1995 Ford Contour Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often report hardened, cracked engine-compartment wiring insulation, with shorts, stalling, no-start conditions and, in some accounts, fires, along with repeated overheating traced to the cooling fan motor and thermostat. Coil spring breakage, transmission slipping or loss of drive, and fuel tank filler pipe leaks are also recurring themes, and several owners note that their vehicle's VIN fell outside the related campaigns.

1. 1
   Electrical system

   Cracked engine wiring harness insulation

   Mentioned in 25 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe the underhood wire insulation as dried, brittle and falling off in pieces, leaving bare conductors touching or shorting. Reported results include intermittent no-starts, random stalling, blown fuses, dead instrument and tail lights, and smoke or fire at the steering column or under the dash. Several say a dealer or mechanic identified the harness and referenced a Ford owner-notification program for underhood wiring, but that coverage had expired or the parts were no longer available; some mechanics reportedly declined to run diagnostics because the wiring was too deteriorated. Widely reported from roughly 40,000 to 190,000 miles on vehicles that were by then a decade or more old, often after the 10-year/100,000-mile notification period had ended.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Open the hood and flex a few wire sections to see whether the insulation cracks or crumbles to bare copper, and check for a record of the underhood harness notification having been performed. A service bulletin in the input describes an underhood wire harness coverage extension of 10 years or 100,000 miles.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “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 miles

   “Wiring on 95 Ford Contour, we did a valve job to this car and at this time we noticed the wiring harness was a mess the coating was coming off the wires, what coating that is there is dry and brittle exposing the wires, the bare wires touching at places, went and got one from the recycle parts yard and it was the same way now we are having a hard time finding a good one to put back on the car a new one is so expensive I believe I was quoted around $1300.00 .”

   NHTSA complaint #10169703, filed 2006-10, 136,000 miles
2. 2
   Engine cooling

   Overheating from cooling fan and thermostat

   • 151 complaints (17%)
   • median 80,000 mi at 12.8 yrs old (21 state mileage)
   • 41 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $3,200 (median of 8 quotes)
   • filed 1996–2013

   Owners report the engine running hot with the cooling fan not coming on, often traced to a seized or overheated fan motor, a failed coolant temperature sensor or a stuck thermostat. Some describe the fan motor overheating and melting nearby electrical parts, and a few accounts mention engine-compartment fire, water pump failure or repeated fan replacement. Owners also say dealers declined further repairs once the related campaign had already been performed or the vehicle was past the mileage limit. Often reported between roughly 43,000 and 150,000 miles, with several accounts on vehicles that had already received a prior fan-motor campaign repair.

   Recall 00V367000

   What to check: Let the car idle with the A/C on and confirm the cooling fan cycles on before the gauge climbs, and ask whether the cooling fan motor campaign 00V367000 was completed. Look for melted or browned connectors near the fan.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The car has always run hot and I have had the compressor fixed and a month later I know have a burnt out blower motor that seems to be a common problem. I never was notified about the recall and than was told I missed the cut off date to file for a repair, bottom line I wasnt covered. I also brought my car in a day before my warranty was up and they didnt honor it, I was told it was too late.”

   NHTSA complaint #10069436, filed 2004-01, 75,000 miles

   “The car had just been turned off, a faint odor of something hot was noticed but figured the heating fan motor was malfunctioning. Approximately 10 minutes later, the bicknell fire department and police department notified us that the car's engine was on fire. The entire engine compartment was engulfed and totally destroyed every thing in it. ----dims 11 ivoq entry posted after 12/12/02 cut-over to artemis------769736.”

   NHTSA complaint #10008552, filed 2002-11, 130,000 miles
3. 3
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission slips out of gear / loses drive

   • 122 complaints (14%)
   • median 86,500 mi at 9.2 yrs old (12 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $650 (median of 7 quotes)
   • filed 1995–2015

   Owners report the automatic transmission dropping out of gear or acting as if it slipped into neutral while driving, sometimes with banging or rough shifting, and one describes a sudden lock-up that required a rebuild. Others describe the floor shift gear position indicator crumbling so the selected gear cannot be read. Mechanics reportedly attributed some failures to damage in the transmission wiring harness, and several owners note their VIN was not included in the related campaigns. Reported from roughly 36,000 up to 141,000 miles, often after the transmission was warmed up.

