1998 Ford Contour Recalls, Complaints & Specs
9 safety recalls list the 1998 Ford Contour, and owners have filed 846 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
9 safety recalls for the 1998 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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Coil springs (suspension)
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles built at the kansas city assembly plant and originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont,…
Remedy: Dealers will install spring catcher brackets. Owner notification began october 23, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a…
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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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Tank assembly (fuel system)
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. Dealers will replace the fuel tank filler pipe…
Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel tank filler pipe grommet.
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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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Air bags: sensor/control module-inactive
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The air bag sensor wiring pigtail insulation can become brittle and crack over time due to accumulation of water in the pigtail protective convolute in combination with high underhood temperatures related to the routing of the wiring pigtail near the radiator. This can result in environmental…
Remedy: Dealers will install air bag sensors with revised wiring insulation. In addition, vehicles which have the air bag warning light illuminated will have a new air bag diagnostic monitor installed.
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Vehicle speed control
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The accelerator cable may have been manufactured with a burr on or near the end of the cable sleeve interior. This burr could fray the core wire resulting in the accelerator not returning to idle when the accelerator is released.
Remedy: Dealers will install a revised accelerator cable that has a flared conduit sleeve end and molded on end fitting.
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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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Headlights (exterior lighting)
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The text and/or graphics for the vehicle headlamp aiming instructions provided in the owner guides are not sufficiently clear. This does not meet the requirements of FMVSS no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."
Remedy: Owner guides containing revised aiming instructions will be mailed to owners of these vehicles.
846 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 1998 Ford Contour have filed 846 complaints with NHTSA; 50 describe a crash and 20 describe a fire. Reports cite 54 injuries and 4 deaths. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 86,766 miles. Complaints peaked in 1999 with 165 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“Vehicle won't pass inspection due to a Broken or cracked coil spring front passenger side. It was in a recall that we never received notification. And I don't feel like we should be out over $200 to g”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, February 8, 2024 · Suspension
“Was driving down route 322 on day and had to hit the break and all of a sudden they went to the floor. I pulled over and checked my break fluid resivour and it was empty. I think the passenger side dr”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, November 22, 2018 · Service brakes
Fuel economy and specs
EPA ratings for the 1998 Ford Contour. Ranges cover every tested configuration.
| Combined | 21–25 mpg |
|---|---|
| City / Highway | 17–21 / 26–32 |
| 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 1998 Ford Contour
How do I know if my 1998 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. 9 campaigns currently list the 1998 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.