Owner-reported complaints naming the suspension system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1996 Ford Contour submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 38 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 38, in the owner's own words
MY CAR WAS RECALLED IN 2001. THE PAST 6 MO MY ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SMELLS LIKE ITS BURNING OR SOMETHING MELTING. ALMOST LIKE ITS GOING TO CATCH ON FIRE
CORROSION UNDER THE CAR (POLICE INCEPTOR ). CAR WAS PURCHASE FROM A LOCAL DEALER IN BAMBERG, SC THAT SELL MANY CROWN VICTORIAS. HE INDICATED MY CAR CAME FROM UP NORTH, PENNSYLVANIA. *TR
I PRINTED OUT ALL OF THE RECALLS ON 1996, FORD CONTOUR BUT WHEN I WENT TO THE FORD PLACE THEY SAID THE RECALLS ARE NOT ON MY PARTICULAR CAR. SO IS THAT SO? THAT CARS ARE MADE IN BATCHES AND ONLY CERTAIN BATCHES ARE RECALLED. I HAVE A 1996 FORD CONTOUR, 4 CYLINDER MOTOR. THAT DOES HAVE ALL OF THE PROBLEMS ON THE RECALL LIST FOR MY CAR. *TR
I WAS INFORMED BOTH REAR SPRINGS HAD CRACKED AND IT WAS A POTENTIAL SAFTEY HAZZARD. TIRES PLUS SAID IT IS POSSIABLE FOR THE SPRING ENDS TO PUNCTURE THE TIRES. *JB
CONSUMER HAS HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THE 1996 FORD CONTOUR.*MR THERE HAS BEEN SO MANY RECALLS ON CONSUMER'S VEHICLE THAT SHE WASN'T AWARE OF BECAUSE THE MANUFACTURER NEVER SENT NOTICES. SINCE THEN CONSUMER HAS BEEN PAYING FOR ENTIRE FULL PRICE AND IS ASKING FOR REIMBURSEMENT. HOWEVER, THE BIGGEST PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE IS THE GAS FUMES WHICH IS LEAKING THEREFORE LEAVING POISONOUS CARBON MONOXIDE FUMES COMING IN THROUGH THE HEATER VENTS. THESE HARSH CHEMICALS ARE DAMAGING TO THE LUNGS, BRAIN, RESPIRATORY SYSTEM AND ITS MAKING CONSUMER VERY TIRED AMONG OTHER SYMPTOMS. *TT
I HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR EVERYTIME I DROVE OVER ANY SURFACE THAT WAS NOT FLAT. WITHOUT TAKING THE CAR APART A MECHANIC TOLD ME IT WAS POSSIBLY THE STRUTS THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IT TURNS OUT THAT THE RIGHT FRONT COIL SPRING WAS BROKEN AND I WAS TOLD THAT FORD WOULD HAVE TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM AND THIS WAS NOT NORMAL. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE FORD REPAIR SHOP AND THEY REPLACED BOTH FRONT COIL SPRINGS FOR $632.00. I WAS LATER TOLD THAT THEIR WAS A PROGRAM TO REPLACE DEFECTIVE COIL SPRINGS FOR FREE BUT IT ENDED MONTHS BEFORE MY COIL SPRINGS HAD BROKEN
BROKEN REAR COIL SPRINGS. *AK
PROBLEMS WITH 1996 FORD CONTOUR FRONT BRAKES, TRANSMISSION, FUSE BOX, HEATER BLOWER MOTOR, ELECTRICAL AND STEERING AND SUSPENSION. *MR FOR THE SECOND TIME, THE VEHICLE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES MAKING A LOUD RUBBING SOUND, THE STABILIZER BAR WAS REPLACED AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. THE TRANSMISSION WAS LEAKING, WATER WAS INSIDE OF THE HEADLIGHT SEALS, WHICH MADE THE LIGHTS VERY DIM, THE SELECTOR MODE SWITCH ON THE HEATER MOTOR BLOWER DID NOT WORK PROPERLY, WHICH MADE THE HEAT NOT WORK AT A 100%. THE UPPER BALL JOINTS, RACK AND PINION AND WHEEL BEARING WERE ALL DEFECTIVE. *JB *NM
HAD RECEIVED SEVERAL RECALLS ON VEHICLE SPRINGS, RECALL 01V230000, AND HEATER BLOWER SENSOR, RECALL 01I009000. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP'S MECHANIC SEVERAL TIMES TO HAVE REPAIRS DONE, EVEN LEFT VEHICLE WITH MECHANIC. RECEIVED CALL TO PICK UP VEHICLE, AND ALSO INFORMED NONE OF THE RECALLS WERE EVER REPAIRED. MECHANIC REFUSED TO COMPLETE THE RECALL REPAIRS. BRAMVIEW FORD; QUEEN ST; BRAMPTON ONTARIO CANADA; 9054511041. *AK
THE PARKING BRAKE WOULDN'T RELEASE. WE TOWED THE CAR TO MIDAS. THE INSPECTION IDENTIFIED NORMAL BRAKE WEAR, BUT ALSO SERIOUS FRONT END DEFICIENCIES. THE MANAGER TOLD US BOTH FRONT COIL SPRINGS WERE BROKEN AND HAD BEEN BROKEN FOR SOME TIME, CAUSING ONE STRUT TO BEND. HE SAID HAD THE SECOND STRUT BENT OR BROKE, THE CAR BODY WOULD HAVE DROPPED DOWN ONTO THE TIRES. HE SAID THE CAR WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. *NLM
THIS CAR IS A LEMON - IT IS NOT SAFE. *AK
VEHICLE CONSTANTLY VIBRATED, WHEN COMING TO A STOP IT VIBRATED SO HARD AS IF IT WAS GOING THROW CONSUMER OUT OF THE CAR. MECHANIC INDICATED THIS WAS THE WAY VEHICLE WAS OPERATING. *AK
MY 1996 CONTOUR HAS LITERALLY BROKEN DOWN. I HAVE 99,000 MILES AND HAVE COMPLETELY REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION, THE FRONT SUSPENSION SYSTEM, AND THE CAR STILL IS NOT DEPENDABLE, AND THE SAME PROBLEMS RE-OCCUR. I HPAY MORE IN REPAIRS THAN I DO FOR MY MONTHLY PAYMENT.
