1997 Ford Contour Owner's Manual - Page 235

A warranty dispute must be submitted to the Dispute Settlement Board before taking action under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, or to the extent allowed by state law, before pursuing replacement or repurchase remedies provided by certain state laws. This dispute handling procedure is not required prior to enforcing state created rights or other rights which are independent of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act or state replacement or repurchase laws. The Dispute Settlement Board (U.S. only) The Dispute Settlement Board is: s an independent, third-party arbitration program for warranty disputes s available free to owners and lessees of qualifying Ford Motor Company vehicles The Dispute Settlement Board may not be available in all states. Ford Motor Company reserves the right to change eligibility limitations, modify procedures and/or discontinue this service without notice and without incurring obligations. What Kinds of Cases Does the Board Review? The Board reviews all warranty performance complaints on Ford, Mercury and Lincoln cars and Ford and Mercury light trucks under the new vehicle limited warranty that have not been resolved by either a dealer or Ford Motor Company, except those involving: s a non-Ford product s a non-Ford dealership s a vehicle sales transaction s request for reimbursement of consequential expenses. Expenses incidental to the warranty complaint being reviewed are eligible for consideration 240