Brake Disc Caliper problems of the 1998 Ford Contour

The contact owns a 1998 Ford Contour. The contact purchased brakesafe front disc pads for the vehicle. Approximately 30 miles later, a grinding and rattling noise was heard and an outer lining on the padding fell off. The contact took the vehicle to the mechanic and was informed that the pads were defective. He purchased new pads, which he felt worked as they should have. He attempted to call the auto parts store from where he purchased the defective pads, but they would not assist. He also called the corporate office and received no assistance. The contact filed complaints with the federal trade commission and ohio attorney general. The serial number and part number were unknown. The current mileage was 135,000 and failure mileage was 134,970. Updated 06/25/08. The consumer stated passenger side caliper was warped and the rotor was damaged. Updated 06/25/08.

Brake failure. On a 1998 Ford Contour svt (~118,440 miles), the bolt attaching the rear brake caliper resulted in a single point failure to the braking system. While driving north on us 301, just south of laplata, MD, I heard a pop and the car felt as if I had run over something, but nothing apeared in the road (from the mirrors). Later when slowing while approaching aa traffic signal, I had no brakes. Thankfully I was on a slight incline and able to gear down and use what little brakes remained to stop the car and crawl it to a parking lot. After having the car towed in, my mechanic told me that one bolt attaching one of the rear calipers had sheared off causing the loss of braking power on the car. The car did not lose any brake fluid during all of this.

My compliant is that I was backing my car up and the front brakes locked up specifically the right front. The car would not move. You could smell burning and see smoke from the right front wheel. I had to have the car towed to my mechanic. After extensive work on the car we found out that the brake caliper piston would not retract into the caliper, after the mechanic reassembled the car, he found out the right caliper would not bleed out, after extensive testing the conclusion was reached no fluid would come out of the port on the hydraulic control unit to that wheel. Replacement of the hcu and module assembly was necessary. My car was towed to the mechanics on 2-06-2003 and was finally finished on 2-20-2003. The delay in getting the car finished was because it was the Contour svt model 1998, changes in the brake parts had been made and were not easy to obtain. The Ford dealer did not have the parts needed to complete the job they had to be ordered. I have all the parts that were pulled off the car. Also letter from my mechanic.