Ford Contour recalls

What is wrong

Vehicle description: passenger vehicles built at the kansas city assembly plant and originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, and wisconsin, and the district of columbia. The front coil springs may fracture as a result of corrosion in high corrosion environments. Depending on the location of the fracture, a broken spring could move past the spring seat and contact a front tire.

Risk

Some tires have deflated due to contact with a broken spring.

Remedy

Dealers will install spring catcher brackets. Owner notification began october 23, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1‑866‑436‑7332.

Recall number 01V255000 · Recall details

What is wrong

On certain my 1996-1998 passenger vehicles built at the kansas city, cuautitlan assembly plants or on my 1999 passenger vehcles built at the automotive alliance international assembly plants, the rough surface of the heater blower resistor's stainless steel blades can damage the copper surface of the wiring harness connector. The damage could, over time, cause increased resistance in the connector and, due to subsequent terminal relaxation, result in an open circuit condition.

Risk

The open circuit could lead to electrical arcing that could melt the connector housing material creasing the potential for a fire.

Remedy

Dealers will install a new heater blower resistor and a new wire jumper harness. Owner notification began august 29, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1‑800‑392‑3673.

Recall number 01V230000 · Recall details

What is wrong

Vehicle description: passenger vehicles built with an incorrect power brake booster and master cylinder assembly.

Risk

If either the master cylinder or power brake booster is subsequently serviced with only one of the correct brake booster or master cylinder parts, brake performance would be reduced.

Remedy

Dealers will install the correct contour brake booster and master cylinder in each of these vehicles. Owner notification began january 28, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1‑866‑436‑7332.

Recall number 01V045000 · Recall details

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

What is wrong

Vehicle description: bi-fuel vehicles. These vehicles may have a fuel tank filler pipe grommet that could have been damaged during the installation of the bi-fuel system. If the grommet is damaged, fuel could leak. Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire. Dealers will replace the fuel tank filler pipe grommet.

Risk

If the grommet is damaged, fuel could leak. Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the fuel tank filler pipe grommet.

Recall number 00V350000 · Recall details

What is wrong

Vehicle description: passenger vehicles, light duty trucks, sport utility vehicles, and mini vans equipped with trw seat belt buckle assemblies. The buckle base of these seat belt assemblies were not properly heat treated and therefore do not pass the load bearing requirement of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 209, "seat belt assemblies."

Risk

In the event of a vehicle crash, the occupant may not be properly restrained.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect the date code on certain seat belt buckles of your vehicle and replace all seat belt buckles that fall within the suspect date code range. Owner notification began october 26, 2000. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1‑800‑392‑3673.

Recall number 00V228001 · Recall details

What is wrong

Vehicle description: passenger vehicles not equipped with the anti-lock braking system (ABS). A pressure conscious reducing valve (pcrv) in the rear brakes may be subject to corrosion and result in malfunction, when operated in areas that use salt compounds on the roadway for de-icing or dust control.

Risk

If both pcrv's malfunction, vehicle handling could be adversely affected during braking as a result of the rear wheels locking, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will install improved pcrv's in the rear brake system. This recall was expanded in september 2000 to include 1999 and 2000 ford contour, mercury mystique and cougar vehicles.

Recall number 00V075000 · Recall details

What is wrong

Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. An incorrect label was installed on the driver side rear door. This label contains instructions for the activation of the childproof safety locks.

Risk

The operator of the vehicle may believe the childproof safety lock was activated when it was not, potentially allowing the door to be opened from the inside.

Remedy

Owners will be provided with a replacement label and installation instructions.

Recall number 99V361000 · Recall details

What is wrong

Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The fuel filler pipe vent hose may have less than the intended level of ozone resistance, which could result in the hose becoming brittle and cracking.

Risk

A cracked hose could result in fuel leakage when the vehicle is being fueled.

Remedy

Dealers will install a fuel filler vent hose contacting the appropriate blend of pvc and nitrile rubber.

Recall number 99V247000 · Recall details

What is wrong

Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The air bag sensor wiring pigtail insulation can become brittle and crack over time due to accumulation of water in the pigtail protective convolute in combination with high underhood temperatures related to the routing of the wiring pigtail near the radiator. This can result in environmental stress cracking of the insulation.

Risk

In some cases, the air bag warning light can illuminate and the air bag supplemental restraint system disabled.

Remedy

Dealers will install air bag sensors with revised wiring insulation. In addition, vehicles which have the air bag warning light illuminated will have a new air bag diagnostic monitor installed.

Recall number 99V243000 · Recall details

What is wrong

Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The accelerator cable may have been manufactured with a burr on or near the end of the cable sleeve interior. This burr could fray the core wire resulting in the accelerator not returning to idle when the accelerator is released.

Risk

This condition can result in the throttle sticking, binding, or causing high engine RPM.

