1995 FORD CONTOUR Electrical Systemwiring Problems

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT CERTIFIED MECHANIC FOR A NORMAL TUNE UP; IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESS WAS DETERIORATED. DUE TO THE POTENTIAL RISK OF FIRE WHILE REPAIRING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED TO GO TO THE DEALER. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP, THE PARTS TO REPAIR THE DETERIORATED ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESS WERE DISCONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, AND PROVIDED A TELEPHONE NUMBER TO A PARTS STORE. THE STORE DID NOT CARRY THE PARTS EITHER. THE JUNK YARD WAS ALSO CHECKED FOR AVAILABILITY OF REPLACEMENT PARTS. THE PARTS AT THE JUNK YARD WERE IN A WORST CONDITION THAN THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE.

CAR CUTS OFF WHEN YOU TURN THE LIGHTS ON OR PRESS THE BRAKES. *AK

I OWN A 1995 FORD CONTOUR GL THAT WAS PURCHASED NEW. I RECENTLY OPENED THE HOOD TO FIND THAT THE ELECTRICAL WIRING INSULATION IS BRITTLE AND FALLING APART AND EXPOSING THE BARE WIRE. THIS MAY CAUSE A FIRE IF TWO OF THE EXPOSED WIRES TOUCH AND CREATE A SPARK. I TALKED TO FORD MOTOR COMPANY WHO TOLD ME THAT A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION BULLETIN WAS SEND OUT IN 1999. THIS SHOULD BE A SAFETY RECALL AND NOT A SERVICE BULLETIN. THE BULLETIN EXPIRES AT 100,000 MILES OR 10 YEARS AFTER WARRANTY. THE WIRING IS MADE SO THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE REACHES A CERTAIN AGE, THE PLASTIC WILL FALL OFF AND THE METAL WIRES CAN BE RECYCLED. THE CARS ARE KNOWN TO MECHANICS AT FORDS DEALERSHIPS AS THROWAWAY CARS AFTER TEN YEARS, BECAUSE OF THE BIO-DEGRADABLE WIRING. *NM

DT: CONSUMER FELT VEHICLE HAD BAD WIRING HARNESS. THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND OFF. THERE WERE NO AIR CONDITIONER/ HEATER/ COMPRESSOR OR FAN . TOOK VEHICLE TO AN A MECHANIC, IT WAS THERE THAT MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS WAS FAULTY, AND HAD A POTENTIAL FOR CATCHING ON FIRE. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALERSHIP AND FORD MANUFACTURER ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. CONSUMER WAS ADVISED OF AN EXTENDED WARRANTY THROUGH CUSTOMER RELATIONS FOR 10 YEARS OR 100,000 MILES. CONSUMER DID NOT APPLY FOR EXTENDED WARRANTY BECAUSE VEHICLE WAS OVER 100,000 MILES, AND DEALER NEVER MADE CONSUMER AWARE OF THIS IN THE PAST. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. *JB

DT: CONTACT STATES THE WIRING HARNESS IS CRACKING , CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL WHILE DRIVING, GASOLINE FUMES FROM THE FUEL INJECTOR IS COMING INSIDE THE VEHICLE. WHEN IT RAINS OR WHEN WASHING THE VEHICLE IT GETS WATER INTO THE COMPUTER OF THE VEHICLE, CAUSING LOSS OF POWER, THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START. THE SERVICE DEALER STATED THIS WAS A DEFECT WITHIN THE VEHICLE.*AK

CONSUMER HEARD ABOUT THE NOTIFICATION ON THE WIRE HARNESS. DEALER REFUSED TO REPAIR VEHICLE BECAUSE OVER THE MILEAGE REQUIREMENT. TOOK VEHICLE TO PRIVATE MECHANIC, AND MECHANIC INFORMED CONSUMER THAT WIRING HARNESS WAS EFFECTING ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, AND MELTING WIRE INSULATION. CONTACTED MANUFACTURER, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THIS VEHICLE NOT INCLUDED IN NOTIFICATION 99M03 BECAUSE OF OVER MILEAGE AND NOT UNDER WARRANTY. *AK

