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warped dasboard research NHTSA

Heres a pic of the driver side door, (when you have the door open)
The dash from the drivers seat
and a side view up close and personal, note the waves in this view, that whole front part of the dash is TOTALLY warped and the black plastic defroster insert isn't even in there it wont fit anymore because the dash has slid back so much
 

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  • Waves.JPG
    Waves.JPG
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mattsBLK99cSVT said:
my warping is horrible the black plastic defroster insert is all popped out, ill take pics later today and post, where can i fill out a form? my nasty dash will win 1st place
Click to expand...

The issue we ought to press is the plastic vent popping out. If that thing lets loose while driving it could cause an accident. Or if it comes out just before an airbag deployment (say a Contique jumps a curb & the trim lands on your arms in front of the air bag just before impact with a pole, wall, or whatever), it could seriously injure somebody. THAT is a valid safety concern & a plausable scenario.

I submitted a fresh complaint for my Mercury. Here are the pertinent parts...

Complaint Information
Description:
1. Dash warp causes visability problems, defroster malfunction, loose trim. I drove over a seam in the roadway at an overpass (small bump) & the vent trim popped loose. This is simply an aging issue as there was no unusual event. My car is a 1999 Mercury Mystique, but this issue is also prevalent on the Ford 1999 & 2000 Contour, and some 1998 models with the newer style dash.
2. The trim popped loose from the dash while commuting on I-95 to work. The vent trim came to rest in front of the air bag & on my arms as I drove, but fortunately did not cause an accident.
3. The vent trim was placed loosely onto the dash so the defroster would still be usable, but the warped dash prevents it from being properly secured. A new vent trim WILL NOT fix this problem. There was an old recall which included a 'repair kit', but it has expired. I would like to see the recall re-instated.


Incident Date; 11/23/2006
Fire; No
Num. Failures; 1
Property Damage; No
Num. Deaths; 0
Crash; No
Num. Injured; 0
Police Report; No
Referral Source; INTERNET
Vehicle InformationVIN; 3MEFM66L9XM601285
Purchase Date; 5/2/2005
Manufacturer; FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Year, Make and Model; 1999/MERCURY/MYSTIQUE
Original Owner; No
# of Cylinders; 6
Trans. Type; AUTOMATIC
Engine Size; 2.5l
VehicleDetails
Usage;
Cruise Control; Yes
Antilock Brakes; Yes
Current Mileage; 120000
Speed; 70
Failure Mileage; 120000
Powertrain; FRONT WHEEL DRIVE
Body Style; 4-DOOR
Fuel System; FUEL INJECTION
Fuel Type; GAS
Vehicle Type; PASSENGER CAR


Vehicle Component Information
Component 1; VISIBILITY; DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER SYSTEM
OEM; Yes
 
Last edited:
TourDeForce said:
The issue we ought to press is the plastic vent popping out. If that thing lets loose while driving it could cause an accident. Or if it comes out just before an airbag deployment (say a Contique jumps a curb & the trim lands on your arms in front of the air bag just before impact with a pole, wall, or whatever), it could seriously injure somebody. THAT is a valid safety concern & a plausable scenario.

I submitted a fresh complaint for my Mercury. Here are the pertinent parts...

Complaint Information
Description:
1. Dash warp causes visability problems, defroster malfunction, loose trim. I drove over a seam in the roadway at an overpass (small bump) & the vent trim popped loose. This is simply an aging issue as there was no unusual event. My car is a 1999 Mercury Mystique, but this issue is also prevalent on the Ford 1999 & 2000 Contour, and some 1998 models with the newer style dash.
2. The trim popped loose from the dash while commuting on I-95 to work. The vent trim came to rest in front of the air bag & on my arms as I drove, but fortunately did not cause an accident.
3. The vent trim was placed loosely onto the dash so the defroster would still be usable, but the warped dash prevents it from being properly secured. A new vent trim WILL NOT fix this problem. There was an old recall which included a 'repair kit', but it has expired. I would like to see the recall re-instated.


Incident Date; 11/23/2006
Fire; No
Num. Failures; 1
Property Damage; No
Num. Deaths; 0
Crash; No
Num. Injured; 0
Police Report; No
Referral Source; INTERNET
Vehicle InformationVIN; 3MEFM66L9XM601285
Purchase Date; 5/2/2005
Manufacturer; FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Year, Make and Model; 1999/MERCURY/MYSTIQUE
Original Owner; No
# of Cylinders; 6
Trans. Type; AUTOMATIC
Engine Size; 2.5l
VehicleDetails
Usage;
Cruise Control; Yes
Antilock Brakes; Yes
Current Mileage; 120000
Speed; 70
Failure Mileage; 120000
Powertrain; FRONT WHEEL DRIVE
Body Style; 4-DOOR
Fuel System; FUEL INJECTION
Fuel Type; GAS
Vehicle Type; PASSENGER CAR


Vehicle Component Information
Component 1; VISIBILITY; DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER SYSTEM
OEM; Yes
Click to expand...
I took out the black plastic insert because while i was driving once i hit a bump and it flew into my lap, easily i could have done something bad
 
yea matt yours was pretty bad when saw it at hooters. I hope you get it fixed cheap or free. ive been really lucky and not had any porblems on my 99 svt yet. but i think it may just be starting to be comming loose. the left front edge seems to make some noise over bumps.
 
SVTJON87 said:
yea matt yours was pretty bad when saw it at hooters. I hope you get it fixed cheap or free. ive been really lucky and not had any porblems on my 99 svt yet. but i think it may just be starting to be comming loose. the left front edge seems to make some noise over bumps.
Click to expand...
haha indeed yea dude mine makes lilttle fart n creaky noises
 
I wrote:


The dashboard adhesive is defective on my 2000 Ford Contour SVT. The Dash around the defroster vent and up to the windshield has warped so badly that the defroster vent actually popped out of the dash and hit the windshield while driving down the road. The dash eventually curled up high enough to touch the dash, making the defroster ineffective to clear fogging on the windshield. The passenger airbag is also separating from the dashboard due to the warping.

Ford had originally had a service bulletin for this problem, but only left it open for a short period of time.

The problem is a design flaw, so I am indicating the vehicle's build date as the incident date, even though the dash continues to get worse.
 
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