What breaks most · 1993 to 2001 model years
Ford Contour problems by year
Owners have filed 3,154 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Ford Contour across model years 1993 to 2001. Three years stand out: 1995 for engine and cooling complaints, 1998 for engine and cooling complaints and 1996 for engine and cooling complaints. The quietest years are 1993, 1994 and 1997.
- Years to check closely: 1995, 1998, 1996
- Fewest complaints: 1993, 1994, 1997
- Complaints on file
- 31541993 to 2001, all trims
- Worst year
- 1995891 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 171130 fires · 183 injuries · 15 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 78kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 55Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 | Brakes (hydraulic) (2) | |
| 12 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (4) | |
| 891 | 39 | 12 | Engine and cooling (224) | |
| 563 | 35 | 11 | Engine and cooling (123) | |
| 218 | 11 | 8 | Electrical system (41) | |
| 846 | 50 | 12 | Engine and cooling (132) | |
| 419 | 28 | 5 | Body and structure (93) | |
| 199 | 8 | 7 | Body and structure (79) | |
| 4 | 0 | 0 | Body and structure (2) |
What fails on the 1995 Ford Contour
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 25% |
224 | 2 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 1995 Ford Contour |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 20% |
180 | 1 | Shop electrical system parts for the 1995 Ford Contour |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 14% |
126 | 1 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 9% |
83 | 0 | Shop suspension parts for the 1995 Ford Contour |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 9% |
83 | 2 | Shop fuel system parts for the 1995 Ford Contour |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 9% |
76 | 1 | Shop steering parts for the 1995 Ford Contour |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 8% |
72 | 6 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 1995 Ford Contour |
| Air bags | 5% |
44 | 21 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Fan motor on the engine cooling system failed to come on its on. Smoke was coming from underneath the vehicle. Consumer took vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that the recall 00v367000 for the fan blower expired for this vehicle. *ak
-
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 55 mph, the temperature gauge became inoperable. The vehicle was driven to the dealer who replaced a sensor. *ak
-
I bought a 1996 FORD contour se in june of 2003.i have since replaced the water pump 4 times.i bought the car from a man who blew the engine becuase the water pump went and he let the car over heat.i have replaced it in oct.2003,february 2004,june 2004,and dec.2004.it is really started to become a burden.*ak
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Ford Contour years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 1995, 1998, 1996 carry the most filings on the Ford Contour. The 1995 alone has 891 complaints, led by engine and cooling.
What is the most common Ford Contour problem?
On the 1995 model year, the most-reported component is engine and cooling with 224 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Ford Contour problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Ford Contour complaints that include mileage is about 78,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.