Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting Dreaded Dash Problem

I've searched the archives on this, and found some good info. Apparently this was a problem for 99-00 ConTiques...

The 99 Mystique LS (black with a brown/tan leather interior) I test drove recently has a BAD case of dash warp along the base of the windshield.

It's SO bad the black plastic vent grill is popped out of its vent recess entirely and is just sitting there loose. The wavy brown dash vinyl surrounding the vent opening is curled up all over the place. The vinyl has also pulled away from the windshield.

From what I've found searching the forums, there's no good/permanent fix for this, short of the dealer replacing the entire dash with a Ford dash kit.

Since this car's out of warranty, I really don't want to pay $$$ out of my pocket to fix this obviously crappy design flaw.

1. Any recent updates from anyone that's had this problem?

2. Should I just walk away from this car and avoid a never-ending dash problem?

Thanks!
Hal

You have until August 31, 2002 to get it fixed FREE by Ford. It's a post-warranty recall.

There is an owner notification from FoMoCo on the subject listed on the Latest News section of the CEG opening home page...
http://contour.org/news/shownews.cgi?id=146

The black paint on Contours has exhibited problems and a number of owners have had to have their cars repainted.

Unless you are a true fanatic, there are much better (fit and finish) built cars for the money! Just my $0.02 worth...

Well here I was thinking I was a good boy for first searching the archives about the warped dash prob. Meanwhile, I totally missed the Owner Notification link on the CEG homepage!

Anywho, many thanks for the info. And it looks like the black paint is still fully intact (as far as I can tell) on the 99 Mystique LS I'm considering to buy.

1. What are the paint symptoms I should specifically look for to determine if this car has a potential paint prob?

2. Has anyone recently had the official Ford dashboard fix done to their 99-00 ConTique? Does it seem to be a reliable/permanent solution to the problem?

Thanks again,
Hal

I've had one dash replaced under the 36,000 mile warranty. Then, it started warping, and was about to take it in under the warranty again, but that's when I got the recall. That HOPEFULLY means that they fixed the problem with the dash. I had no problem with the first install, and am still waiting on the new dash to arrive at the dealership..

Later.

Here is a thread on the black paint problems...
http://www.contour.org/cgi-ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=3&t=003556

I've had my dash replaced at 15K mi for warpage and voiding (pits in foam core) and it is voiding again at 37k mi...I'll either wait until the dash gets unbearable or Aug. 2002...which ever comes first!

Does anyone have a way of PREVENTING the dash warping? I am using a sun deflector, is that gonna be enough to stop it? or should I purchase the dash mat? Has anyone used the dash mat for the 99-00 contour? is it any good?

If I understand correctly,

The dash problem involves crappy adhesive used to hold the cover to the foam backing.

Heat (and poor adhesive) will be the main culprits. Therefore, the only way to prevent it (assuming it's even preventable) is to keep the inside of the car cool.

Good luck,
David

It is not only a case of using poor adhesive, but the foam core that the dash is formed from has the tendency to deform (void) when hot forming shallow depressions under the vinyl covering. This results in inflated or deflated (depending on temperature) areas on the dash. My dash problems started with the vinyl pulling away from the foam core right along the front where the dash meets the windshield....then the defrost brow sprung up one day and would not sit flat in the dash recess...all the while the voiding was going on. All this by 15k mi.