Under hood wiring harness got hot and melted the insulation off the wires,causing smoke and burnt smell of plastic and on some of the sensors that control the engine,resulting in high engine speed,lack of stopping power and steering,I parked the car at home and now will not start.
1995 Ford Contour: won't start
18 of the 891 complaints about the 1995 Ford Contour describe won't start.
- owner complaints
- 18
- of this car's complaints
- 2%
- typical mileage
- 120,088
- recalls
- 1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 48 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Won't start by model year
What owners say
My 95 contour started for two seconds, then died. It would not start after that. My mechanic determined that the fuel pump quit. I only had the car two days from purchase, so I checked online for service issues, recalls, etc., and found out all the various fuel, electrical, emission and other problems this vehicle has, my biggest concern being that it could catch fire(I do have a family to drive around), I am very disappointed about the uncooperative coming from the dealerships concerning all this, I am very low-income, I spent $1000.00 for this car thinking it was a good dependable car, and now find myself wondering how I will be able to afford all the repairs on my single income, ford, shame on you!!
Dt: contact states the wiring harness is cracking , causing the vehicle to stall while driving, gasoline fumes from the fuel injector is coming inside the vehicle. When it rains or when washing the vehicle it gets water into the computer of the vehicle, causing loss of power, the vehicle will not start. The service dealer stated this was a defect within the vehicle.
The car will not start intermittently. We have called aaa, replaced the battery, scoped the vehicle, etc., but the problem persists and is increasing in frequency. My daughter has parked the car for a few minutes and when she tried to restart it, it would not crank. This has happened many times. Sometimes, if you wait 20-30 minutes, the car will start up, but you cannot be sure. The car has been scoped and since the non-cranking episodes happens sporadically, they cannot seem to isolate the problem. The frequency of non-starts is increasing and the wait time to try to restart it has increased to an hour. The car is not safe to drive because no one can predict when the car will not start or when it will stop. Yesterday, the car actually stopped while my husband was driving it into the driveway. Apparently, this has not happened before, but we wonder if the problem is escalating. The electrical system or the starter/ignition system or solenoids, etc seem to be defective. We need ford motor company or somebody with some expertise to diagnose and repair the problem.
The car has trouble starting or will not start. This happens intermittently and we cannot predict when the car will not crank/start. You turn the key and nothing happens; it does not crank or make any noise at all. If you park the car and go inside, return and try to start the car, sometimes it does not start. This has happened many times. Sometimes, if you wait 20-30 minutes, the car will start up, but you cannot be sure. The car has been scoped and various repairs have been made, but the problem persists, and since the non-cranking episodes happen sporadically, they have not isolated or corrected the problem. The frequency of non-cranking episodes is increasing and the wait time to try to restart the car is now up to 1 hour. The car is not safe to drive because no one can predict when the car will not start or when it will stop. Yesterday, the car stopped while my husband was driving it into the driveway. This has not happened before, so the problem is getting worse. The electrical system, the starter/ignition system or solenoids, etc., seem to be defective. Ford motor service centers have not been able to diagnose and correct the problem. We need someone with expertise to diagnose and correct the problem.
After going through the car wash vehicle would not start. Consumer opened the hood and found no insulation on the wires which caused a short.
1995 ford contour recall letter #99m03 issued oct.1999. I purchased car apr.2001 without knowledge of this recall. Mileage when purchased, 98,042. Mileage when wiring harness was determined as problem, 121,869. I have receipts for parts and labor that was not necessary due to this problem. There is a total of 20 recalls as of jan. 1995 on my VIN number. Ford motor states recall #99m03, is not considered a safety recall and expires at 100,000 miles. Other recalls extend to 150,000 miles because they are considered customer satisfaction courtesy. The car was manufactured and sold with a wiring harness defect and several other defects. Because I purchased the car used I was not aware of all defects. I believe ford should be responsible for their defective products and not force the second owner of the car to pay for their mistakes. The car doesn't start but all light and warning signals come on, the windshield wipers won't turn off and door locks or windows don't work. The defective wiring harness has caused damage to the motor as well. Boyd's automotive will verify damage to the vehicle due to the wiring harness, and unnecessary expenses paid before discovery of defect(s). Texas department of transportation motor vehicle division, enforcement section and the texas department of transportation motor vehicle division, consumer affairs section, referred my complaint to you because of the numerous recalls.
Vehicle stalled out and will not start up again/has become inoperable. Contacted dealer, and the dealer stated that engine needed to be replaced.
When trying to start vehicle it would not start. Vehicle has no power. Dealer contacted.
Manufacturers recall 99 m 03/wiring harness under hood: vehicle would not start/run. Notified manufacturer, and informed of a recall concerning wiring harness. Notified dealer; gerry ford, leeburg; va, phone# 703/777-0000, who refused to honor recall. Seeking assistance from the federal safety agency in this matter. *ak consumer stated that the wiring harness failed causing starter, solenoid and battery to blow up.
Engine/ brakes/ starter /catalytic converter/ fuel pump and fuse failed. Dealership was aware of problem vehicle wouldn't start, and radiator went out also.
While traveling notice vehicle running rough. Also, notice little overheating next day vehicle would not start. Dealer stated head gasket needed to be replaced.*ak consumer also states the flywheel was replaced.
Service bulletins that may apply
- Some engine assemblies with aluminum cylinder heads repaired in-vehile have been found to leak coolant...
- Engine oil system priming procedures, service tips for reports of premature engine failure
- Some vehicles may exhibit a check engine light and/or EGR diagnostic trouble codes 332, P0401, P1407...
- Subject regarding engine oil recommendations for use in 2001 vehicles - sae 5W-20 motor oil
- Owner notification program regarding additonal coverage for the engine cooling fan
- Some vehicles equipped with a 2.5L duratec engine may exhibit an engine overheat condition due to lack of...
- The temperature gauge reads high in the normal range when engine is at normal operating temperature.
- Some vehicles may exhibit a knocking or clunking sound during rapid acceleration / deceleration as when...
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: 1995 passenger vehicles equipped with the 2.0l and 2.5l engines, and 1996 vehicles equipped with 2.5l engines. Tightening of the engine cooling fan motor bearings, up to and including motor stall, can result in increased motor torque and higher than normal motor current and accompanying high motor temperatures.
- Risk
- Overheating of the cooling fan motor due to excessive current can result in smoke and odors from bearing grease, insulation and other internal motor components. If electrical current continues to be applied to the motor, internal motor components could ignite possibly igniting other engine compartment components.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a positive temperature coefficient device in-line with each fan motor. Ford will also extend the warranty on the engine cooling fan assembly to a total of 8 years of service or 100,000 miles from the warranty start date, whichever occurs first. If the vehicle already has more than 100,000 miles, this coverage will last until july 31, 2001.
Recall number 00V367000 · Recall details
Questions about the 1995 Ford Contour won't start
Is won't start a common problem on the 1995 Ford Contour?
18 of 891 owner complaints about the 1995 Ford Contour (2%) mention won't start. The model year with the most reports is 1995.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1995 Ford Contour?
There is 1 recall and 48 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 1995 Ford Contour
Overheating 66Fire or smoke 44Stalling 42Coil spring 36Headlights 21ABS 20Loss of power 20Power steering loss 20Engine failure 19Check engine light 18Brake failure 15Jerking 15Fuel leak 13Seat belt 13No deployment 11Grinding brakes 10Door locks 10Transmission failure 10Airbag light 8Fuel smell 8Tire blowout 8Fuel pump 6Adaptive cruise 5Slipping 5
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