Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1996 Ford Contour submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 30 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 30, in the owner's own words
CORROSION UNDER THE CAR (POLICE INCEPTOR ). CAR WAS PURCHASE FROM A LOCAL DEALER IN BAMBERG, SC THAT SELL MANY CROWN VICTORIAS. HE INDICATED MY CAR CAME FROM UP NORTH, PENNSYLVANIA. *TR
PROBLEMS WITH 1996 FORD CONTOUR FRONT BRAKES, TRANSMISSION, FUSE BOX, HEATER BLOWER MOTOR, ELECTRICAL AND STEERING AND SUSPENSION. *MR FOR THE SECOND TIME, THE VEHICLE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES MAKING A LOUD RUBBING SOUND, THE STABILIZER BAR WAS REPLACED AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. THE TRANSMISSION WAS LEAKING, WATER WAS INSIDE OF THE HEADLIGHT SEALS, WHICH MADE THE LIGHTS VERY DIM, THE SELECTOR MODE SWITCH ON THE HEATER MOTOR BLOWER DID NOT WORK PROPERLY, WHICH MADE THE HEAT NOT WORK AT A 100%. THE UPPER BALL JOINTS, RACK AND PINION AND WHEEL BEARING WERE ALL DEFECTIVE. *JB *NM
WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN STEERING WHEEL WAS HARD TO TURN. BRAKE PEDAL WAS HARD. CONSUMER RESTARTED VEHICLE, AND VEHICLE WENT BACK TO NORMAL. CONSUMER FEELS IT IS DANGEROUS TO LOSE POWER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
TIE ROD BROKE JUST PULLING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE. LUCKY IT WAS'NT ON THE FREEWAY.*AK
WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE IN WET CONDITIONS, WATER IS BACKSPLASHED BY FRONT RIGHT TIRE INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, SPECIFICALLY WHERE THE MAIN DRIVE BELTS ARE. THIS CAUSES THE POWER STEERING PULLEY TO SLIP AND SIEZE, THEREBY CAUSING A LOCK UP ON THE STEERING MECHANISM. THIS HAS OCCURRED NUMEROUS TIMES AND CREATES A HAZARDOUS SITUATION BECAUSE YOU LOOSE CONTROL OF VEHICLE MOMENTARILY. WE LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE RECENTLY IN THE EXPRESSWAY, WHILE TRAVELING ON WET PAVEMENT AND PUDDLES. STEERING SIEZED AND CAR WENT OUT OF CONTROL. FORTUNATELY WE BROUGHT THE CAR UNDER CONTROL BEFORE CAUSING MAJOR ACCIDENT.
SINCE PURCHASE OF VEHICLE WHEN DRIVING THROUGH A PUDDLE OF WATER OR IN RAIN, POWER STEERING WILL GO OUT. AT THAT TIME ALERNATOR LIGHT COMES ON, HAS BEEN TO DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES FOR THIS , SEEMS TO BE A DESIGN FLAW. ALSO, FILLING UP WITH GASOLINE VEHICLE WILL SMELL FOR LONG TIME. *AK
STEERING WHEEL, COLUMN, DASH BOARD, AND NOW I CAN FEEL IT IN THE DRIVERS SEAT ,VIBRATE WHEN CAR IS AT A COMPLETE STOP. VIBRATION LESSENS SLIGHTLY WHEN THE CAR IS PLACED IN PARK. THE FORD SERVICE DEALER IN WARNER ROBINS, GA DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS "CORRECTION DIAG AND NEEDS AIR BAG, RADIATOR SUPPORT AND STEERING WHEEL DAMPER" I WAS ALSO ADVISED NONE OF THE REPAIRS WERE COVERED UNDER MY ESP PLAN AS THESE WERE EXTERNAL PROBALMS AND THE WARRANTY ONLY COVERS INTERNAL. MY WARRANTY RUNS AT AT EITHER 72000 OR ON NOV 10, 2000. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE AIR BAG SPECIFICALLY. WILL IT DEPLOY WHEN IT SHOULD, OR SHOULDN'T OR NOT AT ALL? I ASKED THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT IF THEIR RECORDS INDICATE ANY SERIOUS DAMAGE WOULD BE DONE IF I DID NOT HAVE THE REPAIRS DONE AND THEY TOLD ME NO. THIS I DON'T BELEIVE AS I FEEL THE PROBLEM GETTING WORSE. HOW WILL I BE ABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR IF THIS PROBLEM CONTINUES TO GET WORSE? I FEEL FORD SHOULD LOOK INTO THIS PROBLEM, IF IT IS A MAJOR DEFECT IT COULD RESULT IN A MAJOR LAWSUIT.
OCCASIONALLY, WHEN THE VEHICLE ROLLS THROUGH A PUDDLE, THE STEERING WILL FAIL AND THE BATTERY LIGHT WILL APPEAR, WITH THE ENGINE ALMOST STALLING. THIS HAS HAPPENED WITH THE CAR GOING AS FAST AS 35 MPH AND AS SLOW AS 5 MPH. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED TO THE DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, AND THE DEALER HAS REPORTEDLY CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM. ADDITIONALLY, THE FIRST TIME THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER TO REPORT THE PROBLEM, THE SERVICE PERSONNEL WAS AWARE THAT THE PROBLEM EXISTED WITH THE SPECIFIC MODEL. AFTER REPEATED RETURNS TO THE DEALER (AT LEAST THREE SEPARATE COMPLAINTS), THE DEALER INFORMED US THAT THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED AND THAT THE CAR WAS EVEN "DRIVEN THROUGH SEVERAL PUDDLES" WITHOUT ANY STEERING FAILURE. THE LAST TIME THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN WAS APPROXIMATELY AUGUST, 1999. THE WARRANTY HAS SINCE EXPIRED, AND THE DEALER SAYS THAT IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO PAY TO HAVE THE PROBLEM FIXED. UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVE TAKEN THE CAR BACK SEVERAL TIMES, AND THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. ON 02/13/00, THE VEHICLE AGAIN EXPERIENCED STEERING FAILURE.
VEHICLE SHUTS OFF IN GEAR AT 25 MPH. OVERHEATED UPON ACCELERATION. DEALER CONTACTED, AND STATED THE ALARM WAS THE CAUSE. PROBLEMS STILL EXISTS. *AK *YC
IDLER ARM AND FRONT CONTROL ARM FAILED. *AK
I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE PROBLEMS W/ MY 96 FORD CONTOUR SINCE I BOUGHT IT 2/23/96. I HAVE HAD IT IN FOR SERVICE MULTIPLE TIMES, AND I GET TOLD IT'S COVERED UNDER WARRANTY WHY WORRY ABOUT IT. THE SRV.MNGR.AT MY DEALER SUPPOSEDLY TALKED TO A "TONY" AT FORD & TOLD HIM TO TELL ME AS LONG AS IT'S COVERED UNDER WARRANTY I SHOULDN'T COMPLAIN IT IS NO MONEY OUT OF MY POCKET. THAT IS UNSATISFACTORY -I BELIEVE MY CAR TO BE A DEFECT IN THAT YEARS LINE OF CONTOURS & I WOULD LIKE SOMETHING DONE ABOUT THESE PROBLEMS. MY CAR RUNS WORSE THAN ANY USED CAR I HAVE EVER OWNED! ALL I EVER WANTED DONE WAS TO RECTIFY THE SITUATION,THEY COULD HAVE EASILY REPLACED MY CAR WITH ONE SIMILIAR TO THAT YEAR & MODEL & I WOULD HAVE BEEN HAPPY. I REALLY WOULD LIKE A RESPONSE TO THIS MATTER. I AM TO THE POINT WHERE I WILL CONTACT A LAWYER TO SEEK HELP DEALING WITH FORD & KENNEDY FORD , IF I CAN NOT GET A FAIR & AGGREEABLE OUTCOME TO THIS SITUATION. THANK YOU.
THE REAR POWER WINDOW ON THE PASSENGER SIDE DOES NOT WORK. THE MOULDING ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE REAR WINDOWS HAS BEEN LOOSE EVER SINCE THE I BOUGHT THE CAR. THE CARPETING IN THE REAR OF THE CAR HAS BEEN LOOSE/ HASN'T FIT EVER SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR. THE BLOWER NO LONGER BLOWS THROUGH THE PANEL VENTS--ONLY THROUGH THE DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER VENTS. *AK
STEERING COLUMN BOLT SIEZED CAUSING STEERING COLUMN TO LOCK UP WHILE DRIVING.
NO SUMMARY PROVIDED BY CONSUMER( DOT NUMBER: ??? TIRE SIZE: ??? )
NO SUMMARY PROVIDED BY CONSUMER
POWER STEERING BECOMES DISABLES WHEN DRIVEN THROUGH PUDDLES OF WATER. SAFETY SHOULD BE A RECALL BY FORD MOTOR CORP
CONSUMER EXPERIENCING PROBLEM WITH POWER STEERING BELT SLIPPING. WHENEVER VEHICLE IS DRIVEN IN THE WET CONDITION ROAD THE WATER WOULD COME UNDERNEATH ONTO THE POWER STEERING BELT, CAUSING THE BELT TO SLIP, AND STEERING TO FAIL. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND REFUSED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM BECAUSE CLAIMED VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. HOWEVER, CONSUMER INDICATED THAT VEHICLE WA SUNDER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY SOLD BY THE DEALER. HOWEVER, WARRANTY DOESN'T COVER ANY ITEM THAT THE MANUFACTURER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR. *AK
EXCESSIVE POWER STEERING FLUID LEAK. THE ORIGINAL RACK AND PINION ASSEMPLY WAS REPLACED, DUE TO LEAKAGE, WITH FORD PARTS. THE REPLACED PARTS ALSO LEAKED. AFTER SECOND REPLACEMENT, THE POWER STEERING HOSE LEAKED. AT LEAST TWO POWER STEERING HOSES HAVE BEEN INSTALLED, BOTH HAVE LEAKED. ALL REPAIRS ATTEMPTS HAVE BEEN MADE BY AUTHORIZED FORD DEALERS UNDER THE MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY.
THE STEERING BELT ON VEHICLE IS TOO LOW TO THE GROUND. WHEN IT'S RAINING IT GETS WET & CAUSES THE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL OF VEHICLE WHEN MAKING TURNS. TOOK TO DEALER & INFORMED CANNOT DO ANYTING. IT WAS DESIGNED LIKE THAT. *AK
WHEN DRIVING THROUGH A SMALL PUDDLE AT 20MPH, THE POWER STEERING FAILED, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO MANUEVER VEHICLE INTO A PARKING SPOT. DEALER BELIEVES THE POWER STEERING BELT SLIPPED.
GASKETS AND OIL PUMP FAILED RESULTING IN OIL LEAKS.
WHEN DRIVING THROUGH PUDDLES THERE IS A LOSS OF POWER STEERING. DEALER SAYS IT NEEDS A SPLASH SHIELD KIT. *AK
EMERGENCY HAND BRAKE FAILED.
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE ABOUT 10 MPH WHEN RAINNING, CONSUMER DROVE OVER A POT OF WATER. HE LOST CONTROL OF STEERING WHEEL AND THE STEERING LOCKED UP TO ONE SIDE, MAKING IT HARD TO DRIVE. *AK
STEERING LOCKS EVERY TIME IT RAINS AND THE VEHICLE RUNS THROUGH A PUDDLE.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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