1996 Ford Contour Exterior Lighting Problems
Owners have filed 64 complaints with NHTSA about exterior lighting problems on the 1996 Ford Contour, 11% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 98,950 miles. The words owners use most often: “headlight switch” (33% of reports).
- 64exterior lighting complaints
- 98,950median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 1related recalls
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Headlight switch: mentioned in 21 of 64 complaints (33%)
- Wiring harness: mentioned in 9 of 64 complaints (14%)
- Panel tail: mentioned in 5 of 64 complaints (8%)
At what mileage do exterior lighting problems happen?
Based on 6 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 64 complaints, 3 a fire.
Ford Contour exterior lighting complaints by model year
| Model year | Exterior Lighting complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 Contour | 3 | 2% | 167,000 |
| 1999 Contour | 13 | 3% | 53,500 |
| 1998 Contour | 43 | 5% | 86,200 |
| 1997 Contour | 21 | 10% | 88,500 |
| 1996 Contour | 64 | 11% | 98,950 |
| 1995 Contour | 25 | 3% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Exterior lighting:headlights:switch
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The terminals at the headlight switch and wiring harness connector can experience heat damage as a result of overheating.
Risk: The damage could result in distortion of the terminal causing an open circuit in the instrument panel illumination, parking lamp, and tail lamp circuits.
Fix: Dealers will install a headlamp switch wiring connector containing bronze terminals and an inspection, and replacement if necessary, of the headlamp switch.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Tl*the contact owns a 1996 ford contour. The contact stated that the plug on the headlight switch overheated and melted the wire in the plug. He had to disconnect the battery every time he got out of the vehicle because it caused a failure within the parking lights. The plug and headlight switch…
I own a 1996 ford contour [xxx] that the instrument panel lights and tail lights went out on. There was a recall on this item (recall 99s14) back in 1999. Upon bringing the car into an brookdale ford (brooklyn center, mn), they told me that they would fix the problem free of charge because it did…
Car stalls when parallel parking, especially in reverse, or when parking slopes. Car stalled when starting up from red light in center city philadelphia intersections. Headlamps out of alignment (don't shine down onto road, beams not centered). Air bag light on control panels blinks sporadically…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1996 Ford Contours have exterior lighting problems?
No. NHTSA has 64 owner complaints about exterior lighting for the 1996 Ford Contour (11% 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 exterior lighting?
Yes: 1 safety recall list exterior lighting. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do exterior lighting problems start?
The median reported mileage is 98,950 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about exterior lighting problems on the 1996 Ford Contour?
The most frequent phrase is “headlight switch”, in 21 of 64 complaints, followed by “wiring harness” (9).
Other 1996 Ford Contour problems
See all 1996 Ford Contour problems or exterior lighting problems across all Contour years.