ContourLX99

Thanks for the information! The shop was indeed able to find a replacement filler neck from a salvage yard. That's the good news. The bad news is that they just called me to let me know that they replaced the filler neck, but there is still a leak, and it is because the filler neck grommet which seals the connection between the gas tank and the filler neck is rotted out. They said they can't find any source for that part, and in my searches on the web, I don't see any place where you can buy one either. Does anyone know where you can buy a filler neck grommet for a 99 Contour? It seems ridiculous that my car is in danger of being junked because of a $20 piece of rubber. Are there any other Ford models that use the same kind of grommet that we might be able to use instead? Would it be possible to find one in good condition at a salvage yard? Thanks in advance.

I have a 1999 Contour LX. I just had the fuel pump replaced by my local mechanic, since it was defective (my car would frequently crank but not start). Upon picking the car up from the shop after the fuel pump replacement, I drove to the gas station and filled up (the tank was nearly empty), then drove home. When I came out of my house a couple of hours later, there was a strong smell of gas, and a damp spot under the car. I took the car back to the shop and informed them of the problem. The shop called me back and said the that fuel filler neck / pipe is rusted, and that the leak is coming from there, or from the connection between the filler neck and the gas tank (it wasn't clear). That may be true, but mind you that I have never had a problem with fuel leaking prior to the shop replacing the fuel pump. The shop says they need to research what parts are available from Ford, and may need to call scrap yards to find a part they can use to fix the fuel leak. First of all, does this make sense, and if so, how screwed am I? From what I can gather from my own searches, the filler neck is a hard part to find. Does anyone still make them or have a stock of them for the 1999 Contour? How likely is it that the shop will be able to fix the problem? Secondly, what recourse do I have against the shop for this problem? Before I took the car to them, it did not leak fuel, and now it does. Granted, the filler neck may have rust, but they never mentioned this to me when they replaced the fuel pump, and never warned me that there could be any fuel leaks as a result of them installing a new fuel pump. Supposing that they are not able to find a replacement filler neck, and thus are not able to fix the fuel leak, and my car has to be junked, am I unreasonable in thinking that I should get my money back for the fuel pump replacement? (They can take the new pump out of the car and have it. The car has been driven about 10 miles since it was installed.) Thanks for any advice.