Steering
Filed Sep 17, 2015
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD CONTOUR. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH ON A WET ROAD, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE COIL SPRINGS WERE DAMAGED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED EVERY TIME THE ROAD WAS WET. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 137,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 10764644
- Incident
- Sep 14, 2015
- Mileage
- 137,000 mi
Steering
Filed Jul 28, 2006
MY FAMILY AND I WERE MAKING A RIGHT TURN FROM THE PARKING LOT OF A MOVIE THEATER TO A MODERATELY BUSY STREET. AFTER I COMPLETED THE TURN, I HEARD A LOUD "BANG", AND MY CAR SUDDENLY SWERVED TO THE RIGHT, AND I COULDN'T STOP. I COULD NOT GO FORWARD, OR BACK AROUND. THINKING THAT IT WAS CAUSED BY A BLOWN TIRED, I GOT OUT; IT WAS NOT. WHEN I HAD IT TOWED TO MY MECHANIC, HE SAID THAT ONE OF THE STEERING RODS ON THE FRONT, RIGHT PASSENGER WHEEL HAD BROKEN. HE REPLACED BOTH THE RIGHT AND THE LEFT STEERING RODS. *JB
- NHTSA ID
- 10163843
- Incident
- Jul 26, 2006
- Mileage
- 58,000 mi
Steering
Filed Oct 26, 2005
DT: WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING THE CONSUMER COULD NOT MAKE A RIGHT TURN. TOOK VEHICLE TO THE REPAIR SHOP, AND THEY SAID THE RACK AND PINION STEERING RACK BROKE, AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ALSO, DID A POWER STEERING FLUSH. *AK *NM
- NHTSA ID
- 10138164
- Incident
- Sep 22, 2005
- Mileage
- 52,839 mi
Steering
Filed Mar 31, 2004
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED COMPLETE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS FAILURE AT 74000 MILES. *PH *MR
- NHTSA ID
- 10066615
- Mileage
- 74,000 mi
Steering
Filed Mar 14, 2003
MY 1998 FORD CONTOUR 4-DOOR SEDAN RECENTLY EXPERIENCED A DEVASTATING FAILURE. WHILE MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING THROUGH A PARKING LOT AT LOW SPEED, A SUB-FRAME ASSEMBLY UNDER THE DASH FELL DOWN ON HER FEET. THE ASSEMBLY IS HELD IN PLACE WITH TWO BOLTS WHICH HAD COME LOOSE. AS A RESULT OF THIS, THE STEERING LINKAGE WAS ALLOWED TO DISCONNECT, PERMITTING THE STEERING WHEEL TO SPIN FREELY. HAD THIS HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY SHE WOULD HAVE COMPLETELY LOSS CONTROL, AND BECAUSE THE FRAME FELL ON HER FEET, SHE PROBABLY COULDN'T HAVE APPLIED THE BRAKE. NO STEERING AND NO BRAKE! I THINK THIS IS A POTENTIALLY FATAL DESIGN DEFECT. OF COURSE, THE DEALER AND FORD APOLOGIZED BUT REFUSED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY. *JB
- NHTSA ID
- 10010467
- Incident
- Mar 9, 2003
- Mileage
- 120,000 mi
Steering
Filed Mar 3, 2003
THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME STUCK IN ONE DIRECTION. CONSUMER HAD TO USE EXCESSIVE FORCE TO GET STEERING BACK TO THE CENTER. *JB
- NHTSA ID
- 10009670
Steering
Filed Aug 19, 2002
WHEN DRIVING SLOWLY THROUGH A PUDDLE THE CAR CAN EXPERIENCE A SUDDEN, TEMPORARY LOSS OF POWER STEERING. THIS RESULTS IN DIFFICULTY CONTROLLING THE CAR.*AK
- NHTSA ID
- 765872
Body & structureBrakesEngine+6 more
Filed Aug 5, 2002
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE POPPED OUT OF GEAR AND WENT INTO NEUTRAL WHILE MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN, CONSUMER ALSO STATES THAT THERE ARE INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS WITH GETTING VEHICLE INTO GEAR, VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SHIFT AND CLUTCH PROBLEMS. *SLC
- NHTSA ID
- 566887
- Incident
- May 15, 2000
ElectricalEngineSteering+1 more
Filed Jul 24, 2002
THE VEHICLE STALLED INTERMITTENTLY WITHOUT WARNING. ONE DAY THE VEHICLE STALLED 12 TIMES. THE ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN ILLUMINATED SINCE PURCHASED. NLM THE VEHICLE STALLED THE SECOND DAY THE CONSUMER EVER DROVE IT. THE BLOWER ON THE A/C AND HEATER FAILED. ON ONE OCCASION THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T START. IT TURNED OUT THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE ALARM SYSTEM. *NM
- NHTSA ID
- 566836
- Incident
- Nov 1, 2000
SteeringTransmission
Filed Jun 15, 2002
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SLIPPED BADLY NEARLY CAUSING ACCIDENT AS CAR BEHIND ME DID NOT ANTICIPATE MY CAR NOT BEING ABLE TO ACCELARATE AS I TURNED ONTO A BUSY ROAD. SECOND TIME TRANMISSON HAS FAILED IN THE VEHICLE - FIRST AT APPROX 25000 MILES. LEAKING TRANS FLUID ALSO DAMGE SEALS TO POWER STEERING "RACK" CAUSING SEALS TO FAIL COMPETELY IN LESS THAN 300 MILES.*AK
- NHTSA ID
- 763123
- Incident
- May 7, 1999
EngineSteering
Filed Jan 23, 2002
VEHICLE OCCASIONALLY STALLS CAUSING STEERING WHEEL TO LOCK.*AK
- NHTSA ID
- 757237
Steering
Filed Jan 22, 2002
WHILE DRIVING ON I75 AROUND ATLANTA, CAR STEERING FAILED MAKING CAR FEEL LIKE IT WAS HYDROPLANING BUT IT WASN'T. ROAD CONDITIONS WERE WET WITH LIGHT DRIZZLE. CAR VEERED TO LEFT AND HIT CONCRETE MEDIAN. BUMPER WAS LEFT HANGING BY A THREAD. CAR WASN'T SAFE TO DRIVE AND HAD TOWED TO BODY SHOP. FEEL THIS IS RELATED TO SIMILAR INCIDENTS WHERE THE CONTOUR STEERING FAILED AFTER WATER HITS THE BELTS & PULLEYS.
- NHTSA ID
- 757172
- Incident
- Dec 29, 2001
BrakesSteering
Filed Jan 7, 2002
POWER STEERING UNIT MAKES A LOUD NOISE IF BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED ON ICE AND SNOW. A NOISE CAN BE HEARD ONCE THE CAR IS STARTED. POWER STEERING FLUID HAS BEEN CHANGED, BUT THAT DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
- NHTSA ID
- 8001654
- Incident
- Jun 1, 2001
SteeringTransmission
Filed Nov 26, 2001
RACK AND PINION STEERING UNIT STARTED TO LEAK SOME FLUID. STEERING WHEEL WOULD MAKE ALOT OF NOISE WHEN TRYING TO MAKE TURNS. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING. *AKHE RACK AND PINION UNIT WAS REPLACED WITH A REBUIT UNIT, THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAS BEGUN TO HAVE PROBLEMS. *NLM
- NHTSA ID
- 899411
- Incident
- Jan 15, 2001
Steering
Filed Nov 8, 2001
RACK AND PINION STEERING FAILURE. DEALER/ MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS MATTER.*AK
- NHTSA ID
- 898928
- Incident
- Sep 7, 2001
Steering
Filed Nov 7, 2001
WHILE EXITING HIGHWAY, STEERING WHEEL GOT REALLY HARD TO TURN, CONSUMER ALMOST HAD AN ACCIDENT. CONSUMER PULLED VEHICLE TO SIDE OF ROAD AND NOTICED POWER STEERING FLUID POURING OUT OF VEHICLE. *AK *JB
- NHTSA ID
- 898887
- Incident
- Nov 2, 2001
Steering
Filed Nov 5, 2001
WHILE EXITING HIGHWAY STEERING WHEEL WAS SO TOUGH TO TURN THAT CONSUMER ALMOST HAD A COLLISION. CONSUMER PULLED OVER, AND NOTICED POWER STEERING FLUID WAS POURING OUT OF VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
- NHTSA ID
- 898764
- Incident
- Nov 2, 2001
Steering
Filed Oct 9, 2001
RACK AND PINION STEERING MALFUNCTIONED, HAD NO STEERING/ CONTROL OF VEHICLE.*AK
- NHTSA ID
- 897511
- Incident
- Aug 21, 2001
Body & structureBrakesElectrical+5 more
Filed Jun 28, 2001
TRANSMISSION HAS A DEFECT, THERE IS A SLIP WHEN YOU APPLYING GEARS. ALSO, BRAKE PEDAL GOES ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FLOOR, AND GRABS A LITTLE BIT. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM. BRAKES HAVE FAILED, ON ONE OCCASION CONSUMER ALMOST HIT A CHILD, BRAKE PEDAL SLIPS FROM UNDER FOOT. EMERGENCY BRAKE IS ONLY EFFECTIVE 50 PERCENT OF THE TIME. TRANSMISSION INTERMITTENTLY CHANGES GEARS ROUGHLY, AT TIMES JARRING OCCUPANTS IN THE VEHICLE. POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL PROBLEM: LIGHT OF THE CLOCK HAS BURNED OUT TWICE, CONSUMER STATES THERE ARE SHORTS IN THE DASHBOARD, CAUSING THE HEATER OR A/C TO ONLY HAVE ONE SPEED WORKING, DOME LIGHTS WORK INTERMITTENTLY, LIGHT UNDER DASH WORKS INTERMITTENTLY, WARNING BELL DOES NOT CHIME ALL THE TIMES IT SHOULD, CONSUMER STATES A SENSOR CAUSES HEATER TO ACT AS THE AC AND VICE VERSA. HINGES NOT MADE PROPERLY, CAUSING DOOR MOVEMENT WHILE OPENING/CLOSING, DOES NOT STOP WHEN IT SHOULD. SEAT BLET RETARCTION DOES NOT HAVE ENOUGH ELAST, CAUSING IT NOT TO RETRACT PROPERLY, HAS GOTTEN CAUGHT IN THE DOOR JAM. ALARM SYSTEM HAS FAILED. WHEEL COVER CRACKED WHEN A TIRE WAS BEING CHANGED AND ANOTHER ONE FELL OFF, CONSUMER WAS NOT AWARE OF THE TIME OR PLACE IT FELL OFF. *SLC
- NHTSA ID
- 891622
Steering
Filed Jun 26, 2001
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 55MPH ON HIGHWAY AND VEHICLE VEERED INTO LEFT TO AVOID DEBRIS IN STREET. CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE , STEERING WAS UNCONTROLABLE, AND THEN VEHICLE STRAIGHTENED OUT ON ITS OWN. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK DEALER REPLACED BELT AND TOOK VEHICLE FOR A TEST DRIVE AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. *SLC
- NHTSA ID
- 891331
- Incident
- Jun 25, 2001
Steering
Filed Apr 14, 2001
THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CONTINUALLY READS ABOVE THE RED ZONE. THE CAR HAS BEEN CHECKED AND IS NOT OVERHEATING. THERE HAS BEEN A TECHNICAL REPORT FILED ON THIS AND IT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM. THIS COULD BE DANGEROUS IF THE VEHICLE WAS TO OVERHEAT BECAUSE THE DRIVER WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO KNOW.*AK
- NHTSA ID
- 744035
Steering
Filed Mar 23, 2001
STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT RELEASE FROM LOCKED POSITION. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP TO BE INSPECTED.*AK
- NHTSA ID
- 883920
BrakesHeating & air conditioningElectrical+3 more
Filed Nov 1, 2000
A/C NOT COLD ENOUGH DUE TO FAULTY SEAL O-RINGS AT THE EVAPORATOR TOP AND LOWER LINE OUTLET. NLM
- NHTSA ID
- 557054
- Incident
- May 14, 1998
ElectricalFuel systemSteering+1 more
Filed Feb 14, 2000
STARTER RELAY FAILED. *ET
- NHTSA ID
- 784508
- Incident
- Feb 9, 2000
Steering
Filed Nov 4, 1999
POWER STEERING FAILED WHILE DRIVING THROUGH DEEP PUDDLE. CAUSE DETERMINED TO BE WATER SPLASHING ON BELT AND PULLEY, CAUSING SLIPPAGE AND TEMPORARY LOSS OF POWER STEERING. DEALER OFFERED TO INSTALL REVISED SPLASH GUARD (TSB) UNDER WARRANTY.
- NHTSA ID
- 714340
- Incident
- Jun 16, 1999
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.