1996 Ford Contour Recalls, Complaints & Specs
8 safety recalls list the 1996 Ford Contour, and owners have filed 563 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
8 safety recalls for the 1996 Ford Contour
Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.
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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. The damage…
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…
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Engine and engine cooling
Vehicle description: 1995 passenger vehicles equipped with the 2.0l and 2.5l engines, and 1996 vehicles equipped with 2.5l engines. Tightening of the engine cooling fan motor bearings, up to and including motor stall, can result in increased motor torque and higher than normal motor current and accompanying high motor temperatures.
Remedy: Dealers will install a positive temperature coefficient device in-line with each fan motor. Ford will also extend the warranty on the engine cooling fan assembly to a total of 8 years of service or 100,000 miles from…
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Foundation components (service brakes)
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.
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Filler pipe and cap (fuel system)
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The fuel filler pipe vent hose may have less than the intended level of ozone resistance, which could result in the hose becoming brittle and cracking.
Remedy: Dealers will install a fuel filler vent hose contacting the appropriate blend of pvc and nitrile rubber.
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Switch (exterior lighting)
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.
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Floor shift (power train)
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.
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Cables (vehicle speed control)
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with the traction control option. The throttle cables were damaged during vehicle assembly leading to fraying or separation of the throttle cable.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the throttle cable with a revised design that is less susceptible to bending or kinking during installation.
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Storage (fuel system)
Vehicle description: bi-fuel vehicles modified to run on either gasoline or compressed natural gas (cng). The natural gas fuel tanks have a solenoid shut-off valve that stops fuel flow from the fuel tank in the event of certain moderate to severe collisions. If the vehicle is in a collision and the natural gas fuel line is damaged, the…
Remedy: Ford has requested owners of these vehicles to have the cng fuel system disabled under a previous recall campaign and to only use gasoline fuel until a permanent corrective action is developed. Owners are being alerted…
563 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 1996 Ford Contour have filed 563 complaints with NHTSA; 35 describe a crash and 24 describe a fire. Reports cite 39 injuries and 0 deaths. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 92,380 miles. Complaints peaked in 1999 with 122 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“The contact owned a 1996 Ford Contour. The contact stated that while driving at 25 mph, going downhill, the vehicle hit black ice, then crashed into a parked vehicle. The air bags deployed and detache”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, September 20, 2021 · Air bags
“My car was recalled in 2001. The past 6 mo my electrical system smells like its burning or something melting. Almost like its going to catch on fire”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, December 17, 2018 · Electronic stability control (esc)
Fuel economy and specs
EPA ratings for the 1996 Ford Contour. Ranges cover every tested configuration.
| Combined | 21–25 mpg |
|---|---|
| City / Highway | 18–21 / 27–31 |
| Fuel | Regular |
| EPA class | Compact Cars |
| Engine | 4/6 cyl, 2/2.5 L |
| Transmission | Automatic 4-spd; Manual 5-spd |
Compare Ford Contour model years
Recall and complaint counts for every Ford Contour model year in NHTSA's database.
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 Ford Contour | 0 | 3 |
| 1994 Ford Contour | 0 | 12 |
| 1995 Ford Contour | 8 | 891 |
| 1996 Ford Contour | 8 | 563 |
| 1997 Ford Contour | 5 | 218 |
| 1998 Ford Contour | 9 | 846 |
| 1999 Ford Contour | 3 | 419 |
| 2000 Ford Contour | 5 | 199 |
| 2001 Ford Contour | 0 | 4 |
Checking a specific 1996 Ford Contour
How do I know if my 1996 Ford Contour has an open recall?
Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 8 campaigns currently list the 1996 Ford Contour; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Ford dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 00V075000).
What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?
A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.
Other Ford models
- F-15037,961 complaints
- Explorer34,566 complaints
- Escape27,430 complaints
- Fusion22,405 complaints
- Focus22,096 complaints
- Taurus18,159 complaints
- Windstar14,158 complaints
- Edge14,065 complaints
Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.