Most common 2000 Ford Contour problems
Share of the 199 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 →
2000 Ford Contour recalls (5)
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Master cylinder
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles built with an incorrect power brake booster and master cylinder assembly.
Remedy: Dealers will install the correct contour brake booster and master cylinder in each of these vehicles. Owner notification began January 28, 2002.
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.
Seat belts
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles, light duty trucks, sport utility vehicles, and Mini vans equipped with trw seat belt buckle assemblies. The buckle base of these seat belt assemblies were not properly heat treated and therefore do not pass the load bearing requirement of federal motor vehicle safety standard no.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the date code on certain seat belt buckles of your vehicle and replace all seat belt buckles that fall within the suspect date code range. Owner notification began October 26, 2000.
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.
Equipment › Other › Labels
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. An incorrect label was installed on the driver side rear door. This label contains instructions for the activation of the childproof safety locks.
Remedy: Owners will be provided with a replacement label and installation instructions.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2000 Ford Contour:
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.
What 2000 Ford Contour owners say
Body & structure all 79 →
I had just got on interstate when my car started cutting out. I immediately put my flashers on & tried to get in the left lane so I could get on shoulder of interstate but cars would not allow me to get over. My car died in middle of interstate. I called asap (a service in alabama for help on the interstate) & told them where I was & I needed them to bring me some gas. Then a car came flying up behind me but was able to stop & did not hit me. Then the car behind him had stopped but a truck behind her was not able to stop. He hit her, she hit the man behind me and he hit me. Paramedics were called for a 4 year old in the womans car who said his head hurt. I could have been killed if the car behind me had hit me and turned my car sideways & was hit on the side by another car, because everyone was driving way too fast and did not acknowledge my flashers at all. …
The vinyl covering on the dashboard is peeling away from the underlying structure. It has, over a period of about 5 months, peeled back far enough that it obstructs the view out of the windshield. The windshield defrost vent trim no longer fits into place. The defroster no longer works properly, as the vinyl now obstructs the air flow. The vinyl is also in such a position as to potentially impede the functon of the passenger-side airbag. Ford has issued a couple of 'campaigns', as they call it, but both have expired. My dash was not warped during the period of the campaign, and so was not replaced at that time. Since the extended warranty does not cover the dash, Ford will not cover the full cost of the replacement (~$1200). The dash on a 3.5 year car should not warp so badly it looks like a pringles chip. …
Fuel & propulsion system all 38 →
This complaint is to replace previous complaint #10023062. I am sorry for the inconvenience, I feel that I May have left out pertinent information. My vehicle was leaking fuel from the fuel tank pipe grommet. I took my vehicle to another auto repair service rather than the dealer where I had bought it. This auto repair service informed me of recall 00V350000. I then took the vehicle to the dealer where I bought the vehicle from. I had told them about the recall that I had learned about. They informed me that this recall was not for my particular vehicle. I understand that the dealership does not have my particular vehicle on recall for this problem. However, it seems a big coincidence that some other 2000 Ford Contour vehicles do and I have the same problem, yet my vehicle is not on the recall list. Maybe there are more that do need to be recalled? …
The car hesitates, stalls, loses power, surges, etc. While accelerating onto the freeway, going up hills, turning onto a highway etc. We've been lucky that it has only happened when we had a shoulder to coast on to. We could have easily been rear-ended by other vehichles in traffic. This has happened several times : at first it only happened when the gas tank was less than 1/4 full, then at 1/2 tank, now 3/4 full. We try to keep the tank full. NHTSA has a recall id # 04V421000 for the 1999 and later Mercury cougar that has the identical fuel delivery module as the 2000 Ford Contour (v-6). This recall should be expanded to include Ford Contour and Mercury mystique v-6 models at the very least. NHTSA has also recalled the 2000 Ford focus with similar fdm design defects and performance problems
A/C & heater
The vinyl covering on the dashboard is peeling away from the underlying structure. It has, over a period of about 5 months, peeled back far enough that it obstructs the view out of the windshield. The windshield defrost vent trim no longer fits into place. The defroster no longer works properly, as the vinyl now obstructs the air flow. The vinyl is also in such a position as to potentially impede the functon of the passenger-side airbag. Ford has issued a couple of 'campaigns', as they call it, but both have expired. My dash was not warped during the period of the campaign, and so was not replaced at that time. Since the extended warranty does not cover the dash, Ford will not cover the full cost of the replacement (~$1200). The dash on a 3.5 year car should not warp so badly it looks like a pringles chip. …
The leading edge of the dashboard (portion nearest the windshield) has "warped" upward severely (6+ inches!). It now presses against the windshield, preventing the defroster from functioning properly at all. This is a safety hazard especially during winter months. It is unknown if this dashboard warpage would interfere with airbag deployment. There was a customer satisfaction program by Ford to correct the issue, but this program terminated in 2002, and this warpage commonly does not/did not occur until well after the program ended.
2000 Ford Contour engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 21 / 31 / 25 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 19 / 28 / 23 |
| 2.5L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 26 / 21 |
| 2.5L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 18 / 27 / 21 |
EPA ratings. Class: Compact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2000 Ford Contour a good car?
Based on 199 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2000 Contour rates better than average: 63% 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 2000 Ford Contour?
The body & structure — 79 complaints, 40% of all complaints for this model year, most often about body › door. Next are the fuel & propulsion system (38) and a/c & heater (17).
How many recalls does the 2000 Ford Contour have?
There are 5 recalls for the 2000 Ford Contour, the most recent from February 14, 2001 (master cylinder). 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 2000 Ford Contour problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 55,000 miles; 42% 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.