Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1999 Ford Contour owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I was never notified of any recalls. I have had to pay out of pocket expenses lost control of vehicle replaced starter and brakes several times feels like suspension is falling apart and never notified I have small and older children shameful. These events starting taking place when I purchased the vehicle in 1999 arm control 3 times replaced I was lied to by Ford and said I must of hit a bump bump my bump 3 times almost dead.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 Ford Contour. While driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle started to wobble. The contact noticed that the rear frame was rusted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 110,000.
Rear frame, suspension rusted completely into an went out of control and threw me into ditch. This is completely not acceptable. I have 1960's cars %100 better than this . I know this is a 1999 but this is completely unacceptable. Can anything be done.
I received a letter from Ford in August 2001 that stated the following "the cover of the instrument panel has warped....at no cost to you, your dealership will evaluate this condition and repair as required. This program will be in effect until August 31, 2002, regardless of mileage." the dealership evaluated my car in late 2001 and stated that a repair was not necessary. However, by the summer of 2004, the warping has become so bad that the defroster grill bezel can no longer be retained by the instrument panel. Engineers at my company (which make instrument panels) stated that the warping creates a safety concern as the airbag deployment May be affected. Ford now refuses to repair the vehicle at their cost. …
In July 2002, I purchased a 1999 Ford Contour from a Ford dealer. The vehicle was a Ford certified pre-owned vehicle. Within six months of the purchase, the dash began to warp causing the defrost vent cover to pop out and not fit correctly. The Ford dealer never made me aware of a Ford customer satisfaction program (#01b78). Also, I never received any notification from Ford. Over the past four years the dash has continued to warp badly. The warping has become so bad it could interfere with the operation of the passenger airbag. Also, part of the dash is covering the defrost vent. I think Ford needs to re-open the offer to repair this defect for safety reason. I agree with the petitioner in NHTSA action number dp06004, that ". . . …
1. Dash warp causes visibility problems, defroster malfunction, loose trim 2. With the dash warp the vent trim is continually popping out . There has been no accident or incident but in the event of an accident I don't want the vent trim popping out and preventing airbag deployment or causing any further harm to me or my family. There have been repeated incidents of defroster causing visibility problems because of the vent trim not properly dispersing air. The vent trim was placed loosely onto the dash so the defroster would still be usable, but the warped dash prevents it from being properly secured. A new vent trim will not fix this problem. There was an old recall which included a 'repair kit', but it has expired. I would like to see the recall re-instated.
The dash board on my 1999 Contour has curled back and the vent mechanism has come out. Now, the defroster is obstructed and does not defrost my windshield properly. My windshield has now cracked. The dealer said this was the subject of a recall, but the recall is now "expired".other problems with the car: the radio speakers have failed. The driver's side were replace under my warranty, but now that I am out of the warranty, the passenger side speakers are shot; the dome light does not turn on when I open the driver's door but it does when the other doors are opened; my blower motor stopped working and I had to have it replaced, and it now smells like it is burning when I use it.
1999 Ford Contour se sport dashboard peeling. My dashboard started to peel away at approx 60,000 miles. I now have 80,000 miles on my car. I did not receive notice of a recall on this matter, which was apparently a secret. I have owned 3 fords and will never buy another due to the lax customer service and failure to take responsibility for product failure. I have also had all the head gaskets replaced (I am 60 and hardly hot rodding), rear struts and something related to a loud humming sound under the hood that was essential for the car to remain in working order and problems with the key sticking in the ignition and also a fuel pump.
Dash board on my 1999 Ford Contour's is curling up so bad, defrost air across the wind shield is blocked not clearing fog/frost on wind shield creating a safety hazard. Also the blower fan only runs on high speed. I contacted my local dealer vollman Ford of portland, mi. Where I purchased the vehicle and spent over a $ 1000.00 extra dollars for a the Ford extended warranty plan ESP, and they said that they and Ford would not cover it under warranty and there is no recall on these items. That is strange because I have read multiple complaints on various sites from Contour owners experiencing the same problems.
The dashboard windshield air/defrosting vent cover below the windshield popped off and the dashboard padding has pealed up blocking windshield/forward visibility. This has caused the vehicle to fail the virginia safety inspection. All remedies we have tried have only seem to provide temporary relief. I have pictures. I have talked to several other Contour owners who have the same problems and I have seen contours in parking lots with similar conditions. Additionally, I was told this was identified in a past safety recall. This is a safety hazard resulting from defective materials and poor design.
NHTSA investigations
Instrument panel cover warpage
The agency has denied a petition requesting an investigation of instrument panel warpage for the subject vehicles. The notice of denial was published in the federal register, volume 72, number 67, on Monday, April 9, 2007, pages 17605 and 17606.see document search for details.
Body complaints in other Contour years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 1999 Ford Contour?
NHTSA has 93 complaints about the body & structure of the 1999 Ford Contour, 22% of the model year's 419 complaints. The component named most often is body (8 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Ford Contour body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 1999 Ford Contour, though it has 3 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 1999 Ford Contour body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 50,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 6 injuries to body & structure 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.