1998 Ford Contour Air Bags Problems
Owners have filed 99 complaints with NHTSA about air bags problems on the 1998 Ford Contour, 12% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 89,714 miles. The words owners use most often: “air bag” (52% of reports).
- 99air bags complaints
- 89,714median miles at failure
- 24mention a crash
- 15mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 32%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.
- Air bag: mentioned in 51 of 99 complaints (52%)
- Further details: mentioned in 8 of 99 complaints (8%)
- Bags deployed: mentioned in 8 of 99 complaints (8%)
- Diagnostic monitor: mentioned in 6 of 99 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do air bags problems happen?
Based on 13 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 99 complaints, 24 mention a crash, 15 an injury.
Ford Contour air bags complaints by model year
| Model year | Air Bags complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 Contour | 9 | 5% | 51,100 |
| 1999 Contour | 29 | 7% | 55,000 |
| 1998 Contour | 99 | 12% | 89,714 |
| 1997 Contour | 9 | 4% | — |
| 1996 Contour | 25 | 4% | 84,327 |
| 1995 Contour | 44 | 5% | 40,500 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive
Problem: 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 stress cracking of the insulation.
Risk: In some cases, the air bag warning light can illuminate and the air bag supplemental restraint system disabled.
Fix: 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.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
My 1998 ford contour has three safety recalls. However, i'm having a terrible time getting ford to provide the parts needed to service the vehicle. The recalls are: (a) 01s22 - heater blower resistor and connector, (b) 99s14 - headlight switch connector, and (c) 99s23 - front crash sensors…
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford contour. While driving at an unknown speed, the air bag indicator illuminated intermittently on the instrument panel. After a week of the air bag illuminating, he drove the vehicle to a local repair shop for diagnostic testing. The mechanic stated that the front…
I was driving a 1997 ford contour. This was the car i drove to and from work. I was driving to longview community college(lvcc) for a rehearsal and lesson on the bruce watkins drive (highway 71) south. The traffic was heavy as there was an accident at the grandview triangle. I was in the middle…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1998 Ford Contours have air bags problems?
No. NHTSA has 99 owner complaints about air bags for the 1998 Ford Contour (12% of the 846 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 1998 Ford Contour air bags?
Yes: 1 safety recall list air bags. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do air bags problems start?
The median reported mileage is 89,714 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about air bags problems on the 1998 Ford Contour?
The most frequent phrase is “air bag”, in 51 of 99 complaints, followed by “further details” (8).
Other 1998 Ford Contour problems
See all 1998 Ford Contour problems or air bags problems across all Contour years.