Underhood Wiring Problems of Ford Contour - part 1

Engine wiring harness insulation is crumbling leaving exposed wires. Found that this is a common problem for Ford Contours (all years), but that a recall has only been issued for 1995-1997 vehicles. Have had multiple problems with sensors not working, speedometer and fuel gauge intermittently stops functioning. Check engine light comes on randomly. Mechanic has stated that problems are in wiring harness.

See all problems of the 1998 Ford Contour 🔎.

The contact owns a 1998 Ford Contour. The contact took his vehicle to a mechanic to have the gear shifting system repaired, and was informed that the wiring harness needed to be replaced. The current mileage was 97,000 and failure mileage was 27,300.

I have 1997 Ford Contour se. I have had several problems with it, check engine light comes on constantly, radiator light comes on constantly, runs poorly. I had all checked when they happen on multilple occasions. After doing some research on the internet, I found that there may be a problem with the wiring harness in the engine compartment. I was told by a freind that he had heard of a problem like this and Ford was fixing them, and I should call the dealer. I called the dealer and they confirmed there was a recall but based on my VIN I was not included due to the age of my car. This was done at brandon Ford around the July/August time frame. Thinking that I had to do the repair myself, due to the cost at the dealership (over $3000. 00), I started looking for parts myself on the internet. There I found the recall/ext. Warranty info. 99m03 and in this it states 10 years or 100,000 mile. I again got hope that maybe they had missread the recall at the dealer ship. I then returned with VIN and the info 99m03 in had and one of their service advisers confirmed that it should be covered. I then made an appointment for the next day to drop the car off at 8:30am to have it done. I call that same day at 2:30pm to check to see if and for how long I wounld need a rental car. I was told at that time that my car was not covered due to it's age and that it ran out on 10/26/06. Had the first person looked the info. Up properly back in the July/August time frame it would have been fixed. I was also told by the service manager that the repair would take them approx. 3 days to do, and for only gives them 6-7 hrs to do it, so they lose money to do these repairs. Based on the 99m03 info I should have recieved a letter stating the ext. Warranty which I did not, but had recieved other recall info.

See all problems of the 1997 Ford Contour 🔎.

I have a 1998 Ford Contour svt, this is my third one. Every one I purchase has the same problem, the wires in the wire harness for the computer and car crack and the coating just falls right off, which allows the wires to the computer to touch which shorts the computer and makes the car no longer start, it will crank but it will not start cause the computer in shorted and confused so there is no fuel and no spark going to the fuel rail or the coil pack. At this point the car needs a wire harness and a pcm and this all costs close to $3000 of which I do not have to fix it. My friend worked for general electric and he said he has seen this before at the factory when the coating is heated to high once it drys its only a matter of time before the coating cracks and flakes off. Ford says they will not help me although its a consistent problem with these svt Contours I am hoping this can help all us Ford lovers.

There's a recall on 1995-1997 Ford Contour ( #99m03 at. . Read more...

: the contact stated the vehicle caught on fire while in gear. A pop noise was heard and smoke came out from under the hood. The front of the vehicle then caught fire. The insurance company deemed the vehicle a total loss and it was never taken to a service dealer. A fire department report was processed. Updated 12/11/06.

See all problems of the 1999 Ford Contour 🔎.

Recurring electrical problems and dangerous exposed wiring resulting from deteriorating under hood wiring harness. Same problem existing on 1995-1997 Contours addressed by owner notification program 99m03. Ford dealer examined and acknowledged problem exists but will not repair as onp 99m03 doesn't cover 1998 Contour. . Read more...

My vehicle was manufactured on 5/15/97 but is titled as a 1998 vehicle. Ford motor company has issued a recall on 1995-1997 Ford Contour vehicles for a problem where the insulation falls off the underhood wiring. My vehicle has this problem to the extent that bare copper wiring is exposed at every connector under the hood and I am sure in places that are not visible as well. If these wires contact each other, possible engine stalling, loss of lighting, cooling and even engine fires are possible. Ford motor company is refusing to make the repairs because the vehicle is titled as a 1998 even though it wwas manufactured in 1997 with the same parts as the vehicles they are offering to repair. I am refering to their warranty extension 99m03 which calls for all wiring harnesses to be replaced at no cost to the consumer. My local Ford examined the vehicle and agreed that the repairs were necessary for the ontinued safe operation of this vehicle but when he looked up the VIN in his system, the vehicle was not covered because of the title year, (1998 but built in 1997 with 1997 parts). They are obviously well aware of the problem but for some unknown reason are refusing to make good on my vehicle.

Electrical system failure, vehicle would sometimes start and sometimes it would not, when vehicle on the road it would stop when making a stop at a stop sign or red light, or when turning either left or right.

The problem started on the incident date, wire problem cause the entire fan/ac/heater panel so no longer work, the wire got so hot hot it melted our under-dash fuse box, we went for 9 months and a baby with no a/c in hot and no heat in the cold, husband(josh murphy) went to junk yard after being turned away by dealership and got replacement parts off an identical car. That was in June of 2005. On that date we saw that all of the wires under the hood were severely cracked and damaged after eltrcial taping a few of the exposed wired there became a short that now cuases a computer problem and a loss of power then trying to accelerate anf pull into traffic, or just anytime it wants to. The over-drive light comes on and transmission starts to get really jerky and the odometer and everything else in the panal starts to malfunction, most of the time we dont even know how fast we are going or how many miles we have gone. We have a 18 month old and a new baby due in just weeks and I am scared that one time when I go to pull out the car just isnt going to go at all and we might get hit by someone, o and sometimes it just turns itself off in traffic too. The deaalership tell me that all of those wires were replaced in 2000 but they should have made it longer that 4 years without degenerating again. The local dealership also tells me that I would have to just pay for the work and being a new family we cannot afford something like that, especially since it was a recall item at one time. Please there has to be something done about this, I know we are not the only 96 Ford Contour owners with this exact problem either.

See all problems of the 1996 Ford Contour 🔎.

My car stopped running while I was in motion at around 45 mph. Fortunately, traffic was light and I was able to move my disabled vehicle to a safe location off the roadway. The computer was determined to be the problem and was replaced. After picking up the car from the dealer, I drove around thirty miles and noticed that the "check engine" light was on. Returning to the dealer, I was informed it was a faulty sensor. I replaced that, and about 4 miles later, the car died again, while I was on the road, in motion. The dealer mechanic said it was a faulty wiring harness which would cost $2000 to $4000 to repair. We took it to another mechanic who got the car running again for $1400, and the car has died again. I am seeking to file a complaint and request that you investigate the wiring harness on 98 Ford Contour se's and find out if other drivers are having this problem, since I was lucky twice. If it had been on the freeway, I might not have been.

Consumer took vehicle to the dealer, and had the mechanic look underneath the hood. Vehicle was melting inside due to this problem. She had no air condition or heat.

Mr.

Engine check light coming on. Took to kinsel Ford in June 2001. . . Told catalytic converter going out. Engine light went off. . . Started coming on again and car had alot of exhaust and running rough. Took to silsbee Ford and was told that the engine was out due to the engine cooling fan not coming on like it was suppose to so it also fried the wires. Ford is willing to pay for parts but refuses to pay for labor due to the fact that they say it was out of the 100,000 warrenty for the repair. I explained that the problem was going on when I brought it in in June and they didn't correct it then, according to the check out sheet they didn't even check it for that and I specifically asked for that recall to be checked. I had even been in in March of 2000 for the check engine light coming on. I was told by Ford that my car had no recall for the engine and engine cooling fan. Just extremely upset that you can have a recall, take your car in and it not be checked for it and when it goes out due to the recall that the company penalizes the consumer.

Windshield wipers will come on intermittently, and air bag light illuminates while driving, causing vehicle to stall and die. Dealer has been notified. Car was on fire which burned up fuse box.

During replacement of heater blower switch consumer noticed that electrical wires were melted together and charred black. Dealership has not examined vehicle. Please provide any additional information/attachments.

Vehicle had no power causing consumer to purchase a new battery. Vehicle wouldn't work with new battery because consumer noticed wires were not attached. Dealer stated " Ford has a program which is 10 year or 100,000 miles, but can only be fixed if a problem occurs. " consumers is responsible for the cost of repairs.

