1999 Ford Contour Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Contour years
- About as many complaints as other years 4th of 7 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 419 complaints with NHTSA about the 1999 Ford Contour. That ranks 4th out of 7 Contour model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is structure (93 complaints, 22%), typically at around 50,000 miles. Complaints mention 28 crashes, 10 fires, 34 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 419owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 28complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1999 Ford Contour problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structure problems | 93 | 22% | 50,000 | “dashboard warped” (12%) | $2,550 |
| Electrical System problems | 65 | 16% | 61,000 | “ignition switch” (9%) | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 52 | 12% | 60,000 | “timing belt” (10%) | — |
| Unknown or Other | 46 | 11% | 58,323 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 42 | 10% | 79,549 | — | — |
| Visibility | 38 | 9% | 56,149 | — | — |
| Suspension | 32 | 8% | 75,785 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 29 | 7% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 26 | 6% | 73,556 | — | — |
| Power Train | 25 | 6% | 66,500 | — | — |
| Tires | 25 | 6% | 80,500 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 24 | 6% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 22 | 5% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 13 | 3% | 53,500 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 13 | 3% | 52,889 | — | — |
| Steering | 12 | 3% | 37,777 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 5 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 5 | 1% | 35,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 4 | 1% | 57,394 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 2 | 0% | 9,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 0% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 0% | 52,238 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 0% | 37,777 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1999 Ford Contour recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Fuel system, other:storage:tank assembly
Problem: Vehicle description: bi-fuel vehicles. These vehicles may have a fuel tank filler pipe grommet that could have been damaged during the installation of the bi-fuel system. If the grommet is damaged, fuel could leak. Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire. Dealers will replace the fuel tank filler pipe grommet.
Risk: If the grommet is damaged, fuel could leak. Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire.
Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel tank filler pipe grommet.
Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles not equipped with the anti-lock braking system (abs). A pressure conscious reducing valve (pcrv) in the rear brakes may be subject to corrosion and result in malfunction, when operated in areas that use salt compounds on the roadway for de-icing or dust control.
Risk: If both pcrv's malfunction, vehicle handling could be adversely affected during braking as a result of the rear wheels locking, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will install improved pcrv's in the rear brake system. This recall was expanded in september 2000 to include 1999 and 2000 ford contour, mercury mystique and cougar vehicles.
Electrical system:ignition:switch
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles built with automatic transmissions which utilize a park/lock solenoid. It is possible to rotate the ignition key to the lock position and remove the key without the shift lever and transmission being in park. These vehicles do not comply with the requirements of fmvss no. 114, "theft protection."
Risk: This could result in a crash and possible personal injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect these vehicles. Vehicles that have units with ignition keys removable in gear positions other than park, will have the steering column replaced.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Instrument panel cover warpage (DP06004) — opened Oct 23, 2006, closed Apr 10, 2007.
- Blower switch/resistor or wiring harness (EA01001) — opened Jan 5, 2001, closed Jul 31, 2001, led to recall 01I009000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The dash is curling up
Rear frame, suspension rusted completely into an went out of control and threw me into ditch. This is completely not acceptable. I have 1960's cars %100 better than this . I know this is a 1999 but this is completely unacceptable. Can anything be done.
The brake lines under the car have rusted to the point of breaking apart. The vehicle has less than 100k miles and was not subject to any extreme conditions. The brake fluid leaks out of the undercarriage almost as quickly as it is poured in and has left the car undriveable without expensive…
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 ford contour. While driving approximately 55 mph, the vehicle started to wobble. The contact noticed that the rear frame was rusted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 110,000.
The fuel tank strap is completely corroded away, and the fuel tank is ready to fall off. The protective coating is defective and has completely fallen off, causing the fuel strap to be eaten away by rust and corrosion. The fuel tank is going to fall off eventually. The fuel filler neck and emission…
Other Ford Contour years
← 1998 Contour · 2000 Contour →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 Contour | 4 | 0 |
| 2000 Contour | 199 | 5 |
| 1999 | 419 | 3 |
| 1998 Contour | 846 | 9 |
| 1997 Contour | 218 | 5 |
| 1996 Contour | 563 | 8 |
| 1995 Contour | 891 | 8 |
See all Ford Contour problems by year, every Ford model, or the Ford VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1999 Ford Contour?
Owners most often report structure, electrical system, engine and engine cooling problems. The top one, structure, accounts for 93 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1999 Ford Contour?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1999 Ford Contour a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Contour model years, the 1999 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.