Remedy

Dealers will install a revised accelerator cable that has a flared conduit sleeve end and molded on end fitting.

Recall number 99V194000 · Recall details

What is wrong

Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The terminals at the headlight switch and wiring harness connector can experience heat damage as a result of overheating.

Risk

The damage could result in distortion of the terminal causing an open circuit in the instrument panel illumination, parking lamp, and tail lamp circuits.

Remedy

Dealers will install a headlamp switch wiring connector containing bronze terminals and an inspection, and replacement if necessary, of the headlamp switch.

Recall number 99V103000 · Recall details

What is wrong

Vehicle description: passenger vehicles built with automatic transmissions which utilize a park/lock solenoid. It is possible to rotate the ignition key to the lock position and remove the key without the shift lever and transmission being in park. These vehicles do not comply with the requirements of fmvss no. 114, "theft protection."

Risk

This could result in a crash and possible personal injury.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect these vehicles. Vehicles that have units with ignition keys removable in gear positions other than park, will have the steering column replaced.

Recall number 99V060000 · Recall details

What is wrong

Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The floor shift automatic transmission control can be damaged if subjected to certain interior cleaning products. The gear position indicator can deteriorate and not correctly indicate the actual gear position.

Risk

This condition can result in incorrect gear selection.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the automatic transmission floor shift control.

Recall number 98V233000 · Recall details

What is wrong

Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The text and/or graphics for the vehicle headlamp aiming instructions provided in the owner guides are not sufficiently clear. This does not meet the requirements of fmvss no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."

Risk

If the headlamp assemblies are replaced, customers may be confused by the aiming instructions provided in the owner guides causing the headlamps to be improperly aimed.

Remedy

Owner guides containing revised aiming instructions will be mailed to owners of these vehicles.

Recall number 98V028000 · Recall details

What is wrong

Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with the traction control option. The throttle cables were damaged during vehicle assembly leading to fraying or separation of the throttle cable.

Risk

This condition could prevent the engine from returning to idle.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the throttle cable with a revised design that is less susceptible to bending or kinking during installation.

Recall number 97V225000 · Recall details

What is wrong

Vehicle description: bi-fuel vehicles modified to run on either gasoline or compressed natural gas (cng). The natural gas fuel tanks have a solenoid shut-off valve that stops fuel flow from the fuel tank in the event of certain moderate to severe collisions. If the vehicle is in a collision and the natural gas fuel line is damaged, the system could leak natural gas.

Risk

Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire.

Remedy

Ford has requested owners of these vehicles to have the cng fuel system disabled under a previous recall campaign and to only use gasoline fuel until a permanent corrective action is developed. Owners are being alerted to this solenoid valve concern at this time. The timing of corrective actions is being delayed to allow both conditions to be remedied at one time. In the meantime, there is not risk as long as the natural gas system has been disabled and the vheicle is only operated on gasoline.

Recall number 97V203000 · Recall details

What is wrong

The fuel tank filler pipe opening reinforcement, constructed from two separately molded pieces, can leak at the weld.

Risk

Fuel leakage can result in a fire.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the fuel tank assemblies with units containing one-piece molded reinforcements.

Recall number 95V232000 · Recall details

What is wrong

Cracks have been found in the front safety belt outboard anchor tabs due to a combination of hydrogen embrittlement of the tab and stress introduced during attachment of the anchor tab to the seat frame. This does not conform with the requirements of fmvss no. 210, "seat belt assembly anchorages."

Risk

Consequence of non-compliance: a fracture or separation in this area would reduce the load that the anchor and the front safety belt anchorages could sustain, increasing the risk of injury in a vehicle collisoin.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect and install an anchor tab reinforcement or replacement of the complete front seat belt assembly if an anchor tab is found to have fractured.

Recall number 95V228000 · Recall details

What is wrong

The glass tempering process on the right hand rear door windows was not correctly performed. This does not meet the requirements of fmvss no. 205, "glazing materials."

Risk

Consequence of non-compliance: if the window breaks, the glass fragments of the rear windows exceed the size specifications of fmvss no. 205.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the right rear door glass.

Recall number 95V009000 · Recall details

What is wrong

The fuel tank filler pipe opening reinforcement can leak at the weld.

Risk

Fuel leakage can result in a fire.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect and, as appropriate, replace the fuel tanks.

Recall number 94V203000 · Recall details

What is wrong

A metal shield on the outside of the plastic fuel filler pipe can develop a static electrical charge during refueling of the vehicle.

Risk

A static charge can discharge and serve as an ignition source for fuel vapors in the area of the filler pipe, resulting in a flash vapor ignition and a vehicle fire.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, modify the vehicles by adding a ground strap between the filler pipe shield and the body.

Recall number 94V184000 · Recall details