1998 FORD CONTOUR Electrical Systemwiring Problems

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 50 MPH, THE WIRING IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT BECAME BRITTLE AND THE INSULATION CRACKED AND FELL OFF DUE TO OVERHEATING. THE CONNECTION TO THE ENGINE ALSO DISINTEGRATED DUE TO OVERHEATING AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE SERVICE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THE WIRING HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WHEN THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THE VIN DID NOT MATCH THE RECALL FOR THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (01V230000), FORD RECALL # 01S22. UPDATED 1/17/2007 - *NM

VEHICLE WAS PURHASED IN JAN OF 1998. VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS 70,000 MILES. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A GOODYEAR FOR TUNE UP. WHEN PICKING UP THE VEHICLE GOODYEAR INFORMED ME OF A FAUTLY WIRE HARNESS. THEY ALSO INCLUDED THAT THE WIRE HARNESS WAS FLAKING OFF ALMOST AS IF IT WAS ROTTEN. THE VEHICLE WAS NEVER IN A FIRE OR AN ACCIDENT. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER ASE CERTIFIED MECHANIC FOR A SECOND OPPINION. THEY STATED THAT VEHICLES WIRE HARNESS WAS OF POOR QUALITY AND THAT DUE TO THE PROTECTIVE LAYER OVER THE METAL WIRES FLAKING OFF IT CAUSED A SHORT ONCE THE EXPOSED WIRES TOUCHED METAL BURNING THE COMPUTER. THEY ALSO INCLUDED THAT IT COULD HAVE CAUSED A FIRE AND OR WORSE WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE. I CONTACTED FORD AND EVEN TOOK THE CAR TO THEM AND THEY REFUSED TO EVEN LOOK AT THE VEHICLE CLAIMING THAT GOODYEAR DAMAGED IT....

DT: CRACKED WIRING IN THE ENGINE DEPARTMENT. ALL WIRES LEADING TO THE ENGINE, BATTERY, COIL AND POSSIBLE FUEL INJECTORS ARE CRACKED AND EXPOSED. LITTLE OR NO INSALATION ARE LEFT ON THE WIRES. WIRE HARNESS THAT LEADS TO THE ECU IS CRACKED AND EXPOSED. THIS HAS NOT CAUSED A FIRE, BUT ALL THIS IS CAUSING MORE DAMAGE EVERYTIME THE CAR IS SERVICED. *AK

THE BLOWER AND ABS SYSTEM WERE DEFECTIVE. THE ABS LIGHT WAS ON. THE FUSE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, AFTER INSPECTION WIRING HARNESS WAS FOUND TO BE DEFECTIVE. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR VEHICLES THROUGH 1997. *AK

CONSUMER STATED THAT THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE SYSTEM WAS DEFECTIVE. VEHICLE LOST POWER, AND BEGAN TO SMOKE. CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THE WIRING OF THE TEMPERATURE GAUGES WAS DONE INCORRECTLY. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT THEY COULD DO.*AK THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE WAS DAMAGED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED AS A RESULT OF THE OVERHEATING. *NM

CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL 99MO3 REGARDING WIRING HARNESS, RECALL ONLY AFFECTED VEHICLES FROM 1995-1997. THE INSULATION ON THE WIRING HARNESS DETERIORATED, CAUSING THE SYSTEM TO SHORT OUT. DEALER WILL NOT FIX THE PROBLEM FREE OF CHARGE.*AK

I HAVE A 1998 FORD CONTOUR SVT SITTING MY DRIVEWAY WITH 74,000 MILES ON IT WHICH WILL NOT RUN BECAUSE IT HAS A DEFECTIVE WIRING HARNESS. I AM AWARE THAT THE 1995 THOURGH 1997 MODELS HAD A FACTORY RECALL BECAUSE THE WIRING HARNESS INSULATION FAILED. THIS CAR IS A 1998 MODEL THAT WAS BUILT IN MAY OF 1997 AND THE INSULATION IS FALLING OFF THE WIRING IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE CAR WILL NOT RUN AT THIS TIME DUE TO THE FACT THAT THIS WIRING HAS CAUSED A PROBLEM SHORTING OUT. IT IS ALSO HAS MAJOR PROTENTIAL TO BE A LIFE THREATENING FIRE HAZZARD. *AK

