NHTSA Complaint #10179536 — 1999 FORD CONTOUR

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