1999 FORD CONTOUR Visibilitydefrosterdefoggerhvac System Problems

THE DASHBOARD WINDSHIELD AIR/DEFROSTING VENT COVER BELOW THE WINDSHIELD POPPED OFF AND THE DASHBOARD PADDING HAS PEALED UP BLOCKING WINDSHIELD/FORWARD VISIBILITY. THIS HAS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO FAIL THE VIRGINIA SAFETY INSPECTION. ALL REMEDIES WE HAVE TRIED HAVE ONLY SEEM TO PROVIDE TEMPORARY RELIEF. I HAVE PICTURES. I HAVE TALKED TO SEVERAL OTHER CONTOUR OWNERS WHO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS AND I HAVE SEEN CONTOURS IN PARKING LOTS WITH SIMILAR CONDITIONS. ADDITIONALLY, I WAS TOLD THIS WAS IDENTIFIED IN A PAST SAFETY RECALL. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD RESULTING FROM DEFECTIVE MATERIALS AND POOR DESIGN. *JS

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE DASHBOARD WARPED. IT TOUCHED THE WINDSHIELD, AND WAS PULLING THE PASSENGER'S AIR BAG PIECE. THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO. THE LIGHT HAS NOT BEEN ON SINCE. HE STATED NOW THAT HE WAS USING THE DEFROSTER, IT WAS COMING UP MORE. OFTEN. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED TO SEE WHY THIS WAS OCCURRING. *AK

THE BLOWER RESISTER WIRES IN THE DEFROSTER MELTED ALMOST CAUSING A FIRE IN THE VEHICLE. *JB

CONSUMER STATED DASHBOARD WAS LIFTING, AND DEFOGGER DID NOT WORK. THERE WAS A RECALL REGARDING THIS ISSUE. HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO RECALL INFORMATION IN THE SYSTEM. CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT A LETTER WAS SENT TO HER TWO YEARS AGO. *AK *TC

THE DASHBOARD OF OUR 1999 FORD CONTOUR HAS EXPERIENCED A SEVERE WARPAGE AND IS NOW RESTING UPWARD ABOUT 5 INCHES HIGHER THAN ITS NORMAL POSITION. THE DEFROSTER GRILL POPPED OUT EARLIER AND IN THE WINTER THE DEFROST FUNCTION DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY ON THE WINDSHIELD. THE CURRENT POSITION OF THE WARPED DASHBOARD IS OBSTRUCTING OUR VISIBILITY OF THE ROADWAY AND A SERVICE TECHNICIAN AT THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP ADMITTED THAT IT WAS A HAZARDOUS. THERE WAS A FORD CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM (#01B78) WHICH WAS ISSUED IN AUGUST 2001 AND EFFECTIVE UNTIL AUGUST 31, 2002 ADMITTING TO PROBLEMS WITH DASHBOARD (INSTRUMENT PANEL) WARPAGE ON THE 1999 & 2000 FORD CONTOUR. I HAVE CONTACTED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE ON AT LEAST 4 OCCASIONS OVER THE PAST YEAR PLUS WITHOUT ANY SATISFACTION AND THE PROBLEM IS GETTING WORSE. THE FORD DEALER (HERITAGE FORD IN SOUTH BURLINGTON, VERMONT) INDICATES THAT THIS IS A FACTORY PROBLEM...

PURCHASED CAR IN SEPT. 99; NO DASHBOARD WARPAGE' RECEIVED A PRINTOUT OF TSB# 01B78 FOR WARPAGE ON 8/24/01; NO WARPAGE YET. 01/07/04 RECEIVED A PRINTOUT FROM DEALER OF NO ACTIVE TSB#01B78. DASHBOARD WARPAGE SEVERE AFTER WINTER OF 2004. BROUGHT INTO SERVICE THE TSB. THE DEALER AND FORD COMPANY FAILED TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THEY QUOTE THE SENT LETTERS TO CONSUMERS OF THE CAR. I NEVER RECEIVED A LETTER. THE BLAME THE US POST OFFICE FOR THE FAULT. LIABILITY FALLS INTO THE MFG., WHICH IS FORD NOT THE USPS. DASHBOARD IS WARPED AND DEFROSTER FAILS TO DEFROST THE WINDSHIELD IN THE WINTER DUE TO WARPAGE. THE DEFROST VANES NO LONGER FITS IN THE DASH TO DIRECT FLOW TO WINDSHIELD WHICH CAUSES A VISUAL HAZARD TO DRIVING IN FOGGY, WINTERED ENVIRONMENTS. I WOULD LIKE THE TSB SERVICED DUE TO HAZARD. I AM ORIG. OWNER OF THE CAR. I FOUND ALL THE INFORMATION...

CONSUMER STATES HER DASHBORAD IS WARPED AND WHEN SHE TURNS ON HER DEFROGGER THE AIR DOES NOT HIT THE WINDSHIELD, CAUSING THE WINDSHIELD TO TAKE LONGER TO BECOME CLEAR. MR

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE WIRES IN THE AIR CONDITIONER HAS MELTED WHICH IS CAUSING THE DEFROSTER TO STOP WORKING. TS

DASHBOARD IS COMING UP, AND DEFROSTER DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. ALSO, THERE ARE BUBBLES ON DASHBOARD.*AK

WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF THE PURCHASE OF MY VEHICLE, THE CAR STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH VIBRATIONS, SHAKING, AND SEVERE NOISE WHILE DRIVING. THE ENGINE IDLED ROUGH AND GOT MORE SEVERE WHEN THE HEATING OR COOLING SYSTEM WAS USED. ALL TIRES HAVE BEEN REPLACED, A MAJOR BRAKE JOB WITH ROTORS TURNED WAS COMPLETED, AND THE STRUTS WERE REPLACED. REGARDLESS OF THIS WORK, THE SHAKING IN THE CAR HAS GOTTEN PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP FIVE TIMES FOR THE SAME PROBLEMS. THEY HAVE EITHER SAID THAT IT WAS "NORMAL CONTOUR" OR THAT IT WAS THE TIRES. FINALLY, THEY INDICATE THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM BUT THEY CANNOT DETERMINE WHAT IT IS. MY CAR MAKES A THUMPING NOISE AND A SQUEALING NOISE WHEN I MAKE SLOW RIGHT TURNS. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS MY FOOT HAS BEEN ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AND MY CAR SURGED FORWARD. AT ONE POINT I...

WHEN CONSUMER STEERED TO THE LEFT VEHICLE PULLED MORE THAN INTENDED. DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE & FOUND NOTHING WRONG.*AK THE STEERING PROBLEM IS CAUSED BY BAD FRONT END ALIGNMENT. THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. BROKEN MOTOR MOUNT WAS FOUND. THE HEATER FAILED TOO. *YH