Owner-reported complaints naming the visibility system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 Ford Contour submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 43 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 43, in the owner's own words
DRIVERS SIDE DOOR WINDOW CRANK SHAFT (MANUAL WINDOW) SNAPPED OFF CLEAN INSIDE REGULATOR LEAVING WINDOW UTTERLY INOPERABLE. THIS HAPPENED DURING NORMAL OPERATION OF WINDOW DURING NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS AND WARM WEATHER. DEALER CLAIMED "IT HAPPENS A LOT". VERY DANGEROUS IF VEHICLE WAS IN A FIRE, ACCIDENT, SUBMERGED IN WATER ETC. *JB
RECALL CAMPAIGN 01V230000 CONCERNING HEATER BLOWER RESISTOR. ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE IDLING IN THE DRIVEWAY. BOTH TIMES CONSUMER EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE, AND VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE HEATER BLOWER WAS THE CAUSE OF BOTH FIRES. CONSUMER CONTRACTED THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER. BOTH CONFIRMED THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK
THE PASSENGER'S SIDE REAR VIEW MIRROR CAME OFF WITHOUT BEING IMPACTED. THIS OCCURRED WHILE THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS 19 DEGREES. *AK
CONSUMER STATES THAT HEATER FAN HAS FAILED.*AK
THE HEATER WORKED INTERMITTENTLY. *JB
THE HEATER WAS INOPERATIVE.*JB
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE DEALERSHIP DIDN'T DO THE RECALL FOR THE HEATER BLOWER PROPERLY, AND AFTER THE RECALL WAS DONE THE HEATER BLOWER WAS INOPERVATIVE. TS
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
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
DURING THE WINTER I TURNED ON MY HEATING UNIT AND IT WOULD NOT BLOW UNLESS IT WAS ON HIGH. I WOULD HAVE TO CONSTANTLY TURN MY HEAT OFF AND ON BECAUSE IT WOULD BE TOO HOT THEN TOO COLD. I NOTICED ON REAL COLD DAYS THE HEATING SYSTEM WOULD MALFUNCTION ON MILDER DAYS THE HEATING SYSTEM WOULD WORK CORRECTLY. MY WINDOW WOULD GET OFF TRACT AND I WOULD HAVE TO CONSTANTLY SET THE WINDOW IN PLACE WHILE I RAISE THE WINDOW. TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT.*AK
SMELLING A BURNT ODOR COMING FROM THE HEATER VENTS.
AFTER TAKING VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP TWICE FOR RECALL 01V230000 AND 01V255000 REPAIRS NONE OF THE TWO RECALLS WERE DONE PROPERLY. NAME OF THE DEALER IS BRAD MARTIN FORD IN YOUNGSTOWN OH 330-793-2444.*AK
CONSUMER STATED THE HEATER CORE IS INOPERATIVE, WILL NOT BLOW OUT HEAT, TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND REPAIRED IT, BUT PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. THIRD TIME THAT PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED, THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE HEATER / AIR CONDITIONER BLOWER SWITCH ONLY OPERATES ON HIGH SPEED. * JG *AK
DOOR LOCKING MECHANISM SHORTS OUT CAUSING THE DOORS TO LOCK WHEN EXITING THE VEHICLE WITH THE MOTOR RUNNING. *TT
AFTER GETTER THE RECALL PART REPLACED FOR THE FUEL SYSTEM, NOTICED THAT WHEN THE TANK IS FILLED THE CAR WOULD LEAK FUEL FROM AROUND THE FUEL PUMP. VEHICLE IS LEAKING WATER IN TRUNK AREA DURING RAIN, FAILED SEAL, REPLACE REAR BACK GLASS SEAL AND RESEAL BACK GLASS. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON, WEAK, REPLACE CANNISTER PURGE AND VAPOR CANISTER.
CONSUMER IS CALLING TO REPORT THAT DEALERSHIP REFUSES TO PROVIDE RENTAL CAR FOR THE TIME THAT THE VEHICLE WILL BE REMEDIED UNDER RECALL FOR THE HEATER BLOWER RESISTOR. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER IN REFERENCE TO RECALL 01V230000. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER STATED THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL. HEATER BLOWER RESISTOR AND AIR CONDITIONING UNIT WERE INOPERABLE. DEALER NEEED TO REPLACE BLOWER SWITCH.*AK
CONTROL SWITCH FOR HEATER AND AIR CONDITIONER MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
PARTS ARE UNAVAILABLE TO COMPLETE RECALL01V230000 FOR HEATER BLOWER RESISTOR DUE TO PARTS BEING UNAVAILABLE.ALSO , WHEN THE HEATER IS ON AIR DOES NOT GET HOT. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
CONSUMER RECEIVED NOTIFICATION THAT VEHICLE WAS AFFECTED BY RECALL 01V230000. DEALERSHIP EXAMINED VEHICLE, BUT PERFORMED NO REPAIRS IN ACCORDANCE WITH DESCRIPTION OF CORRECTIVE ACTION. *AK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED DUE TO FAULTY O2 SENSOR. *JB
AFTER RECEIVING RECALL 01V23000 NOTIFICATION FOR HEATER BLOWER RESISTOR, AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO HAVE RECALL REPAIRS DONE BY LOCAL DEALER, DEALERSHIP INFORMED CONSUMER THAT UNLESS PROBLEM DESCRIBED IN RECALL WAS OCCURRING, VEHICLE WOULD NOT BE SERVICED, *AK CONSUMER CONTACTED NHTSA WHO SUGGESTED ANOTHER DEALER AND WAS GIVEN AN IMMEDIATE SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT, VEHICLE HAS HAD RECALL REPAIRS. *SLC
WHILE DRIVING IN FOG AND TURNING ON DEFROSTER IT WON'T WORK ON LOW, BUT WILL WORK ON HIGH. THIS COULD CAUSE A BAD ACCIDENT BECAUSE DEFROSTER HAS A DELAYED REACTION, AND WHILE DRIVING WINDOWS ARE STILL FOGGED UP. CONSUMER HAS YET TO CONTACT THE DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
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
WHILE DRIVING IN A SNOW STORM I SMELLED SOMETHING THAT SMELLED LIKE AN ELECTRICAL FIRE, THE BLOWER MOTOR STOP RUNNING. I PLAYED WITH THE SWITCH AND ONLY HIGH WORKED. I TURNED THE FAN OFF. THIS FORCED ME TO DRIVE WITH THE CHOICE OF A POTENTIAL FIRE OR SEEING OUT OF THE WINSHIELD. THE NEXT DAY I PURCHASED A NEW BLOWER MOTOR RELAY FROM A FORD DEALER. WHEN I WENT TO REPLACE IT I NOTICED THAT THE CONNECTOR TO THE RESISTOR WAS MELTED TO THE RESISTOR, THERE WERE BARE WIRES ON THE HARNESS SIDE OF THE CONNECTOR. I WENT TO THE FORD DEALER AND PURCHASED A NEW CONNECTOR. WHAT A SURPRISE TO FIND THAT THEY HAD A CONNECTOR IN STOCK. THIS MADE ME THINK THAT THIS MUST BE A COMMON PROBLEM. WHAT WILL KEEP THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN AND STARTING A REAL FIRE .*AK
WHEN FILLING GAS TANK WITH FUEL FUEL WOULD SPIT BACK OUT. DOOR CHIME FAILS TO WORK WHEN KEY IS IN IGNITION. HEATING SYSTEM WOULD GO OFF, AND THEN ON WHENEVER HEAT IS ON.*AK
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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