1996 Ford Contour Interior & seats Problems

I OWN A 1996 FORD CONTOUR [XXX] THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS AND TAIL LIGHTS WENT OUT ON. THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS ITEM (RECALL 99S14) BACK IN 1999. UPON BRINGING THE CAR INTO AN BROOKDALE FORD (BROOKLYN CENTER, MN), THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM FREE OF CHARGE BECAUSE IT DID NOT APPLY TO MY VEHICLE. I THEN CALLED FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE PROBLEM WAS ALREADY FIXED ON MY CAR (EVEN THOUGH I NEVER BROUGHT THE CAR IN FOR THIS SERVICE). THEY REFUSED TO HELP. EVEN IF THE RECALL WAS FIXED ON MY CAR, THE FACT THAT THE SAME TWO PARTS OF MY CAR (INSTRUMENT PANEL AND TAIL LIGHTS) FAILED, TELLS ME THAT THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT DONE CORRECTLY.*AK *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

10110741

Incident

Feb 15, 2005

Mileage

105,900 mi

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR PROBLEM. OWNER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE WORK DONE. ALSO, OWNER WAS INFORMED THAT THE WIRE HARNESS UNDER THE HOOD WAS DEFECTIVE. *AK

NHTSA ID

10110958

Incident

Jan 10, 2005

Mileage

101,000 mi

FRONT SEAT BACK COLLAPSED REARWARD DURING LOW SPEED REAR-IMPACT COLLISION. DRIVER EJECTED INTO BACK SEAT. BROKEN NECK. QUADRIPLEGIA.

NHTSA ID

10066174

Incident

Apr 14, 2003

THE DRIVER-SIDE LOCKS ON A 1996 FORD CONTOUR. THE LOCKS WON'T WORK IN COLD WEATHER AND THE DRIVER CANNOT EXIT THE VEHICLE WHEN THE LOCKS ARE FROZE UP. THERE ARE NO MANUAL OVERRIDES IN PLACE. FORD HEADQUARTERS REFUSES TO REPLACE THE LOCKS/OR MAKE THE VEHICLE SAFE.*AK

NHTSA ID

10052591

Incident

Jan 7, 2004

WHEN HEADLIGHTS ARE ON THE INTERIOR LIGHTS WILL NOT COME ON. CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. *AK

NHTSA ID

10024372

Mileage

60,000 mi

VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR RECALL # 99 V 103 000 FOR THE HEAD LIGHTS. HEADLIGHTS AND WIRING HARNESS WERE REPLACED. A MONTH LATER , HEADLIGHTS AND TAIL LIGHTS AND ALL DASH LIGHTS WENT OUT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ID

8008404

Incident

Jun 18, 1999

WHILE DRIVING HEADLIGHTS/ TAIL LIGHTS, AND DASH LIGHTS COMPLETELY STOPPED WORKING, THERE WAS NO WARNING. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER. ALSO, VEHICLE HAS HAD THREE ALTERNATORS WITHIN THREE MONTHS. PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN REMEDIED AS OF YET. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ID

8007093

UPON SHUTTING DOOR ON DRIVER'S SIDE OF VEHICLE IT OPENED BACK UP. DOOR WOULD NOT LATCH OR LOCK. HAD TO HOLD DOOR TO DRIVE. DEALER CONTACTED. *AK *TT

NHTSA ID

8006127

DOORS ARE HARD TO CLOSE, DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM, DEALERSHIP SENT CONSUMER MANUFACTURERS RECALL 99S25. BUT, THIS RECALL WAS FOR SOMETHING ELSE, LEFT AND RIGHT FRONT DOOR LATCHES GET STUCK, RIGHT REAR DOOR WILL NOT OPEN INSIDE AND OUTSIDE, LEFT REAR DOOR IS FINE.*AK