I carried my car to the dealership for recall service. The dealership never completed the recall work, but did bill Ford for it. The dealership later offered to fix the symptoms that the faulty parts were causing for a fee or $279. I did not have $279 at the time to pay for the service so I purchased the parts for $101. After I had installed the parts, I saw a note in the package that described what the dealer sold to me. The dealership actually sold me the recall repair kit. I have the documentation and original part to prove this is the case. Also tail lights and dash lights are inoperable,head light switch has burned out, consumer states he should be reimbursed for the warranty work , consumer states he has in his possession the recalled part and that hte dealership did not perform the work, that they claim they replaced, even though the warranty work was not performed by dealership the Ford motor company was billed for the warranty repairs.

We were driving (one mile from home) when it sounded like we had a flat tire. I pulled over and checked. Tires were fine. Heard thumping again. Turned car around because of 87 year old father in vehicle. Smoke came through the vents. I pulled into the driveway. Smoke came out from under hood. Husband was doing yard work. My son adam yelled that there were flames. My husband ran to the garage and got a fire extinguisher. Put fire out. Had to cut two wires to stop the smoking and sizzling. Contacted state farm. A fire investigator said he believes that the way the wires were routed onto the fire wall, rubbed against a screw that was sticking out of the fire wall and over time wore the wire, causing a fire.

Heater fan control switch began smoking and shutdown while vehicle was in operation. Consumer has taken vehicle to private mechanic, who indicated that defect resulted from factory wiring harness being too small a guage of wiring to carry electrical load. Replacement wiring harness was of a higher guage. Please provide any additional information/attachments.

Wiring harness located behind the headlight switch melted, causing failure of headlight and parking lights. Dealership repaired this problem, and manufacturer informed consumer that his vehicle was not included in recall 99v103000. Please provide any additional information/attachments.

Consumer was traveling on highway and noticed that smoke was coming from underneath vehicle. He parked and vehicle burst into flames. Fire department was notified. Fire marshall stated that electrical system started fire.

Consumer had just parked car and turn it off and heard a popping noise. Then, 10 to 15 minutes later, consumer saw smoke and fire coming from engine. Called fire department.

Abs did not work in snow. Dealer said wire harness had moisture in it. Have to replace harness. Cost: $3000+.

When appyling abs brakes system failed. This was caused by a malfunction within blower switch and wiring harness. When brakes are released the lights and the blower motor worked normal. The dealer indicated that water intrusion caused wire damage requiring complete wire harness. The consumer had to skip the repair due to a very high cost of repair.

The dealership admited that a technician left a wire loose when they installed a new motor in my car. They were repairing all damage due to the fire. They did not. My son had an accident 4 months later. When the airbags deployed, the passanger side airbag was burnt and melted, therefore never completely deploying.

What exactly are they recalling on the 1996-1998 Ford Contour? is it the whole car or just the electric system? is that considered the wiring harness? the reason we're so interested is because we've had many major problems with our 1996 Ford Contour. We sent our car to the Ford of ocala,FL for the wiring harness recall, and they gave us a very hard time about fixing it. They were trying to get us to replace parts that weren't even bad, at the cost of $400. 00 for one part. But then they said there was a whole list of things that were wrong with it, and after they fixed each of these parts, if our car still didn't start, then they'd get to fixing the wiring harness. We had 2 mechanics check these parts and they weren't bad at all. It took them 2 and a half weeks before they gave us our car back. Then when we got it back, we had to take it to our regular mechanic who said they wired it wrong, and left the wiring to the air-conditioning and the alternator undone. That was 2 months ago, and we just had to replace our alternator. The mechanic that fixed the alternator said they did a lousy job, because half the wiring wasn't even done right. There is wiring in our car that is bare, and he said it could cause our car to catch on fire. Also, the wiring leading to the alternator is bare, which he said most likely shorted out the alternator. So now we need to have the wiring redone, and all of this has cost us hundreds of dollars. This car is the worst car ever made, we've had nothing but problems with it from the day we gotit! we had the air fixed, and after they did the recall, the air no longer worked anymore. Also, after they worked on the recall, there are many wires that are still cracked and brittle, and left bare. The wiring to the battery is completely bare, also, and we've had to replace the battery 3 times since we've had the car. The seatbelt locks up while driving where it is so tight I can't move at all. We're afraid it will catch fire! also more problems!.

