditioning and the alternator undone. That was 2 months ago, and we just had to replace our alternator. The mechanic that fixed the alternator said they did a lousy job, because half the wiring wasn't even done right. There is wiring in our car that is bare, and he said it could cause our car to catch on fire. Also, the wiring leading to the alternator is bare, which he said most likely shorted out the alternator. So now we need to have the wiring redone, and all of this has cost us hundreds of dollars. This car is the worst car ever made, we've had nothing but problems with it from the day we gotit! we had the air fixed, and after they did the recall, the air no longer worked anymore. Also, after they worked on the recall, there are many wires that are still cracked and brittle, and left bare. The wiring to the battery is completely bare, also, and we've had to replace the battery 3 times since we've had the car. The seatbelt locks up while driving where it is so tight I can't move at all.we're afraid it will catch fire! also more problems!
About 2-3 months after I had my car I tried to trade it in for another car because of the deffects on it, but the dealer would not help me out then. Is there anything I can do about it now? no safety defect listed in the summary.
Recalls 99V103000/99S14/99M03/99M04, and 99M07: All of these recalls have not been remedied. Dealer dobbs Ford, 2515 mt moriah, memphis, tn 38115 901-367-4976, had no parts available.
The front end of vehicle shakes and rattles when slowing down..the smell of burning wires are present when ac and heaters are utilized.very dangerous if you live in cold climate area. Could cause injury or even death during winter months. Ford should do a safety recall on all engine, internal wiring harness, and fix rotors.
Electrical wiring harness failed, causing tail lights/interior lights, and parking lights to go out.had it fixed for $181.90 3/23/99 as of 7/2/99 dealer says he has no information on recall.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Panama City, FL, USA