Most common 1997 Ford Contour problems
Share of the 218 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Ford Contour complaints by model year
Best Contour years: 2000, 1997, 1999. Years to avoid: 1995, 1998. Compare all years →
1997 Ford Contour recalls (5)
Electrical system
On certain my 1996-1998 passenger vehicles built at the kansas city, cuautitlan assembly plants or on my 1999 passenger vehcles built at the automotive alliance international assembly plants, the rough surface of the heater blower resistor's stainless steel blades can damage the copper surface of the wiring harness connector.
Remedy: Dealers will install a new heater blower resistor and a new wire jumper harness. Owner notification began August 29, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not…
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles not equipped with the anti-lock braking system (ABS). A pressure conscious reducing valve (pcrv) in the rear brakes May be subject to corrosion and result in malfunction, when operated in areas that use salt compounds on the roadway for de-icing or dust control.
Remedy: Dealers will install improved pcrv's in the rear brake system. This recall was expanded in September 2000 to include 1999 and 2000 Ford contour, Mercury mystique and cougar vehicles.
Exterior lighting › Headlights › Switch
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The terminals at the headlight switch and wiring harness connector can experience heat damage as a result of overheating.
Remedy: Dealers will install a headlamp switch wiring connector containing bronze terminals and an inspection, and replacement if necessary, of the headlamp switch.
Power train › Automatic transmission › Lever and linkage › Floor shift
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The floor shift automatic transmission control can be damaged if subjected to certain interior cleaning products. The gear position indicator can deteriorate and not correctly indicate the actual gear position.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the automatic transmission floor shift control.
Fuel system, other › Storage
Vehicle description: bi-fuel vehicles modified to run on either gasoline or compressed natural gas (cng). The natural gas fuel tanks have a solenoid shut-off valve that stops fuel flow from the fuel tank in the event of certain moderate to severe collisions.
Remedy: Ford has requested owners of these vehicles to have the cng fuel system disabled under a previous recall campaign and to only use gasoline fuel until a permanent corrective action is developed.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 4 possible defects involving the 1997 Ford Contour:
Various intermittent electrical issues
There is no summary currently available
Incorrect gear indication
There is no summary currently available
Blower switch/resistor or wiring harness
There is no summary currently available
Blower switch/resistor or wiring harness
There is no summary currently available
What 1997 Ford Contour owners say
Electrical system all 41 →
Dt: 01s22 Ford recall. Consumer had recall work done . Dealer should have replaced the heater blower switch and a wire jumper harness. Dealer completed work on March 15, 2002. Dealer iwas mike shad Ford in jacksonville, florida. Last Tuesday July 12, 2005 the wire jumper harness caught on fire while consumer was driving vehicle on side street, glenwood ave., at night. Flames shot up from where windshield wipers were located. Flame lasted a couple seconds then were gone. Consumer pulled over, contacted fire department, and had vehicle towed to a dealership. Dealer don jenkins Ford in suquay, north carolina. Consumer contacted insurance company and they said it was a defect so they would not pay. Consumer found on NHTSA website that Ford offered a warranty on this recall of 10 years from original date of sale or 150,000 miles. …
The vehicle caught on fire after being parked for 2 minutes. The local fire department arrived to extinguish the fire. The fire marshall informed the consumer that the cause might have been an electrical short. The dealer was not notified at this time.
Engine & cooling all 37 →
In October 2001 (at 67000 miles), coolant was leaking from the water pump on my 1997 2.5-liter v6 Ford Contour. Water pump was replaced. On June 2002 (at 73000 miles), the water pump started leaking again. Water pump was replaced again. On December 2002 (at 80000 miles), the same thing happened again, I.e. The pump was leaking. Water pump was replaced. On April 2003 (at 85000 miles), the water pump again began to leak from around the same spot (per the service technician). Water pump was replaced. With this latest occurrence the Ford dealership technician (@ century Ford in rockville, md) called Ford hotline with the history of the problems. …
The wiring harness has deteriorated to where the engine runs lean and dies. The check engine light came on while driving. Once home I checked everything I could until the engine compartment cooled then noticed the wiring on the number 1 cylinder. The more I looked I could see all the injector plugs were deteriorated badly with number 4 being worse. Just touching the harness causes the insulation to flake off and bare wires to be exposed. I purchased a code reader to allow proper indications of what codes were indicated when the check engine light illuminated. Now Ford wants me to take the vehicle to a dealer so they can charge me and tell me what I already know and can plainly see!
Transmission & drivetrain all 30 →
Cd4e transmission in 1998 Ford Contour gl (same complaint as the c4de in the Mazda 626). Transmission needed to be rebuilt due to the tss sensor breaking and falling inside the transmission - which stopped the pump and caused vehicle to become inoperable. The sensor is in the driver's side fenderwell, where it is exposed to road hazards and environmental conditions. Not a good design. Furthermore, the repair costs $3000 for a new transmission and all this happened because Ford put the sensor in a position where it can break and cause significant damage. It's a lousy design. The sensor should be somewhere under the hood - not in the fenderwell.
Tl contact owns a 1997 Ford Contour. While attempting to shift gears, the gear indicator displayed an inaccurate reading. The dealer stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign id number 98V233000 (powertrain:automatic transmission:lever and linkage:floor shift). The vehicle has not been repaired. The powertrain was unknown. The failure mileage was 60,000 and current mileage was 78,000. Updated 01/29/08 updated 01/29/08
1997 Ford Contour engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 21 / 30 / 24 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 20 / 29 / 23 |
| 2.5L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 28 / 22 |
| 2.5L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 18 / 27 / 21 |
EPA ratings. Class: Compact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1997 Ford Contour a good car?
Based on 218 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1997 Contour rates better than average: 60% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Contour at the same age. It is one of the best Contour years by this measure. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1997 Ford Contour?
The electrical system — 41 complaints, 19% of all complaints for this model year, most often about wiring › front underhood. Next are the engine & cooling (37) and transmission & drivetrain (30).
How many recalls does the 1997 Ford Contour have?
There are 5 recalls for the 1997 Ford Contour, the most recent from July 9, 2001 (electrical system). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Ford Contour?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2000, 1997 and 1999. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1995 and 1998. See the full Ford Contour years comparison.
At what mileage do 1997 Ford Contour problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 97,000 miles; 6% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.