1998 Ford Contour Engine and Engine Cooling Problems
Owners have filed 132 complaints with NHTSA about engine and engine cooling problems on the 1998 Ford Contour, 16% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 71,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “water pump” (15% of reports).
- 132engine and engine cooling complaints
- 71,000median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 56%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 20 of 132 complaints (15%)
- Timing belt: mentioned in 9 of 132 complaints (7%)
- Consumer states: mentioned in 9 of 132 complaints (7%)
- Provide further: mentioned in 9 of 132 complaints (7%)
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems happen?
Based on 21 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 132 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 5 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 (0)
No safety recall lists engine and engine cooling for the 1998 Ford Contour. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford contour. The contact stated that bolts were missing from the engine and transmission. He did not know the bolts were missing at the time the vehicle was purchased. The dealer stated that they did not have the necessary parts available, but would have them ordered…
Original start date 1-12-07. Timing belt shredded. Had shop fix the problem. 4-2-07 belt broke again replaced again. 10-18-07 timing belt broke again. Shop did not want to replace again said it is dealer problem. Dealer says shop problem. Shop says it will fix on 11-2-07. Shop finally fixes on…
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford contour. The contact stated that the engine wiring harness insulation failed and caused the wires to touch, which could possibly result in a fire. The dealer stated that the vehicle was not covered under warranty any longer. The contact discovered a recall for the…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1998 Ford Contours have engine and engine cooling problems?
No. NHTSA has 132 owner complaints about engine and engine cooling for the 1998 Ford Contour (16% 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 engine and engine cooling?
No recall currently lists engine and engine cooling for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems start?
The median reported mileage is 71,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about engine and engine cooling problems on the 1998 Ford Contour?
The most frequent phrase is “water pump”, in 20 of 132 complaints, followed by “timing belt” (9).
Other 1998 Ford Contour problems
See all 1998 Ford Contour problems or engine and engine cooling problems across all Contour years.