1998 Ford Contour problems
Owners have filed 1,189 complaints about the 1998 Ford Contour with NHTSA. Engine and engine cooling accounts for 13% of them — narrowly the most common, ahead of power train at 12%.
Complaints1,189
Crashes56
Fires23
Injuries63
Deaths4
What owners report breaking
Engine and engine cooling 13.0% · 154
Power train 12.0% · 143
Electrical system 11.7% · 139
Suspension 9.2% · 109
Air bags 8.5% · 101
Service brakes, hydraulic 7.7% · 92
Fuel system, gasoline 5.7% · 68
Visibility 4.1% · 49
Severity
Of those complaints, 56 describe a crash, 23 describe a fire, 63 report an injury and 4 report a death.
Reading the numbers
Across the 6 model years of the Ford Contour in this data, 1998 ranks 2nd by complaint volume — 1995 draws the most.
Filings are rising — 10 in the last three years against 7 in the three before. For a vehicle this age that usually points to a wear-related failure owners are hitting now.
The median odometer reading at the time of complaint was 80,910 miles.
In owners' own words
When it rains alot serpentine belt skips and I lose steering power. The last time it happened I nearly struck a concrete wall. I called the dealer and the manager played dumb saying that he was not aware of a dealer notice. I checked your web page and there is a service bulletin. I am afraid if this were to happen at speed or on a curve that I or my children could be seriously injured if involved in a crash. Engine and engine cooling
The vehicle stalled intermittently without warning. One day the vehicle stalled 12 times. The engine light has been illuminated since purchased. Nlm the vehicle stalled the second day the consumer ever drove it. The blower on the a/c and heater failed. On one occasion the vehicle wouldn't start. It turned out the problem was with the alarm system. Engine and engine cooling
The contact owns a 1998 Ford Contour. While driving 20 mph, the contact noticed smoke and flames rising from under the hood. The fire destroyed the vehicle. A police report was filed. As of september 18, 2007, the dealer had not inspected the vehicle to determine the cause of the fire. The purchase date was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 75,237. Engine and engine cooling · reported at 75,237 miles
Verbatim from NHTSA filings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.
Safety recalls
Checking NHTSA for open recalls…