NHTSA Complaint #10190974 — 1998 FORD CONTOUR

THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LEFT FRONT SPRING BROKE AND PUNCTURED THE TIRE WHILE THE CAR WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY. CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHO FOUND RECALL NOTICE AND REPLACED LEFT SPRING AND LEFT TIRE AT NO CHARGE. LESS THAN A YEAR LATER THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO THE RIGHT SPRING AND TIRE. CAR WAS AGAIN TOWED TO DEALER, WHO AGAIN REPLACED THE SPRING AND TIRE AT NO CHARGE AS THIS WAS A RECALL PROBLEM. DEALER COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE RIGHT SPRING HAD BROKEN BECAUSE HE CLAIMED THAT THE RIGHT SPRING HAD BEEN AUTOMATICALLY CHANGED WHEN THE LEFT ONE FAILED AS PART OF THE RECALL SPRING REPLACEMENT INSTRUCTIONS. THAT MEANT THAT THE RIGHT SPRING FAILED AFTER BEING ON THE CAR ONLY 10 MONTHS. CAR IS A 1998 FORD CONTOUR LX. MILEAGE 75,000. THE CAR HAS PERFORMED FINE OTHER THAN THIS SPRING PROBLEM. *AK