NHTSA Complaint #739992 — 1996 FORD CONTOUR

MY FORD CONTOUR HAS BEEN STALLING OUT AND DYING ON ME WHILE MOVING ALONG IN TRAFFIC, AT STOP SIGNS, AND WHILE STOPPED AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS. THE LOUD FOG HORN SOUND USUALLY BEGINS WHEN I AM SLOWING DOWN TO STOP OR WHILE I AM STOPPED, BUT IT HAS BEGUN EVEN WHEN I AM AT FULL DRIVE SPEED OF APPROX. 35 MILES PER HOUR. THE STALLING OUT AND DYING SEEMS TO HAPPEN MORE OFTEN WHEN THE TEMPERATURES OUTSIDE ARE VERY COLD. THE CAR ALSO TENDS TO REV ITSELF (UP TO 1500 RPMS) WHEN I'M STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN, ETC. AFTER I HAD THE MAF SENSOR REPLACED THE FIRST TIME, BACK IN JAN. 2000, THE CAR CONTINUED TO REV ITSELF AND TRIED TO STALL OUT. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE AUTO SERVICE CTR. AND WAS TOLD THEY NEEDED TO REPROGRAM THE COMPUTER AND THAT WOULD TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEMS. WHILE THE CAR DID NOT REV ITSELF AT STOP OR IDLE, AS MUCH AS BEFORE, IT DID STILL CONTINUE TO REV AT A FULL STOP. THE VEHICLE HAS ALSO BEEN ROARING LIKE A FOG HORN AND COMPLETLY STALLED OUT AND DIED ON ME WHEN I WAS STOPPED AT STOP SIGNS, TRAFFIC LIGHTS, IN PARKING GARAGES IN LONG LINES OF TRAFFIC, AND WHILE I WAS DRIVING AT SLOW SPEEDS. I RECENTLY TOOK THE VEH. BACK TO THE SERVICE CTR. AND WAS TOLD IT WAS AGAIN THE MAF SENSOR AND THAT A REPLACEMENT WOULD INDEED FIX THE PROBLEMS. THE CAR IS STILL ROARING AND STALLING/DYING ON ME WHEN I'M OUT IN TRAFFIC. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND I CERTAINLY CONSIDER IT A SAFETY HAZARD. I FINALLY WENT TO THE NHTSA WEBSITE AFTER THE 2ND MAF SENSOR (01/01) DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEMS. SERVICE BULLETINS ON THE NHTSA INDICATE THE SAME PROBLEMS (STALLING/DYING OUT) ARE HAPPENING IN OTHER CONTOURS. NOW, THE FORD SERVICE CTR. IS TELLING ME THAT I NEED A DUCT AND RESONATOR ASSEMBY (PART # F-6RZ-9B659-CA) TO CORRECT THE NOISE AND STALLING OUT PROBLEMS THAT I WAS TOLD THE MAF SENSOR WOULD CORRECT. EVIDENTLY, THE ENTIRE AIR INTAKE SYSTEM HAS A REAL PROBLEM IN THIS CONTOUR. PLEASE REVIEW AND DO A RECALL. *AK