WAS DRIVING 20MPH WHEN FRONT END BROKE LOOSE. STRUTS HAD BROKEN. VEHCLE HIT GROUND, ANDTHEN WAS THROWN ACROSS 2 LANES OF TRAFFIC. IT FINALLY HIT A PARKED VEHICLE. NO INJURIES. *AK
CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY A MECHANIC THAT STABALIZER BAR WAS BROKEN WHEN SHE TOOK VEHICLE INTO DEALER TO HAVE HAVE A REALIGNMENT. THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES. CONSUMER WAS CHARGED A TOTAL OF $463.26 TO HAVE THIS DEFECT REPAIRED. *AK *JB
SPRINGS ARE BROKEN AT THE DRIVER SIDE AND MAKING CLICKING NOISE . MECHANIC ( MIDAS SHOP) TOLD ME THAT THIS IS A CLASSIC PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL OF CARS DUE TO BAD DESIGN FOR THESE CARS TO BREAK VERY EASY MOSTLY ON THE LEFT SIDE.*AK
SPRINGS IN FRONT BROKE, AND THEN VEHICLE STARTED TO VEER LEFT TO RIGHT. ALSO, STRUTS WERE DAMAGED. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF IT. *AK
1. STERRING IS VIBRATING PRIMARILY WHEN THE A/C IS ON, 2.IN HOT WEATHER, VEHICLE WILL STALL WHILE IDLING OR AT A STOP.*AK
VEHICLE HAS A CRACK IN TRANSMISSION HOUSING.*AK CONSUMER STATES WHILE MECHANIC WAS PERFORMING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE HE OBSERVED A CRACK IN THE BOTTOME OF THE TRANSMISSION HOUSING, SINCE NO TRANSMISSION WORK HAS EVER BEEN PERFORMED UNDER CONSUMER'S OWNERSHIP ROUGHLY SINCE 41,000 MILES IN THE MECHANIC'S OPINION THAT EITHER THE TRANSMISSION HOUSING WAS CRACKED WHEN INSTALLED OR ANOTHER TRANSMISSION WAS PUT IN RESULTING IN A CRACKED HOUSING, HE ALSO OBSERVED WHAT MIGHT BE BAD FRONT COIL SPRINGS, THEY ARE MAKING A RUBBING NOSIE ON AN UNEVEN SURFACE OR IN A SHARP TURN TO THE RIGHT,CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED MANUFACTURER THEY HAVE CALLED HER CONSUMER BACK BUT THEY HAVE TURNED THE COMPLAINT INTO A FEEDBACK REPORT CONSUMER HAS ALSO HAD ROTORS TURNED AND SERVICED TWICE.*JB
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE MAKES A WHINNING SOUND, AND LOSES POWER. DEALR HAS BEEN CONTACTED.*AK
LOUD HUMMING NOISE AND VIBRATION DURING RIGHT TURN. TAKEN TO DEALER AND REPAIRED AT MY COST PRIOR TO COMPLETE FAILURE. *AK
THE AIR ONLY COMES OUT OF THE DEFROST. *SLC
WINDOW STUCK DOWN, AND STRUTS NEEDED.....4 YEARS OLD???
WHILE DRIVING EXTREME VIBRATION OCCURRED WITHIN THE STEERING COLUMN. ALSO, ENGINE IDLED VERY FAST, AND THE VEHICLE JERKED., DEALER STATED THAT THIS WAS A NORMAL CONDITION. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
CONSUMER BOUGHT VEHICLE IN SEPTEMBER. SHE WENT OUTSIDE THAT MORNING TO START IT UP HER VEHICLE AND SHE NOTICED A KNOCKING NOISE COMMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. THE DEALER REPLACED STARTER AND WATER PUMP BUT PROBLEM STILL EXIST.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .