Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (seat frames, recliners, heated seats and seat tracks).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1998 Ford Contour owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Back of driver's seat on my 1998 Ford Contour VIN [redacted] broke off evening of 05/05/05 as I was getting out of car. Car has never been in an accident. I feel this is a result of defective design and/or materials, and that Ford should replace free. However, when I contacted their customer relationship center the representative said Ford would not.
Dt: the contact was sitting in the driver seat while the vehicle was parked. The driver seat suddenly fell backwards and the hinge broke. The seat felt lose prior to the failure, but had not been inspected. After inspection the dealership said the breakage was due to fatigue of the seat frame. The entire seat was replaced. Updated 2/21/2006 -
While driving at 20 MPH, a vehicle stopped in front of the consumer's vehicle, causing the consumer to be rearended from behind. The consumer's seat broke in half, causing the consumer to lose contact wiht the pedal. Vehicle ended up hitting another vehicle in front. Consumer received minor injuries. Contacted the dealer.
Consumer's vehicle was at a intersection and another vehicle veered into it. Consumer and his wife was throwen forward. Seat was knocked at a 45degree angle. Seat belt broke and latch failed. Also, the driver's seat and passenger's seat broke. Dealership was aware of the problem. There were miner injuries.
Seatback collapsed due to a rear end collision from another vehicle while sitting still. Speed from other vehicle was 55 MPH. Trunk crumbled, and vehicle had been totaled from the extent of the damage. Driver did sustain a severe head injury.
While driving driver's seatback broke, causing the seat to fall back, and the driver lost control of vehicle. Also engine cut off system malfunctioned, engine did not shut off at the time of the crash. Please provide further information.
Was driving when driver's seat collapsed backwards without warning. This caused driver to contact visibility with road. Lost control of vehicle. Vehicle was declared totaled. Contacted manufacturer & informed someone will get in touch.
The driver's seatback collapsed into the rear seat upon a rear-end collision when I standing still in traffic. The other driver rear-ended my car at approximately 30mph. Significant back and neck injuries resulted.
Driver's seat collapsed into the rear seat upon impact of a rear end collision while travelling approximately 30 MPH. Upon impact, my seat collapsed back, and I had no protection from neck and back injuries.
I own a 1998 Ford Contour se, recently on 10-13-04 I was driving and the back of my seat gave out, causing me to loose temporary control but avoid an accident. Upon closer inspection of the seat, I found the entire right side of the seat was disconnected. The metal had sheared in half, I couldn''t understand how that had happened. The bolt was still intact, the metal had just sheared into top and bottom causing the seat to fall immediately backwards. I sent emails to Ford motor corporation and the dealer I purchased it from brand new, seeing if something could be done to help. So far I have not heard any response and my car is a safety hazard on wheels, with no usable seat belt and no support to drive. I am a recent college grad and can't afford to not work, so I must still drive it everyday.
Seat complaints in other Contour years
Frequently asked questions
How common are seat problems on the 1998 Ford Contour?
NHTSA has 35 complaints about the seats of the 1998 Ford Contour, 4% of the model year's 846 complaints. The component named most often is front assembly › recliner (14 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1998 Ford Contour seat problems?
No. NHTSA lists no seats recall for the 1998 Ford Contour, though it has 9 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1998 Ford Contour seat problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 112,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 10 crashes, 0 fires and 10 injuries to seats problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.