NHTSA ID

8000603

Incident

Jan 1, 2001

WHEN THE LIGHT SWITCH IS TURNED TO PARK LIGHTS, NONE OF THE PARK LIGHTS WORK--FRONT OR BACK, LEFT OR RIGHT. ADDITIONALLY, THE DASH LIGHTS DO NOT WORK. WHEN THE LIGHT SWITCH IS TURNED TO HEAD LIGHTS, ONLY THE HEADLIGHTS AND BRIGHT LIGHTS WORK--THERE ARE NOT TAIL LIGHTS OR DASH LIGHTS. ALL OTHER LIGHTS WORK, SUCH AS THE BRAKE LIGHTS AND TURN SIGNALS. THIS OCCURED DURING THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY AT NIGHT WHILE DRIVING THROUGH KANSAS CITY. WE COULD NOT SEE OUR SPEEDOMETER, AND CARS APPROACHING FROM THE REAR COULD NOT SEE US UNTIL THEY APPROACHED AND THEIR LIGHTS SHOWN ON OUR CAR--VERY DANGEROUS.*AK

NHTSA ID

755018

Incident

Oct 24, 2001

FORD FIXED BLOWER SWITCH AND RESISTER UNDER WARRANTY YEARS AGO. DO I NEED TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE RECALL? I THINK IT'S ALL FIXED. *AK

NHTSA ID

751992

PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE LIGHT COMING ON AND THE SERVICING DEPT AT THE FORD DEALER AND OTHER AUTO SERVICING CENTER COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHY TO THIS DAY IT IS ON. AT ONE TIME THE ENTIRE INTERIOR LIGHTS AND REAR BRAKES LIGHTS WENT OUT. IT CURRENTLY SHUT ITS SELF OFF ( STALLS) AND GET HOT. THE ENGINE SOUNDS REVVED UP AND SHORTLY AFTER THE AC UNIT WENT OUT.EVERYTHING HAS BEEN CHECKED OUT/ THE ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED THE CRANKSHAFT WAS REPLACED SOME WIRING HAD TO BE REPLACED ALL THE FLUIDS ARE WHERE THEY SHOULD BE AND IT STILL STALLS AND OVERHEATS FOR NO REASON. BOTH FRONT WINDOWS ELECTRICAL MOTORS HAVE GONE OUT.

NHTSA ID

751712

RECALL 99V103000. REMEDY DID NOT CORRECT PROBLEM. WHILE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN INSTRUMENT PANEL AND TAIL LIGHTS COMPLETELY WENT OUT. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID

885283

FRONT PASSENGER DOOR LOCK HAD STOPPED WORKING. DOOR COULD NOT BE LOCKED OR UNLOCKED FROM INSIDE. CURRENTLY, SAME PROBLEM HAD STARTED ON REAR PASSENGER DOOR. *AK

NHTSA ID

881475

Incident

Feb 26, 2001

THE RIGHT AND LEFT TAIL LIGHTS AND INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS FAILED. THE TERMINALS ON THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH SHOW SIGNS OF HEAT DAMAGE. THIS IS THE SAME SYMPTOMS AS NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID # 99V103000 (MFG CAMPAIGN # 99S14) APPLICABLE TO CERTAIN 1995-1998 FORD CONTOUR VEHICLES. THIS RECALL DOES NOT APPLY TO MY FORD CONTOUR (VIN # [XXX]) ACCORDING TO TWO FORD DEALERS. THE SYMPTOMS OF THIS RECALL EXACTLY DESCRIBE THE CURRENT SYMPTOMS OF MY FORD CONTOUR AND IT IS QUESTIONABLE AS TO WHY THIS RECALL IS NOT CURRENTLY APPLICABLE TO MY VIN #. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID

741513

Incident

Feb 18, 2001

WHILE DRIVING WITH HEADLIGHTS ON TAIL LIGHTS AND DASHBOARD LIGHTS WENT OUT WITHOUT A PRIOR WARNING. DEALER HAD BEEN CONTACTED, AND CAUSE COULD NOT BE FOUND. *AK

NHTSA ID

880400

Incident

Feb 1, 2000

WHENEVER STARTING VEHICLE OR EVEN DRIVING ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WOULD START ACTING UP. WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD GO ON BY THEMSELVES, HAVE NOT BEEN TURNED ON. LIGHTS, INTERIOR & EXTERIOR, WOULD GO OUT. IGNITION WILL NOT START VEHICLE SOMETIMES.ALSO, WOULD HEAR A CLICKING NOISE. DID NOT HAVE A BATTERY PROBLEMS. HEATER BLOWER FAILED TO WORK. NO RECALLS ON VEHICLE FOR ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. *AK

