Seat complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (seat frames, recliners, heated seats and seat tracks).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
2000 Ford Contour se sport automatic, 64,200 miles. My pregnant wife and I were rear ended by a man in a Ford cargo van doing about 40 MPH, not paying attention. Conditions were sunny and warm, about 1:15 pm. I was the driver and was at a complete stop, waiting for a Ford taurus in front of me to turn left onto a side street. During the collision the front driver and passenger seats broke into a reclined position (we both ended up looking at the roof because of the seat position) which would have crushed the legs of rear seat passengers. The front passenger seat belt became unbuckled as well. I was pushed into the taurus but the air bags did not deploy. Vehicle was a total loss.
Driver's seat is loose, affecting driver control of car. Additionally, loose seat also presents safety hazard in event of a crash. Two dealers acknowledge problem but both were unwilling to fix. They justified their refusal to fix by suggesting the need for a recall since "all contours have the same problem". One dealer even used the term defect to describe the problem.
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 -
Seat moves/rocks back and forth. Shifts left and right during vehicle turns and stops. Disconcerting during driving; weakens precision of vehicle control. Concerned about future continued degradation of seat track.
Seat track problem: seat track "pops" and moves during cornering, which directly affects driver's position and steering; can cause unintentional swerving while cornering; seat track has been replaced 3 times and each replacement has failed. Ford has not.
The driver's seat is not firmly attached to the floor of the vehicle. Thus, the seatback rocks slightly from side to side during cornering, and from front to back during acceleration and braking. The local Ford dealer told me that this problem is common, and cannot be cured. Specifically, the service advisor told me that certain 'rivets' or metal flanges in the seat track stretch over time and cause the loose feeling of the seat back. Replacing the seat rails does no good, as the new parts are of the same design, and eventually begin to fail like the OEM parts. This malfunction of the seat is a serious safety concern to me. Having the seatback dislodged during normal driving could cause an accident. What's worse would be a seatback failure during an accident, possibly allowing me to be ejected from the vehicle. …
Driver was at traffic tie u when a vehicle struck the driver from behind, the truck was moving at a hight rate of speed, pushed the driver into a van that was stopped in front and into the center cement divide. Driver's side seatback fell into a semi-recline position and the seat slid back, airbag did not deploy, the seat falling back caused the driver's lumbar spine to be injured.
Frequently asked questions
Which Ford Contour years have seat problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1998 (35), 1995 (13) and 2000 (5) model years. Seat complaints make up 4% of all complaints for the 1998.
Is there a recall for Ford Contour seat problems?
No. NHTSA lists no seats recall for any Ford Contour model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Ford Contour seat problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 100,000 miles; 0% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the front assembly › recliner (22 mentions), followed by the front assembly › head restraint (3).
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.