1995 FORD CONTOUR RECALL LETTER #99M03 ISSUED OCT.1999. I PURCHASED CAR APR.2001 WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE OF THIS RECALL. MILEAGE WHEN PURCHASED, 98,042. MILEAGE WHEN WIRING HARNESS WAS DETERMINED AS PROBLEM, 121,869. I HAVE RECEIPTS FOR PARTS AND LABOR THAT WAS NOT NECESSARY DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. THERE IS A TOTAL OF 20 RECALLS AS OF JAN. 1995 ON MY VIN NUMBER. FORD MOTOR STATES RECALL #99M03, IS NOT CONSIDERED A SAFETY RECALL AND EXPIRES AT 100,000 MILES. OTHER RECALLS EXTEND TO 150,000 MILES BECAUSE THEY ARE CONSIDERED CUSTOMER SATISFACTION COURTESY. THE CAR WAS MANUFACTURED AND SOLD WITH A WIRING HARNESS DEFECT AND SEVERAL OTHER DEFECTS. BECAUSE I PURCHASED THE CAR USED I WAS NOT AWARE OF ALL DEFECTS. I BELIEVE FORD SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR DEFECTIVE PRODUCTS AND NOT FORCE THE SECOND OWNER OF THE CAR TO PAY FOR THEIR MISTAKES. THE CAR DOESN'T START BUT ALL LIGHT AND WARNING...

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE WITHOUT WARNING. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

I BOUGHT A CAR ON AUG O8,2003. IT BROKE DOWN AN HOUR LATER ON THE HIGHWAY. I TOOK IT TO TINKS AND THE MECHANIC RUSS TOLD ME THAT THE WERE 20-30 WIRES THAT NEED TO BE REPLACE AND THAT THE CAR WAS NO GOOD. I WANTED MY MONEY BACK AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD FIX THE CAR THE WARRANY IS FOR 30 DAYS.THEY FIXED THE CAR AND I GOT IT BACK ON AUG 14,2003. IT STALLED 4 TIMES AFTER I PICKED IT UP. THEY ALSO GAVE ME 4 KEYS THAT WOULD NOT OPEN THE CAR SO I WAS LOCKED OUT. THEY HAD TO BREAK INTO THE CAR BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE KEY. I HAD TO GO PHILLIPSBURG TO GET AN ID I HAD LOST. I WAS DRIVING IN THE THIRD LANE WHEN THE CAR JERKED AND STARTED SMOKING. THATS WHEN WE NOTICE THE CAR WAS ON FIRE.I GOT OVER...

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SYMPTOMS OF THE RECALL ON THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. DEALER WILL NOT REPAIR BECAUSE VIN# WAS NOT INCLUDED. *NLM

I HAVE A FORD CONTOUR 1995 MANUFACTURED IN 12/94 I HAVE SOME COMPLAINTS ABOUT MY CAR. THERE ARE SOME RECALLS OUT ON THIS VEHICLE. BUT THERE ARE NOT LIST FOR MY CONTOUR VIN # BUT I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS. MY CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE ROBINS FORD DELERSHIP IN GLENOLDEN,PA FOR NOT STARTING. AFTER THEY INSPECTED THE VEHICLE THEY CALLED ME AND TOLD ME THAT I HAVE A WIRING HARNESS DEFECT THAT CAUSED IT TO SHORT CIRCUIT MY SPARK PLUGS. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE WIRES FOR THIS VEHICLE IS OUT DATED AND FOR HAVE BEEN REPLACING THEM WITH UPDATED WIRES. BUT THEY HAVE NOT ISSUED A RECALL FOR MY VIN# BUT IT IS A KNOWN MANUFACTURER DEFECT WITH THIS CAR. I ALSO HAVE SOME PROBLEMS THAT HAVE JUST STARTED THAT FORD HAVE RECALLS ON BUT AGAIN NOT MY SO CALLED VIN#. MY SEAT BELTS ON THIS CAR HAVE...