NHTSA ID

878509

Incident

Dec 14, 2000

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ON HIGHWAYAND VEHICLE STARTED SMOKING BLUE SMOKE. THEN, VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE DASHBOARD WAS BADLY BURNED. NO INJURIES. *AK

NHTSA ID

878232

Incident

Sep 1, 2000

WHILE DRIVING TAIL LIGHTS/ODOMETER LIGHTS, AND PARKING LIGHTS WENT OUT. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLETO DEALER, AND THEY REPLACED A SWITCH. CONSUMER DID NOT KNOW WHICH SWITCH, ON NOV 1, 2000 SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED. TOOK VEHICLE TO ANOTHER DEALER, AND THEY REPLACED HEADLIGHT SWITCH, AND A F5RZ14A411 *BA, HEAD LAMP SWITCH.*AK

NHTSA ID

874649

Incident

Mar 23, 1999

I HAVE PREVIOUSLY HAD PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE AND HAVE TAKEN IT MORE THAN EIGHT DIFFERENT TIMES TO BE SERVICE AND PROBLEM STILL HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED EVEN AFTER HAVING ENGINE REPLACED I AM HAVING SOME OF THE SAME PROBLEMS. CAR HAS BEEN SERVICED ON A REGULAR BASIS AND STILL IT HAS PROBLEMS.E . .

NHTSA ID

730541

WHILE DRIVING TAIL LIGHTS AND INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS WENT OUT. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM WAS CORRECTED AT OWNER'S EXPENSE. PROBLEM DUE TO WATER CONDENSATION IN THE FUSE BOX. *AK *ML

NHTSA ID

863063

Incident

May 25, 2000

BATTERY NOT ABLE TO HOLD THE CURRENT. ALSO, HEADLIGHTS AND INTERIOR LIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING. *AK

NHTSA ID

855613

Incident

Dec 6, 1999

HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS: INTERIOR/BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED TO LIGHT. REPLACED SWITCH TWICE. FUEL FILLER DOOR WILL NOT OPEN WITH LATCH INSIDE. NEVER WORKED. CIGARETTE LIGHTER FAILED. POWER WINDOW ON DRIVER'S SIDE HAS FAILED. CAR INTERMITTENTLY WILL NOT START DUE TO DRAINED BATTERY. MECHANIC COULD FIND NO CAUSE FOR THIS RELATED TO ALTERNATOR/CHARGING SYSTEM OF CAR. NEVER ABLE TO FIX THIS. TRUNK LEAKS WATER AROUND SEAL. ABS LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON . MECHANIC COULD FIND NO PROBLEM WITH ABS. AIR CONDITIONER/HEATER WOULD ONLY BLOW OUT DEFROST SETTING. ALSO BAD SMELL COMES FROM AC WHEN ON. REAR SEAT BELTS KEEP JAMMING; NOT ABLE TO USE SOMETIMES BECAUSE THEY WON'T COME OUT. WORST PROBLEM SO FAR: TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED. NOT YET FIXED. I LOVED THIS CAR ONCE, NOW I HATE IT! THE WHOLE THING SHOULD BE RECALLED. *AK

NHTSA ID

714746

Incident

Sep 1, 1999

RECEIVED A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL NOTICE #99S-14 FORD/HEADLIGHT SWITCH /WIRING HARNESS; TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER SHOP FOR REPAIRS; LATER ON NOTICED INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS FAILED TO OPERATE. NOTIFIED DEALER, AND INFORMED CONSUMERTHAT IT WOULD C ADDITIONAL $48.00 TO GET THE LIGHTS BACK ON. CAN NHTSA PROVIDE FURTHER DETAIL ON THIS MATTER. *AK

NHTSA ID

845410

Incident

Aug 6, 1999

SMOKE CAME OUT OF THE DASHBOARD . *AK

NHTSA ID

843992

Incident

Feb 12, 1999