Most common 1998 Ford Contour problems
Share of the 846 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 →
1998 Ford Contour recalls (9)
Suspension › Front › Springs › Coil springs
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles built at the kansas city assembly plant and originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island,…
Remedy: Dealers will install spring catcher brackets. Owner notification began October 23, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a…
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…
Fuel system, other › Storage › Tank assembly
Vehicle description: bi-fuel vehicles. These vehicles May have a fuel tank filler pipe grommet that could have been damaged during the installation of the bi-fuel system. If the grommet is damaged, fuel could leak. Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel tank filler pipe grommet.
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.
Air bags › Frontal › Sensor/control module-inactive
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The air bag sensor wiring pigtail insulation can become brittle and crack over time due to accumulation of water in the pigtail protective convolute in combination with high underhood temperatures related to the routing of the wiring pigtail near the radiator.
Remedy: Dealers will install air bag sensors with revised wiring insulation. In addition, vehicles which have the air bag warning light illuminated will have a new air bag diagnostic monitor installed.
Vehicle speed control
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The accelerator cable May have been manufactured with a burr on or near the end of the cable sleeve interior. This burr could fray the core wire resulting in the accelerator not returning to idle when the accelerator is released.
Remedy: Dealers will install a revised accelerator cable that has a flared conduit sleeve end and molded on end fitting.
Show 3 more recalls
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.
Exterior lighting › Headlights
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The text and/or graphics for the vehicle headlamp aiming instructions provided in the owner guides are not sufficiently clear. This does not meet the requirements of FMVSS no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."
Remedy: Owner guides containing revised aiming instructions will be mailed to owners of these vehicles.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 7 possible defects involving the 1998 Ford Contour:
Fuel gauge does not read below 1/4
Ford's service bulletin dated December 8, 1997, points out that the fuel gauge will not read above 3/4 tank or below 1/4 tank of fuel.the erroneous fuel gauge reading will indicate significantly more fuel reserve than actually present in the fuel tank.odi has one complaint where the driver alleged that his vehicle ran out of gas due to a false fuel gauge reading.this investigation wasto ascertain facts concerning…
Various intermittent electrical issues
There is no summary currently available
Incorrect gear indication
There is no summary currently available
Fuel expulsion during refueling
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
Fuel expulsion during refueling
There is no summary currently available
What 1998 Ford Contour owners say
Engine & cooling all 135 →
Tl 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.
Smoke then flames came from the engine compartment and within 5 minutes of parking in the garage. The fire department extinguished the fire, and indicated that the fire occurred because of an electrical system failure.
Electrical system all 130 →
1.ABS brake fuse and blower motor fuse are one and the same, darn cold in minnesota, and hard to get too to replace. Must pull out battery first. To replace the hydraulic pump for ABS brakes to fix problem...$3000.00, more than the car is worth for trade in or resale value. I found this out after hitting a deer on nov. 26 2004. And does not include cosmetic damage. Air bags did not deploy either. 2.front and back window molding is shrinking and forcing windows out, very drafty. 3.shift module failed, took to Ford dealer to replace, when replaced the dash board started smoking. The neighbor module burnt up, and all the dash board wiring. Total cost to repair $1200.00, but the dealership took off $200.00 of the labor costs. 4. I called Ford on several different occasions to complain. They will not stand behind their product. …
Tl contact owns a 1998 Ford Contour. Open electrical circuits and melted housing materials were found under the hood of the vehicle. The contact notified Ford who stated that her VIN was not included in recall # 01V230000 (electrical system). Ford stated that nothing could be done. The dealer stated that the repair was never previously performed. The current and failure mileages were 115,000.
Transmission & drivetrain all 128 →
Was driving down route 322 on day and had to hit the break and all of a sudden they went to the floor. I pulled over and checked my break fluid resivour and it was empty. I think the passenger side drum break is leaking fluid.
My daughter drove my 1998 6 cyl Contour automatic on route 95 from stoneham to wakefield, ma (one highway exit). The car was behaving normally and had behaved normally until that point. A servo cover fell off of the transmission. That allowed all of the transmission fluid to pour out of the transmission in seconds. The servo cover, a three inch diameter piece of heavy metal shaped like a frisbee, nearly hit a motor cyclist. The car coasted to a stop near 128 Ford of wakefield, ma. Their service writer, ludlow, told me that this is a relatively common occurrence with the Ford Contour. That opinion was reinforced by two employees of fna transmission repair of wakefield. I called Ford. I was told that they have no knowledge of this ever happening to a Contour. I asked the customer service rep to file a report, and I told him that I would as well. …
1998 Ford Contour engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 21 / 32 / 25 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 21 / 30 / 24 |
| 2.5L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 28 / 22 |
| 2.5L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 17 / 26 / 21 |
EPA ratings. Class: Compact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1998 Ford Contour a good car?
Based on 846 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1998 Contour rates avoid: 2.0× as many complaints as a typical year of the Contour at the same age. It is one of the Contour years we suggest avoiding. 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 1998 Ford Contour?
The engine & cooling — 135 complaints, 16% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine › gasoline. Next are the electrical system (130) and transmission & drivetrain (128).
How many recalls does the 1998 Ford Contour have?
There are 9 recalls for the 1998 Ford Contour, the most recent from August 8, 2001 (coil springs). 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 1998 Ford Contour problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 85,000 miles; 17% 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.