CONSUMER HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR RECALL 00 V 367 000/ ENGINE COOLING FAN REPAIRS. AFTER CONSUMER TOOK IT BACK TO DEALER, THEY FOUND OUT A BARE WIRE WICH WAS CAUSING PROBLEM. A GENERAL MANAGER SAID THAT THEY COULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT HAD HAPPENED, THEREFORE NOTHING COULD BE DONE.*AK CONSUMER STATES AFTER VEHICLE WAS RETURNED IT BEGAN TO OVERHEAT, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD COME AND FUSES WERE BLOWN, CONSUMER WAS INFOMRED THAT THE REASON THE FUSES WERE BLOWING WAS BECAUSE THE RECALL THAT WAS PERFORMED ON THE ENGINE COOLING FAN WAS DONE WRONG AND THAT WAS WHY VEHICLE WAS OVERHEATING, DELAER THEN STATED THAT ADDITIONAL REPAIRS WOULD NOT BE COVERED DUE TO THE MILEAGE.*JB

THERE WERE BURNT PLUG WIRES AND A BLOWN IGNITION MODULE. *SLC

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE OVERHEATS. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER. DEALER REFUSED TO REPLACE BURNED WIRING UNDER WARRANTY. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

INSULATION ON WIRES IS CRACKED, AND WIRES ARE EXPOSED, MOSTLY WHERE COOLING FAN IS LOCATED. *AK

WIRING HARNESS THAT CONNECTS TO BATTERY DISINTEGRATED, CAUSING COVER TO EXPOSE THE WIRES WHICH COULD LEAD TO A FIRE.*AK

THE CONSUMER WAS NOT TOLD OF ANY WIRING/ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS UNTIL THE VEHICLE WAS OVER 100,000 MILES, NOW THEY WILL NOT HONOR ANY RECALL OR WARRANTIES BECAUSE OF THE MILEAGE, THE PLASTIC COVERING ON THE WIRING HAS BECOME BRITTLE AND IS BREAKING OFF. NLM

THERMOSTAT GOES UP TO THE RED. THEN, POWER STEERING WENT OUT. CONSUMER PULLED OVER AND LET CAR SIT FOR A WHILE. GAS TANK HAS BEEN REPLACED, WIRING HARNESS PROBLEM. *AK

WHILE DRIVING SMELLED AN AWFULL SMELL LIKE WIRES BURNING. BLOWER/ HEATER, AND AIR CONDITIONING STOPPED WORKING. CONSUMER SPOKE TO A MECHANIC WHO SAID THAT IT COULD HAVE CAUGHT FIRE. *AK

TWO WEEKS AFTER PURCHASE CONSUMER WAS TOLD ALL WIRING WAS NOT INSULATED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BE DANGEROUS TO START. NLM

TWO WEEKS AFTER PURCHASE CONSUMER WAS TOLD ALL WIRING WAS NOT INSULATED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BE DANGEROUS TO START. NLM

TWO WEEKS AFTER PURCHASE CONSUMER WAS TOLD ALL WIRING WAS NOT INSULATED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BE DANGEROUS TO START. NLM

WIRING MELTED TOGETHER UNDER THE DASHBOARD,ALSO THE SWITCH MELTED.

ELECTRIC POWER STEERING PUMP VALVE CONTROL WIRES SHORTED OUT.

DRIVING ON HWY RPMS STOPPED RUNNING; VEHICLE STALL OUT; VEHICLE STARTED COASTING. PULLED TO SIDE; TURNED IT OFF; RESTARTED IT 15 MINUTES LATER. TOOK TO DEALER & INFORMED ELECTRICAL CABLE WIRING (BATTERY/ALTERNATOR) HAD MELTED & CAUSED VEHICLE TO STALL. *AK

ELECTRICAL SHORT, INTERIOR COMPARTMENT FIRE, DRIVER'S SUNVISOR HAS MINOR DEFECT WHICH CAUSED AN ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE WIRING.*AK VEHICLE HAD BEENPARKED FOR 3 DAYS WHEN DISCOVERED.*JB