Ford Contour Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 3,148 consumer complaints across the 7 model years of the Ford Contour (1994–2000) that have at least 5 complaints. 1995 has the most, with 891. Across all years, the part named most often is engine cooling (581 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
Best and worst Contour years →
All Contour model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 199 | 55,000 | 5 | 8 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 1999 | 419 | 60,000 | 3 | 7 | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 1998 | 846 | 85,000 | 9 | 5 | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 1997 | 218 | 97,000 | 5 | 5 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1996 | 563 | 91,000 | 8 | 3 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 1995 | 891 | 99,000 | 8 | 3 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1994 | 12 | — | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Engine cooling581 21%
- Electrical system555 20%
- Transmission and drivetrain392 14%
- Brakes308 11%
- Suspension276 9.8%
- Fuel system268 9.5%
- Body and structure225 8.0%
- Air bags215 7.6%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
1998: “I just traded and got this car, it seems to sway in the back going over wet roads or bumpy roads not sure what it is, but I fear my safety as the previous owner did not tell me about this. I also have noticed that the temperature gauge does not work and the heater blower only works on high. I cannot afford to get things fixed if there is recalls on them.”
NHTSA complaint #10553556, filed 2013-11, 163,000 miles1999: “Rear frame, suspension rusted completely into an went out of control and threw me into ditch. This is completely not acceptable. I have 1960's cars %100 better than this . I know this is a 1999 but this is completely unacceptable. Can anything be done.”
NHTSA complaint #10954971, filed 2017-02, 120,000 miles1995: “I have a 1995 Ford Contour which has a faulty wiring harness that LED to vehicle problems. After research on the internet I found that a recall (99m03) was issued for faulty wires. My car was not included in that recall even though it has the same problem that was mentioned in the recall. Why were not all of the cars with this defect recalled?”
NHTSA complaint #10293348, filed 2009-11, 112,000 milesOther Ford models
38,897 complaintsFord Explorer
34,624 complaintsFord Escape
27,530 complaintsFord Fusion
22,441 complaintsFord Focus
22,107 complaintsFord Taurus
18,162 complaintsFord Windstar
14,152 complaintsFord Edge
14,106 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology