Ford Contour Air Bags Problems
Owners have filed 215 complaints with NHTSA about air bags problems on the Ford Contour across 6 model years. The 1998 model year has the most (99). The words owners use most often: “air bag” (47% of reports).
- 215air bags complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 83mention a crash
- 62mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 19%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 101 of 215 complaints (47%)
- Further details: mentioned in 17 of 215 complaints (8%)
- Upon impact: mentioned in 16 of 215 complaints (7%)
- Bags deploy: mentioned in 16 of 215 complaints (7%)
At what mileage do air bags problems happen?
Based on 29 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 215 complaints, 83 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 62 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
Model years: 1998
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.
The contact owned a 1996 Ford Contour. The contact stated that while driving at 25 mph, going downhill, the vehicle hit black ice, then crashed into a parked vehicle. The air bags deployed and detached upon impact, slicing the contact's head open, snapped his fifth and sixth vertebrae, and the…
Dashboard is delaminating and peeling upward interfering with air bag deployment, defrosters and visibility. Ford has ongoing issues with this same problem on other ford products. I feel this is definitely a safety issue and quality issue. *tr
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 Ford Contours have air bags problems?
No. NHTSA has 215 owner complaints about air bags for the Ford Contour. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 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.
What do owners say about air bags problems on the Ford Contour?
The most frequent phrase is “air bag”, in 101 of 215 complaints, followed by “further details” (17).
Other Ford Contour problems
See all Ford Contour problems.