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EnginePart report

1996 Ford Contour Engine Problems

Complaints
1about this part
Share
0%of 563 total for the year
Median mileage
80,000miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 1 complaints about the engine of the 1996 Ford Contour, 0% of the 563 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 80,000 miles.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“I purchased a used 1996 Ford Contour for my granddaughter and after a few days the check engine light came on. My mechanic diagnosed the problem and fixed it. A few miles down the road it came back on. After further diagnostics it was found that the engine wiring harness was bad. The insulation on the wires was flaking off and in one spot the wire bundle covering had melted. Research on line showed that Ford had a recall on this problem (99m03) and extended the recall for 10 years. …”

NHTSA complaint #10519497, filed 2013-06, 80,000 miles

Engine: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
199830%
199721%
199610%
199510%

Other parts of the 1996 Ford Contour

Engine cooling
123 complaints
Electrical system
119 complaints
Transmission and drivetrain
77 complaints
Exterior lighting
64 complaints
Brakes
49 complaints
Equipment
41 complaints
Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
41 complaints
Suspension
38 complaints
Other or unknown
31 complaints
Vehicle speed control
31 complaints
Fuel system
30 complaints
Steering
30 complaints

← All problems reported for the 1996 Ford Contour

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.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology