1998 Ford Contour Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 128 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 1998 Ford Contour, 15% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 84,221 miles. The words owners use most often: “automatic transmission” (12% of reports).
- 128power train complaints
- 84,221median miles at failure
- 3mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 30%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.
- Automatic transmission: mentioned in 15 of 128 complaints (12%)
- Shift lever: mentioned in 7 of 128 complaints (5%)
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 22 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 128 complaints, 3 mention a crash.
Ford Contour power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 Contour | 1 | 25% | — |
| 2000 Contour | 4 | 2% | 40,000 |
| 1999 Contour | 25 | 6% | 66,500 |
| 1998 Contour | 128 | 15% | 84,221 |
| 1997 Contour | 30 | 14% | 97,000 |
| 1996 Contour | 77 | 14% | 81,124 |
| 1995 Contour | 126 | 14% | 89,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Power train:automatic transmission:lever and linkage:floor shift
Problem: 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.
Risk: This condition can result in incorrect gear selection.
Fix: Dealers will replace the automatic transmission floor shift control.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
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 drum break is leaking fluid.
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford contour. The contact stated that the reverse gear failed to operate. The contact referenced nhtsa campaign number: 98v233000 (power train). However, the vin was not listed under the recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of…
Was on i65 was driving fine hird a loud explosion engine started to rev up a piece of the transmission casing went into my tire causing a blow out, car became out of control and hit gaurdrail. *tt
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1998 Ford Contours have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 128 owner complaints about power train for the 1998 Ford Contour (15% 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 power train?
Yes: 1 safety recall list power train. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 84,221 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 1998 Ford Contour?
The most frequent phrase is “automatic transmission”, in 15 of 128 complaints, followed by “shift lever” (7).
Other 1998 Ford Contour problems
See all 1998 Ford Contour problems or power train problems across all Contour years.