1997 Ford Aspire Problems

AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY AND FLASHES FOR THE LAST 6 YEARS. DOES IT MEAN AIR BAGS ARE OUT OF SERVICE, MALFUNCTIONING? THE VEHICLE HAD NO ACCIDENTS, AND IN GOOD MAINTAINED CONDITION. *JB

DURING A CRASH INTO A LIGHT POLE AT 25 MPH THE AIR BAGS IN OUR 1997 FORD ASPIRE EXPLODED INTO THE FACE OF MY 15 YEAR WHO WAS FULLY RESTRAINED IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. HE IS 5'11" AND 168 LBS. HE IS SUFFERING FROM "BURNS" BRUISING, SEVER MOUTH LACERATIONS (HE HAS BRACES). HE IS ALSO UNABLE TO SEE IN THE EYE THAT WAS HIT, DUE TO THE IMPRINT OF THE BAG SCORED INTO HIS CORNEA. THE 17 YEAR OLD DRIVER HAS A CRACKED RIB.

CONSUMER STATES OF HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE RIMS ON HER VEHICLE. DEALER WAS CONTACTED. MR. CONSUMER WAS INFOMRED A NEW BATTERY WAS NEEDED, THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING COOLANT, AND THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON.*JB

WHILE DRIVING RADIO, AND ALL ELECTRICAL POWERED UNITS WENT OUT. SMOKE WAS NOTICED COMING FROM UNDER HOOD. VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER, AND THERE WAS A FIRE UNDER HOOD THAT APPEARED TO START NEAR WIRE HARNESS. FIRE WAS PUT OUT BY FIRE DEPARTMENT. FORD HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

AIR BAG LIGHT HAD BEEN ILLUMINATING AND AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY DUE TO POSSIBLE DEFECTIVE CLOCKSPRING. *SCC...*AK

CONSUMER STATES OF HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE RIMS ON HER VEHICLE. DEALER WAS CONTACTED. MR. CONSUMER WAS INFOMRED A NEW BATTERY WAS NEEDED, THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING COOLANT, AND THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON.*JB

I OWN A 1997 FORD ASPIRE AND I WAS DRIVING THE OTHER DAY AND I STOPPED AT THE STORE. WHEN I LEFT THE STORE AND GOT IN MY CAR TO CRANK IT UP THE CAR SPUTTERED AND SHOOK THEN STOPPED RUNNING. I LIFTED UP THE HOOD AND NOTICED THAT THE FUEL LINE WAS POURING OUT GAS. I CALLED A MECHANIC TO COME AND FIX THE PROBLEM, WHICH COST ME 300 DOLLARS. WHEN I TOLD THE MECHANIC ABOUT THE PROBLEM, HE SAID THAT THIS WAS RECALLED ON THE 1994 MODEL YEAR OF THIS CAR, BUT MY CAR IS A 1997, WHICH MEANS THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS NEVER FIXED ON FUTURE CARS. I THINK THAT THIS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED SINCE IT WAS RECALLED ON A EARLIER MODEL, BUT I STILL HAD THE SAME PROBLEM IN A LATER MODEL CAR. *JB

CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING THE FUEL TANK HAS CRACKED CAUSING FLUID TO LEAK OUT. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS

VEHICLE HAS HAD (3) TRANSMISSIONS REPLACED WITH ONE OF THE TRANSMISSIONS LOSING A PIN, RESULTING IN SYSTEM HAVING POWER FAILURE. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS.*AK

1997 FORD ASPIRE.50 MPH ON MAJOR ROUTE IN DENVER WHEN CAR SUDDENLY LOST ALL GEARS. 55,400 MILES ON CAR, I AM NOT A SPEEDRACER, NOR WAS PREVIOUS OWNER, TORQUE CONVERTER THOROUGHLY RUINED, $1000 TO FIX, POSSIBLY MORE IF WHOLE TRANNY IS SHOT. NARROWLY ESCAPED SERIOUS INJURY. CAR IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRENTY OF ANY KIND. CAR NOT DRIVABLE AS IT HAS ABSOLUTELY NO GEAR SELECTION.

NO SUMMARY.