NO DASH LIGHTS, BACK-UP, OR LICENSE PLATE LIGHT. TOOK TO DEALER AND DASH LIGHTS WERE FIXED $200.PLUS. BUT NO CLOCK LIGHT, LICENSE PLATE LIGHT OR BACK-UP LIGHTS. ALL FUSES WHERE CHECKED AND OK.*AK

VEHICLE FILLED WITH SMOKE, NO FLAMES JUST WIRES BURNING. CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE 01V230000/ MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 01S22.MADE AND APPOINTMENT, AND PART WAS ORDERED 4 DAYS AHEAD, AT THAT TIME INFORMATION CAME UP AS A RECALL. ONCE CONSUMER ARRIVED AT DEALER WAS UNABLE TO PULL UP RECALL, AND DENIED RECALL REPAIRS. *AK

FIRST DAY CAR WAS BOUGHT ENGINE DIED, TOOK TO DEALER, AND THEY GAVE CONSUMER ANOTHER CONTOUR. CURRENTLY, VEHCILE WILL SHUT OFF IN MIDDLE OF INTERSECTION. DEALER REPLACED TRANSMISSION, AND ENGINE WAS ACTING UP. *AK CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN 3 TIMES FOR TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, IT JERKS AND VIBRATES, CONSUMER DOES NOT THINK THAT DEALER REPLACED TRANSMISSION LIKE THEY SAID. 1 TIME FOR ENGINE PROBLEMS. CONSUMER HAS BEEN IN 2 ACCIDENTS DUE TO SUDDEN ACCELERATION. FRONT SWAY BAR REPLACED, STEERING WOULD SHIMMY AND RATTLE. BLOWER MOTOR ASSEMBLY REPLACED, DUE TO RATTLING NOISE IN AIR CONDITIONER, ALSO CYCLING SWITCH REPLACED DUE TO AIR CONDITIONER NOT COOLING. LEFT FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY REPLACED, BELT WOULD NOT BUCKLE. STARTER FAILED AND WAS REPLACED. ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, DEALER FOUND LOOSE CONNECTION AT ACT. REAR STRUTS REPLACED, NOISY. *SLC

WIRING HARNESS PROBLEMS ARE SAME SYMPTOMS AS MENTIONED IN INVESTIGATION # EA01001. HAS REPLACED WIRING HARNESS 8 TIMES. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT INTERSTATE SPEEDS OUR ALTERNATOR WIRE MELTED OFF AT THE CONNECTION TO THE ALTERNATOR. THE ALTERNATOR, THE WIRE AND A 175 AMP FUSE WERE ALL BAD. A REPLACEMENT ALTERNATOR COULD NOT BE FOUND IN LESS THAN 2 DAYS SO THE ORIGINAL ALTERNATOR WAS REBUILT. I HAVE IN MY POSSESION THE BLOWN 175 AMP FUSE AND THE MELTED ALTERNATOR WIRE. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME AN ELECTRICAL WIRE HAS MELTED ON OUR 1998 CONTOUR. IT IS THE THIRD TIME WE HAVE BEEN STRANDED. FORD HAS A SERVICE BULLETIN FOR THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM WITH THE CORRECTION BEING, REPLACE THE ALTERNATOR AND THE WIRE ON CONTOURS WITH THE 2.5L ENGINE. *AK

WHENEVER THE AUTOMOBILE IS DRIVEN THROUGH A PUDDLE OF WATER OR UPON PROLONGED DRIVING ON A WET ROAD, THE POWER STEERING LOCKS UP. WHEN THIS OCCURS, THE POWER STEERING REMAINS LOCKED FOR SEVERAL SECONDS UP TO OVER ONE MINUTE BEFORE RETURNING TO NORMAL. THESE CONDITIONS ALSO CAUSE THE "BATTERY" LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. I RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER IN APPROXIMATELY JUNE 1998, BUT THEIR FIX ACTION "REPLACING A HEADLIGHT WIRING ASSEMBLY" DID NOT APPEAR TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM AND THE PROBLEM REOCCURRED IMMEDIATELY THE NEXT TIME THAT THE AUTOMBILE WAS DRIVEN ON A RAINY DAY. UPON RETURNING THE AUTOMOBILE A SECOND TME, I WAS INFORMED BY BOTH A SERVICE TECHNICIAN AND A SERVICE MANAGER THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT THE FORD COMPANY IS AWARE OF BUT IS MAKING NO ATTEMPT TO INFORM THE AUTOMOBILE OWNERS UNTIL THEY ACTUALLY EXPERIENCE THE PROBLEM.