Owner-reported complaints naming the body or structure system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 Ford Contour submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 18 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
DRIVERS SIDE DOOR WINDOW CRANK SHAFT (MANUAL WINDOW) SNAPPED OFF CLEAN INSIDE REGULATOR LEAVING WINDOW UTTERLY INOPERABLE. THIS HAPPENED DURING NORMAL OPERATION OF WINDOW DURING NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS AND WARM WEATHER. DEALER CLAIMED "IT HAPPENS A LOT". VERY DANGEROUS IF VEHICLE WAS IN A FIRE, ACCIDENT, SUBMERGED IN WATER ETC. *JB
MY DASH ON MY 98 CONTOUR HAS BEEN WARPING / CURLING , EVEN WHILE IT KEPT IN MY GARAGE , IN A COOL CLIMATE . ALSO MY REAR BUMPER IS SAGGING FOR NO APPARENT REASON . *JB
MY 1998 CONTOUR IS AT 128,225 MILES. THE PROBLEMS THAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED WITH THE CAR ARE THE FOLLOWING: -THE HEADLIGHTS GO OUT OF AIM AND MOISTURE COLLECTS IN THE HEADLAMP AND WHEN THE MOISTURE DRIES IT LEAVES A FILM ON THE INSIDE OF THE LENS. THE BRIGHTNESS OF THE HEADLIGHTS IS TERRIBLE. I CAN BARELY SEE AT NIGHT EVEN WHEN IT IS A CLEAR NIGHT. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL NEAR MISSES. I ALMOST HIT A MAN ON A BICYCLE THE OTHER NIGHT. HE HAD REFLECTORS ON HIS BIKE BUT I DIDN'T SEE HIM TILL I WAS RIGHT UP BEHIND HIM. I HAVEN'T HAD THIS FIXED BECAUSE I CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY TWO FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR A NEW PAIR OF HEADLAMPS. I HAVE BEEN ACTUALLY LOOKING IN SALVAGE YARDS. -ANOTHER THING IS THE TRANSMISSION. IT SHIFTS OUT HARD BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND GEARS. NOW IT JERKS WHEN I GO UP HILLS OR WHEN I LET OFF OF THE GAS PEDAL. I FIGURE IF I TAKE IT TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP THEY WILL TELL ME THAT I HAVE TO REPLACE IT. -THE NEXT THING IS THE DRIVERS SEAT. THE SEAT TRACK ITSELF HAS RUST ON SOME OF THE PARTS. THE DRIVER SEAT IS THE ONLY ONE WITH THE RUST PROBLEM. WHEN YOU SIT IN THE SEAT IT ROCKS SIDE TO SIDE (FROM DOOR TO CENTER CONSOLE). THIS SCARES ME BECAUSE I READ SOMEONE ELSE'S COMPLAINT AND HE SAID HE WAS HIT FROM BEHIND AND THE SEAT AND THE TRACK ITSELF BROKE ON HIM.
THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON 6/17/2003 FOR RECALL# 01V255000 SUBJECT: FRONT COIL SPRING CORROSION. ON 7/8/2003 THE VEHICLE HIT A POTHOLE. THE SHIELD THAT WAS INSTALLED DUE TO THE RECALL WENT DOWN ONTO THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED BUT REFUSED TO MAKE ANY REPAIRS. *PH
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE POPPED OUT OF GEAR AND WENT INTO NEUTRAL WHILE MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN, CONSUMER ALSO STATES THAT THERE ARE INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS WITH GETTING VEHICLE INTO GEAR, VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SHIFT AND CLUTCH PROBLEMS. *SLC
DOOR LOCKING MECHANISM SHORTS OUT CAUSING THE DOORS TO LOCK WHEN EXITING THE VEHICLE WITH THE MOTOR RUNNING. *TT
WHILE DRIVING THROUGH A PUDDLE AND TURNING A CORNER, WATER WAS SPRAYED INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND DISABLED THE POWER STEERING. LUCKILY THERE WAS NO ONE AT THE CORNER OR I WOULD HAVE HIT THEM, WITH THE SUDDEN LOSS OF STEERING. FORD HAS A TSB, BUT THIS IS A LIFE-SAFETY ISSUE.
TRANSMISSION HAS A DEFECT, THERE IS A SLIP WHEN YOU APPLYING GEARS. ALSO, BRAKE PEDAL GOES ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FLOOR, AND GRABS A LITTLE BIT. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM. BRAKES HAVE FAILED, ON ONE OCCASION CONSUMER ALMOST HIT A CHILD, BRAKE PEDAL SLIPS FROM UNDER FOOT. EMERGENCY BRAKE IS ONLY EFFECTIVE 50 PERCENT OF THE TIME. TRANSMISSION INTERMITTENTLY CHANGES GEARS ROUGHLY, AT TIMES JARRING OCCUPANTS IN THE VEHICLE. POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL PROBLEM: LIGHT OF THE CLOCK HAS BURNED OUT TWICE, CONSUMER STATES THERE ARE SHORTS IN THE DASHBOARD, CAUSING THE HEATER OR A/C TO ONLY HAVE ONE SPEED WORKING, DOME LIGHTS WORK INTERMITTENTLY, LIGHT UNDER DASH WORKS INTERMITTENTLY, WARNING BELL DOES NOT CHIME ALL THE TIMES IT SHOULD, CONSUMER STATES A SENSOR CAUSES HEATER TO ACT AS THE AC AND VICE VERSA. HINGES NOT MADE PROPERLY, CAUSING DOOR MOVEMENT WHILE OPENING/CLOSING, DOES NOT STOP WHEN IT SHOULD. SEAT BLET RETARCTION DOES NOT HAVE ENOUGH ELAST, CAUSING IT NOT TO RETRACT PROPERLY, HAS GOTTEN CAUGHT IN THE DOOR JAM. ALARM SYSTEM HAS FAILED. WHEEL COVER CRACKED WHEN A TIRE WAS BEING CHANGED AND ANOTHER ONE FELL OFF, CONSUMER WAS NOT AWARE OF THE TIME OR PLACE IT FELL OFF. *SLC
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
TEMPERATURE GAUGE CONSTANTLY RUNS ON HIGH, CONSUMER NEVER KNOWS IF VEHICLE IS OVERHEATING OR NOT. *SLC
THE INTERIOR DOME LIGHT & COVER FELL DOWN WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. *AK FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR NEVER FITTED PROPERLY. *YH
THE DEALERSHIP HAD INSTALLED AN AFTERMARKET REAR SPOILER ON THE VEHICLE WITHOUT DISCLOSING THIS INFORMATION. AFTER HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE THIRD BRAKE LIGHT IN THE SPOILER IN LEARNED IT WAS NOT A FACTORY PART. THE DEALERSHIP STATED TO ME THAT IT WAS FACTORY. I WAS NOT ABLE TO GET THE PART REPLACED UNTIL I CALLED FORD DIRECTLY AND THREATENED TO SUE THE DEALERSHIP FOR FRAUD. *AK
GAS TANK FLAPPER FILLER TUBE OVERFLOWED. NLM
THERE IS A SHORT WITHIN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, CAUSING THE HORN, BRINKER'S AND BRAKE LIGHT'S NOT TO WORK. ALSO, ALL THE RUBBER HAS FALLEN OFF THE DOOR PANEL, AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE SHOULDER BELT DOESN'T RETRACT. *AK
DESIGN OF THE STRUCTURE CAUSING EXCESSIVE WIND NOISE. MJS
SUBFRAME OUT OF ALIGNMENT CAUSING VEHICLE TO PULL RIGHT WHILE DRIVING. NLM
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON.
WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT THERE ISN'T ANY LIGHT IN THE INSIDE FOR THE CONSUMER TO BE ABLE TO USE THE SUN ROOF, AND THE CONSUMER STATES THAT IS A SAFETY DEFECT. *AK
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 .