1996 Ford Contour Engine and Engine Cooling Problems
Owners have filed 123 complaints with NHTSA about engine and engine cooling problems on the 1996 Ford Contour, 22% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 80,500 miles. The words owners use most often: “water pump” (10% of reports).
- 123engine and engine cooling complaints
- 80,500median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 39%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Water pump: mentioned in 12 of 123 complaints (10%)
- Cooling fan: mentioned in 8 of 123 complaints (7%)
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems happen?
Based on 8 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 123 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 6 a fire, 1 an injury.
Ford Contour engine and engine cooling complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine and Engine Cooling complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 Contour | 1 | 25% | — |
| 2000 Contour | 14 | 7% | 64,007 |
| 1999 Contour | 52 | 12% | 60,000 |
| 1998 Contour | 132 | 16% | 71,000 |
| 1997 Contour | 35 | 16% | 89,000 |
| 1996 Contour | 123 | 22% | 80,500 |
| 1995 Contour | 224 | 25% | 91,500 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Engine and engine cooling
Problem: 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.
Risk: Overheating of the cooling fan motor due to excessive current can result in smoke and odors from bearing grease, insulation and other internal motor components. If electrical current continues to be applied to the motor, internal motor components could ignite possibly igniting other engine compartment components.
Fix: 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 the warranty start date, whichever occurs first. If the vehicle already has more than 100,000 miles, this coverage will last until july 31, 2001.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Dt*: the contact stated the check engine light illuminated and the vehicle stalled without warning, but restarted immediately. The dealership replaced the catalytic converter. The check engine light illuminated and the vehicle stalled 50000 miles later, but would not restart. The vehicle was towed…
Consumer request help to fix a 1996 contour. *ts the consumer took the vehicle to be inspected and it failed. The consumer was told by the dept of motor vehicle that the vehicle had been subject to an emission recall as reported by the epa the dealer informed the consumer that the vehicle was no…
Consumer has had numerous problems with the 1996 ford contour.*mr there has been so many recalls on consumer's vehicle that she wasn't aware of because the manufacturer never sent notices. Since then consumer has been paying for entire full price and is asking for reimbursement. However, the…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1996 Ford Contours have engine and engine cooling problems?
No. NHTSA has 123 owner complaints about engine and engine cooling for the 1996 Ford Contour (22% of the 563 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 1996 Ford Contour engine and engine cooling?
Yes: 1 safety recall list engine and engine cooling. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems start?
The median reported mileage is 80,500 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about engine and engine cooling problems on the 1996 Ford Contour?
The most frequent phrase is “water pump”, in 12 of 123 complaints, followed by “cooling fan” (8).
Other 1996 Ford Contour problems
See all 1996 Ford Contour problems or engine and engine cooling problems across all Contour years.