   Recall 98V233000

   What to check: Test drive long enough for the transmission to reach operating temperature and watch for delayed or harsh engagement, flare between gears or loss of drive. Check whether the gear position indicator on the console is intact.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have experienced several incidents with the transmission in my vehicle. After you drive the vehicle long enough for it to warm up good, the transmission will quit pulling. You can be driving down the road and it acts as if it just kicks into neutral. You can pull over and put the car into park and then into drive again and it will go a little farther before it will do it again. The car has only a little over 70,000 miles on it and is now basically junk. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10199887, filed 2007-08, 71,000 miles

   “Advised by dealer this componet, though subject to manufacturer's recall for identical failure was not on my VIN. I maintain it was a design defect that should be repaired/replaced by the manufacturer. Without the indicator it is impossible to know which position you are in. In addition, there is a hazard in the mode of the failure causing binding in the shift lever, preventing some positions from being engaged. *dimsii ivoq entry posted after 12/12/02 cut over to artemis*765858”

   NHTSA complaint #10006948, filed 2002-08, 55,800 miles
4. 4
   Suspension

   Broken front and rear coil springs

   • 45 complaints (5%)
   • median 93,597 mi at 10.0 yrs old (10 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1997–2013

   Owners describe coil springs snapping, sometimes on more than one corner and even while driving at low speed, which produces a sudden clunk, uneven ride height or pulling and wandering in the steering. In some accounts a broken spring punctured a tire. Owners say the dealer either did not respond or declined reimbursement, and one notes an extended warranty covering the front springs but not the rear. Mostly reported between about 60,000 and 150,000 miles, in several cases with visible rust on the broken spring.

   What to check: Look at the ride height at each corner and inspect the springs for rust, cracks or fresh breaks, including the rear. Rebound the corners and listen for a snap, and check tire sidewalls for damage.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I had both front coil springs on my 1995 Ford Contour fail (left spring broke into two pieces, the right into three). Resulted in car drifting back and forth. No response from dealership.”

   NHTSA complaint #10228270, filed 2008-05, 137,000 miles

   “The vehicle experienced a severe steering problem due to a broken spring. Mechanic found all four springs were broken. The mechanic stated all four springs appeared to have been broken for a long time. The car is only used on paved roads.”

   NHTSA complaint #10016220, filed 2003-04, 62,400 miles
5. 5
   Fuel system

   Fuel smell and leaks at the filler pipe

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe a strong fuel smell and fuel seeping or spilling from the tank area, which a mechanic traced to the weld at the fuel filler pipe opening. One account notes the leak appeared while driving at low speed without warning. Owners whose vehicles were not covered by the filler pipe campaigns report having to pay for the repair themselves. Reported from about 36,000 to 46,000 miles in the sampled accounts, generally without a preceding impact or damage.

   Recall 94V203000Recall 95V232000Recall 94V184000

   What to check: Smell around the filler neck and look for staining or dampness at the seam where the filler pipe meets the tank, and ask whether the filler pipe campaigns (94V203000, 95V232000, 94V184000) were completed for this VIN.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have a Ford Contour 1995 manufactured in 12/94 I have some complaints about my car. There are some recalls out on this vehicle. But there are not list for my Contour VIN # but I have the same problems. My car was taken to the robins Ford delership in glenolden,pa for not starting. After they inspected the vehicle they called me and told me that I have a wiring harness defect that caused it to short circuit my spark plugs. They told me that the wires for this vehicle is out dated and for have been replacing them with updated wires. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10004889, filed 2003-01, 45,000 miles

   “The vehicles gas tank was leaking fuel. The dealer diagnosed that the fuel was seeping from the weld at the filler pipe opening. Related recalls 94v203000, 95v228000 and 94v184000, consumer's v.I.n. Is not included.”

   NHTSA complaint #10019935, filed 2003-05, 46,000 miles

Buying note. On this model year, the underhood wiring and cooling fan deserve the most attention: inspect the harness insulation directly and confirm whether the fan-motor campaign and harness notification were done, since parts and coverage are long expired. Also check the coil springs, transmission behavior when warm, and the fuel filler area before purchase.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.