HAVE HAD RECENT OIL LEAK AND AS OF 08/24/00 WHITE SMOKE BLOWING OUT OF EXHAUST ENGINE LIGHT CONTINUES ON.. I HAVE HAD AIRCONDITIONING LEAKING INTO PASSANGER SIDE SO IT CANT BE USED, I HAVE ALWAYS MAINTAINED MY CAR AT EVERY 3 MONTHS.. THE BRAKE PROBLEM WAS NOTICED FIRST MONTH I OWED CAR AND ONLY WHEN IT RAINED WHICH CAUSED A WRECK ON 09/99 DUE TO NO BRAKES AT THAT TIME. HAVE HAD FRONT BREAKS REPLACED. MECHANIC SAID HE COULDNT SEE ANY WEAR ON THEM BUT NEED REPLACED.. MY TURN SIGNALS FUSES REPLACED ABOUT 4 OR 5 TIMES , 3 WKS AGO HAD THEM REPLACED AND NOW HAVE NO TURN SIGNALS. ..( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 16570/13 )

THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN LOCKS AND JAMS, THE DRIVER IS UNABLE TO GET THE STEERING COLUMN LOOSE TO BE ABLE TO TURN CAR ON OR TO BE ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR. NLM

WHEN TURNING LEFT, STEERING LOCKED IN LEFT TURN. TURNING STEERING WHEEL TO THE FAR RIGHT DID NOT CORRECT LEFT TURN CONDITION. ACCIDENT RESULTED IN CAR OVERTURNING - DECLARED A TOTAL LOSS BY INSURANCE COMPANY

CONSUMER STATES OF HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE RIMS ON HER VEHICLE. DEALER WAS CONTACTED. MR. CONSUMER WAS INFOMRED A NEW BATTERY WAS NEEDED, THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING COOLANT, AND THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON.*JB

RIGHT FRONT WHEEL IS BROKEN. *AK

DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WILL NOT CLOSE WHEN DRVING, THE DOOR OPENS. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER, DEALER HAS REPLACED THE DOOR HINGE. *AK

DOORS LEAK WATER THROUGH MIRRORS ONTO SPEAKERS IN DOORS, SHORTING THEM OUT STEREO. OWNER RENTED AN IDENTICAL MAKE AND MODEL AND EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEMS.

CAR SUDDENLY STARTED VIBRATING VIOLENTLY. CAUSE WAS A SIX INCH SECTION OF TREAD APPEARED TO HAVE SEPARATED INTERNALLY. STOPPED BEFORE TIRE FAILED COMPLETELY. 30,000 MILES ON A TIRE GUARANTEED FOR 75,000 MILES. DEALER SAID 62% OF WEAR HAD OCCURRED. *TR

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED DRIVER HEARD A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT BOTH REAR WHEEL HUBS, AND THE FRONT PASSENGER WHEEL HUB WERE CRACKED, AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. HOWEVER, THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE .*AK

DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW HAS IMPLODED TWO TIMES. VEHICLE WAS NOT OCCUPIED. FIRST IMPLOSION WAS AUGUST OF 1999 AND SECOND IMPLOSION WAS JUNE OF 2002. COST TO REPLACE WAS COVERED FIRST TIME UNDER WARRANTY. COST TO REPLACE SECOND TIME WAS $276.00 AND WAS NOT COVERED BY FORD. SEVERAL INTERNET WEBSITES INDICATE THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE.THANKFUL THIS VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND UNOCCUPIED AT EACH OCCURRENCE. *AK

WINDSHIELD CRACKED DUE TO SMALL ROCK HITTING IT. 2ND TIME A CINDER HIT WINDSHIELD, BROKE AGAIN. DEALER SAID THAT THEY ARE PUTTING IN WEAKER GLASS DUE TO THE ECOMONY. THIS DEFECT COULD RESULT INIJURIES. *AK

RIGHT FRONT , LEFT FRONT SEAT BROKE BOTH OF THEM. *AK

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED "LOOSE GEARS IN THE TRANSMISSION SYSTEM WHERE THE DEALER HAD TO REPLACE THE GEARS. ALSO, AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON, AND DEALER REPLACED IT, BUT PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. IN ADDITION, KEY BREAKS IN THE DOOR LOCKS/ VEHICLE IDLES AND STALLS UNEXPECTEDLY/DRIVER'S SEAT IS VERY LOOSE, DEALER TIGHTENED THE SEAT,BUT PROBLEM IS STILL OCCURRING/, AND ALL DOORS WERE NOT ALIGNED PROPERLY. OCCUPANT NEEDED TO SLAM THE DOOR AND CUT HER FINGER. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

DISTRIBUTOR SHORTED OUT/ MULTI FUCTION SWITCH MALFUCTIONED/ ALTERNATOR MALFUCTION ALTENATOR BROKE OFF HOUSING. *AK

HAVE HAD RECENT OIL LEAK AND AS OF 08/24/00 WHITE SMOKE BLOWING OUT OF EXHAUST ENGINE LIGHT CONTINUES ON.. I HAVE HAD AIRCONDITIONING LEAKING INTO PASSANGER SIDE SO IT CANT BE USED, I HAVE ALWAYS MAINTAINED MY CAR AT EVERY 3 MONTHS.. THE BRAKE PROBLEM WAS NOTICED FIRST MONTH I OWED CAR AND ONLY WHEN IT RAINED WHICH CAUSED A WRECK ON 09/99 DUE TO NO BRAKES AT THAT TIME. HAVE HAD FRONT BREAKS REPLACED. MECHANIC SAID HE COULDNT SEE ANY WEAR ON THEM BUT NEED REPLACED.. MY TURN SIGNALS FUSES REPLACED ABOUT 4 OR 5 TIMES , 3 WKS AGO HAD THEM REPLACED AND NOW HAVE NO TURN SIGNALS. ..( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 16570/13 )

AFTER FRED FIRST MECHANIC REPAIRED TRANSAXLE, I EXAMINED THE FOUR SPIDER GEARS FROM THE DIFFERENTIAL. THEY WERE WORN COMPLETELY, AS IF FROM SEVERE ABUSE. HOWEVER, I AM THE SOLE DRIVER AND I KNOW THERE WAS NO ABUSE. EVEN THE MECHANIC COMMENTED THAT WHEN HE SEES ABUSE, SOME OTHER PARTS IN THE TRANSAXLE WILL ALSO SHOW ABUSE. HE SAID THAT ALL OF THE OTHER GEARS IN THE TRANSAXLE WERE VIRTUALLY PERFECT. IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT IT WAS A DEFECTIVE DIFFERENTIAL. HOWEVER, FORD(DETROIT) MADE ME PAY A $305 WARRANTY ADJUSTMENT FEE BECAUSE I WAS 3000 MILES PAST WARRANTY. I SAVED ABOUT $400 DOLLARS. I FEEL THAT THE PART SHOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED BECAUSE IT WAS OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE. *AK

WHILE DRIVING SUDDENLY HEARD ALOT OF LOUD NOISE AND CLUNKING. CONTACTED DEALER, THEY FIXED IT UNDER WARRANTY AND GAVE CONSUMER ANOTHER 12,000 MILES OF WARRANTY. IT HAPPENED AGAIN AFTER ABOUT 33,000 MILES. CONSUMER DETERMINED THAT THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL WENT OUT. *AK

HAD BATTERY, FUEL PUMP, AND EVEN STARTER REPLACED NUMEROUS TIMES WITH NO RESULTS. DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN UNCOOPERATIVE, WORRIED MORE ABOUT MONEY THAN SOLVING PROBLEM.

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED "LOOSE GEARS IN THE TRANSMISSION SYSTEM WHERE THE DEALER HAD TO REPLACE THE GEARS. ALSO, AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON, AND DEALER REPLACED IT, BUT PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. IN ADDITION, KEY BREAKS IN THE DOOR LOCKS/ VEHICLE IDLES AND STALLS UNEXPECTEDLY/DRIVER'S SEAT IS VERY LOOSE, DEALER TIGHTENED THE SEAT,BUT PROBLEM IS STILL OCCURRING/, AND ALL DOORS WERE NOT ALIGNED PROPERLY. OCCUPANT NEEDED TO SLAM THE DOOR AND CUT HER FINGER. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK