1998 Ford Contour Tires & wheels Problems

WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH DRIVER SIDE TIRE TREAD SEPARATED. CONSUMER HAD TO PULL OVER THE ROAD. FIRESTONE, FR 440, SIZE P185/70R14 , DOT:HYRV4FA3100. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

NHTSA ID

10079545

Incident

Jun 21, 2004

FIRESTONE P 185/70R14 87S M&S FT70-C I HAVE THESE TIRES AND JUST YESTEREDAY NOTICED A "BUMP" I RETURNED HOME TO FIND THE L FRONT TIRE HAD A SECTION OF THE TOTAL TREAD DOWN TO THE WIRES MISSING THIS IS A SECTION ABOUT 3X4 INCHES. THE OTHER TIRE R FRONT SHOWS NO CHANGES. *JB

NHTSA ID

10041268

Incident

Oct 4, 2003

THE VEHICLE HUB BROKE OFF WHILE DRIVING. *JB

NHTSA ID

10011652

Incident

Mar 13, 2003

Mileage

46,000 mi

LEFT FRONT HUB STUCK/ BROKE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS GOING THOUGH INSPECTION. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ID

8018438

Incident

Sep 9, 2002

THIS IS MY SECOND BLOW OUT IN ABOUT A WEEK. *AK

NHTSA ID

761023

Incident

Apr 21, 2002

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

PE00-020; FIRESTONE FIREHAWK GTA, P20560R15, ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT FOR FORD CONTOUR 1998 WITH 14,300 MILES . ALL 4 TIRES CRACKED FROM TREAD ALL THE WAY AROUND THE TIRE. CONSUMER WAS ADVISED TO GO SLOW ON ROADS, AND AVOID HIGHWAYS. *AK

NHTSA ID

869724

FUSEBOX: BOUGHT CAR IN JULY 1999, HAD TO HAVE THREE RECALLS FIXED, ONE OF THEM WAS ON THE AIR BAG SENSOR, WE WENT AND HAD ONE OF THE RECALLS CORRECTED, THE NEXT WEEK WE WERE SCHEDULED TO HAVE THE REMAINING TWO FINISH, ON WEDNESDAY OF THAT WEEK THE AIR CONDITIONER STOPPED WORKING WHILE WE WERE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK, WE HAD THE MECHANIC CHECK IT THAT FRIDAY WHEN THEY FIXED THE AIR BAG SENSOR, THE MECHANIC SAID THE FUSE BOX WAS BROKEN AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, HE REPLACED THE FUSE BOX (FREE OF CHARGE) AND WE WENT ON OUR WAY, THEN ON 8/14/2000 AS WE WERE AGAIN DRIVING HOME FROM WORK ON THE EXPRESSWAY AT ABOUT 55 THE AIR CONDITIONER DIED AGAIN, WE READ THROUGH THE CAR MANUAL AND FOUND THE CORRECT FUSES TO THE BLOWER MOTOR AND A/C, WE CHANGED THOSE FUSES, THAT DIDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM, WE THEN CHANGED THE RELAYS, (WHICH WERE VERY HARD TO GET REPLACEMENTS FOR), THAT DIDN' T FIX IT EITHER, FINALLY WE TOOK IT TO A FORD DEALER AND HAD THEM CHACK IT, THEY SAID THERE WAS A FUSE IN THE FRONT (WHICH THE OWNERS MANUAL SAID SHOULD ONLY BE CHANGED BY AN AUTHORIZED FORD MECHANIC) THAT HAD BLOWN AND WHEN IT DID IT FUSED THE FUSE TO THE CONNECTOR AND THAT THE ENTIRE FUSE BOX WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED, THIS TIME AT A COST OF OVER $400.00 TIRES: WE HAVE JUST HAD TO REPLACE TWO FIRESTONE FIREHAWK GTA P205/60R15 90T M+S TIRES BECAUSE THE TREAD WAS COMING AWAY FROM THE SIDEWALL AT THE SEEM, IT WAS SO BAD THERE WERE SMALL FLAPS OF THE TREAD THAT STUCK STRAIGHT OUT LIKE SOMEONE HAD PEEL A BANANA.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P205/60R15 )

NHTSA ID

729115

Incident

Aug 21, 2000

I PURCHASED MY CAR IN JUNE 98 AND BEFORE LEAVING THE LOT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAD TO REPLACE BOTH OF THE REAR TIRES DUE TO DEFECTS. THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE THE EXACT PROBLEM. THEREFORE THE TIRES WERE REPLACED. SINCE THEN I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE FRONT TIRES IN FEB 2000. THIS WAS DUE TO THE TREAD SEPERATION AND EXTENSIVE WEAR. AT THE SAME TIME I WAS TOLD THAT THE FRONT BRAKES WERE BAD AND THAT I NEEDED NEW BRAKES AND ROTORS. THE TIRES AND BRAKE JOB COST 481.93. NOW I HAD 2 FLAT TIRES ON THE SAME TIRE WITHIN 3 WEEKS OF EACH OTHER AND NOW THE BACK BRAKES NEED REPLACING. I FEEL THAT THESE REPAIRS ARE DUE TO DEFECTIVE PARTS. I HAVE ALREADY TAKEN MY CAR BACK TO FORD FOR AT LEAST 6 MANUFACTURER RECALLS. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS CAR. THE CAR SENSOR LIGHT HAS BEEN REPLACED AND REPLACED BUT IT STILL COMES ON ALL THE TIME. FROM MY RESAERCH ON THIS COMPONENT THIS COULD CAUSE THE AIR BAGS TO ENGAGE WITHOUT CAUSE. BETWEEN THE RECALLS, TIRE, AND THE BRAKES THIS SEEMS TO ME TO BE A VERY UNSAFE VECHILE. I WAS THINKING THAT THE PROBLEMS WERE NORMAL BUT AFTER HAVING ALL THESE RECALLS AND NOW THE RECALL ON SOME OF FIRESTONE TIRES I THOUGHT THAT I SHOULD LET SOMEONE KNOW OF THE PROBLEMS THAT I'VE HAD WITH MY CAR.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P20560R15 )

NHTSA ID

728425

Incident

Aug 18, 2000

(3)OF THE FOUR TIRES SEPERATED WHERE THE TREAD MEETS THE SIDEWALL AT 7000MILES. DEALER WILL REPLACE ONLY TWO OF THE TIRES.

NHTSA ID

9001413

COIL SPRING ON THE RIGHT FRONT OF CAR BROKE. REPLACEMENT OF THE FOLLOWING WAS NECESSARY: SHOCK ABSORBER, CB SPRING, D BOOT, BEARING ASSEMNBLY, AA SEAT, MOUNTING ASSY, HALFSHAFT ASSEMBLY, CV JOINT ASSEMBLY, BRAKE SHOES, DISC BRAKE ROTOR, TIRES.*AK

NHTSA ID

723621

Incident

May 11, 2000

CONSUMER SMELLS A MUSTY ODOR WHEN USING THE A/C. NLM

NHTSA ID

550028

THE REAR TIRES HAVE BEEN WEARING OUT EVERY 5,000 MILES. 3 SETS OF REAR TIRES HAVE BEEN CHANGED WITHIN 15,000 MILES. *AK

NHTSA ID

838281

TWO FRONT TIRES WHERE PUT ON AT 27000 MILES AND THEY WORE OUT. *AK

NHTSA ID

850212

Incident

May 5, 1999

GOODYEAR GT TIRE FAILED. YH

NHTSA ID

609048

Incident

Oct 1, 1998

AT 9,000 MILES TIRES WENT FLAT AND A BUBBLE IN ONE TIRE (GENERAL TIRES).

NHTSA ID

607191