Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting Dashboard Warping

I bought a sun shade for a truck for my contour. A little big, and I use the visors to help, but it's better than nothing.

And here I was thinking that that rattling and weird thing my dash does when I turn on the AC and/or defrost was normal. I literally see the tip of my dash curling.

Guess I have to take the car in for a number of things, and this is one.

Thanx guys, I'm loving this website more and more.

Thanks for all the replies guys! Much appreciated!! I just got the car back from my local Ford dealership. I decided to bring it back to my local dealership because I have a better reputation with them since I bring the car there for service all the time. The body shop manager and the service manager got together and said that since I'm a good customer and I keep my car real clean, they would have no argument with fixing the dashboard for me. They had it for 2 days. The technician glued it down and then made a template to fit in between the window and dashboard to help hold it down. They also used some Chilton's manuals. Go figure!! Well, they did a good job. I'm picking up a sun visor first thing tomorrow and hopefully the fix will work. They did not tack it or use anything except glue. I'll have to wait and see what happens.. tm

let me know which sun visor you get....i tested 3 visors and none of them fit.

I use an extra large sunshade, actually its made for SUV's. I went through 2 already that were supposedly "made to fit" but were way too small. Needless to say it really does help keeping everything cool to the touch, and I'm sure the interior won't fade as quickly now. It's a great investment at about $7.

thank you. where did you get it from?

Guys, I have a quick and stupid question.

What are the signs of a warping dashboard?
Mine seems to be curling up close to the windshield but I'm not sure if thats the sign or if its normal. I keep my dash always well coated with 3 extra layers of Armor all Protectant and a layer of Dashboard Silicon protector (this stuff is supposed to help the elasticity of the material).

The reason I want to know is because I want to be certain before I go running to the dealer and they tell me to take a hike. Please....please....please respod back.

Thanks.

It isn't a question of elasticity of the dash material it is a question of quality of the adhesive. Several people have talked about the black defroster vent coming detatched on the ends, this is a sure fire sign of impending failure and a $700 dash job.

Most modern dashes have few problems with cracking. Besides dashes usually crack in the winter when the material is subjected to drastic temperature cycles caused by daytime sun and freezing night temperatures where the material becomes inflexible and brittle.

Ford in its infinite wisdom decided to get rid of a bar across the dash after the 98 model year. Another smart decontenting maneuver.

My 00 SVT has it. I can even hear snap, crackles, and pops inside the dash, so I know it is falling apart. Pretty good Ford quality, hey?

You correctly identified the signs of a warping dash. The dash will begin to curl up where it meets the window. Next you will notice some small blisters that get larger. After that, many owners have reported the defroster vent popping out and the dash curling more in this area. Mine started this process at about 15k. I took it to the dealer and they recommened that I wait until I am closer to the end of my warranty and hope that engineering comes up with a fix. Apparently they have done nothing. I have contacted Ford on multiple occasions requesting an update on what is being done and they never return my calls. This should be a recall because everyone who has their dash replaced, has the same problem the following summer. It's a clear product defect. You have the early signs...watch it close and call Ford to register your problem at (800) 392-3673.