There are too many problems with our car to write down. Please contact us.

This problem started way back at the date below and I could not get Ford to fix this problem so I have been attempting to keep the car running by electrical taping the exposing wires. I wonder why amercian made vehicles are loosing to foreign companies. . . Self explanatory I think. No pride in the american worker. Just do the job and make living. Complaint is Ford Contour gl engine wiring harnesses severely deteriorating. I work with electrical wiring on aircraft daily and have never seen wiring like this. I've worked in areas where aircraft wiring go through severe temperature changes, high humidity, and sea spray to name a few. No aircraft that I've worked on has had wiring like this. Transportation such as aircraft don't or should say cannot have wiring like this why can cars? obvious safety hazard for car owners around the country, car fails from wiring in the middle of rush hour traffic and what happens to the owner and possible other innocent drivers around them? this incident I believe requires immediate action. As I stated I am currently using electrical tape to attempt to keep the wires from touching and causing a fire or damage to other engine components. Currently chasing air conditioning, engine fan, and fuel injector problems with this wiring. A vehicles wiring should never become this brittle. This goes to prove why Ford is closing plants and Nissan and Toyota are on top of the automotive sales. Think about it Ford, trying to get by with cheap stuff and see where you are now, verge of bankruptcy.

I have had car in shop 4 different times,they changed to rotors and brakes the first time at 3,000 miles. They claim the rotors were warped from the factory. The next 2 times they claim the car is fine,the last time ( car is still in the shop since 2/15/00 this is written to you 3-09-00) they are replacing the front rotors and brakes again, they say they are replacing the defrost switch and a wiring harness,the engine drivetrain they don't know???. I have lost time at work and I don't fell safe in the car. I refuse to take my "family" anywhere in this car!!!!!.

Consumer was traveling about 55 mph and without warning the heat went off. There was rattling noise coming from underneath the vehicle. Then, vehicle started to lose speed. Consumer was looking out of rearview mirror and noticed black smoke coming from the manifold. Consumer applied emergency lights and veered over to the shoulder lane, and she was struck by a truck on the rear. Car was towed. Consumer suffered internal injuries.

No summary listed for abov evehicle.

Terminal at the headlight switch and wires was damaged which caused anti- freeze to leak .

Electrical wiring harness failed, causing tail lights/interior lights, and parking lights to go out. Had it fixed for $181. 90 3/23/99 as of 7/2/99 dealer says he has no information on recall.

Hi, we have had so many problems I can't believe that Ford dosen't recall the 97 Contours. We only had the car 1 month and the e. G. R valve to the exhaust manifold was replaced. The p. C. Valve has been serviced 4 times. The egr pressure feedback /back pressure was replaced. The rotor on the brakes was cracked and had to be replaced. We have had the car in the shop a total of 58 days. We took the car in 5 times telling them about this burning odor coming from the a/c vents. Recall about wire harness. They said could not verify concern. Untill my husband took it for the 4 time when the car was full of this foggy smoke. He made a service advisior come out and look at the car full of smoke. For three months 10-9-99 untill present . We have had to endure headaches vomiting and loss of our voices because they said they could not verify concern. We now have pictures of neglect of the safety of my husband and 5 children. The burned melted parts they should have replaced back on 10-9-99 it took untill 1-22-00 and as of right now 2- 10-00 another dealership has had the car for 7 day's. Major defects with the 97 Contour. We think they sold all there cng cars to people and didn't tell them. I know they sure didn't tell us. 3 times on the oil change paper they mention about the selenoid. You don't have that done with a oil change. Maybe you guy's can check into it? why else would owners of just the 97 Contours have so many problems? check your t s b pages. Please let us know what we can do we can't trust anyone to fix it right when we were told by Ford service people they couldn't find the problem. Something is really wrong with all of these cars.