Selling a worn-out Ford Contour

The Contour in brief

The Contour was Ford's North American version of the first Mondeo, sold as a four-door sedan for the 1995 through 2000 model years. It replaced the Tempo. Cars came from Kansas City Assembly in Claycomo, Mo., and from Cuautitlán, Mexico.

Two engines were offered the whole time: a 125 hp 2.0-liter Zetec four and a 170 hp 2.5-liter Duratec V6, and buyers chose between the MTX-75 five-speed manual and the CD4E four-speed automatic. A facelift arrived for 1998. The SVT Contour, built only in Kansas City with a manual, made 195 hp and then 200 hp from 1999. Four-cylinder cars went to rental fleets only at the end, and the last Contour was built on October 19, 2000.

NHTSA holds 3,152 complaints on the car and lists 22 recall campaigns. The record splits roughly in half by era: 1,672 complaints on the 1995-1997 and 1,464 on the 1998-2000, with 13 campaigns touching each half.

Where Contours go wrong

Cooling fans that overheat, 1995-1996

The first-year car drew 891 complaints, and 65 of them report a fire. Recall 00V367 (November 2000) covered 262,559 cars, Mercury Mystiques included: 1995s with either engine and 1996s with the V6. NHTSA's notice says tight fan motor bearings can draw too much current until the motor smokes, and that "internal motor components could ignite." Dealers fitted a temperature device in line with each fan motor, and Ford extended the fan assembly warranty "to a total of 8 years of service or 100,000 miles from the warranty start date, whichever occurs first."

In the 1995 records, 65 of 233 engine complaints mention a fan. One owner wrote that "five years later, the fan motors have overheated" again after the recall repair.

Rusted brake valves and broken springs

Salt is the Contour's other enemy. Recall 00V075 covered cars without anti-lock brakes whose rear brake pressure reducing valves can corrode where roads are salted or treated for dust. If both valves fail, the rear wheels can lock under braking. Its 436,200 count is shared with the Mercury Mystique, and in September 2000 Ford widened it to 1999 and 2000 Contours, Mystiques and Cougars.

Recall 01V255 covered 108,000 1998 Contours and Mystiques built in Kansas City and sold or registered in 20 northern and eastern states plus D.C. Their front coil springs can break, and "some tires have deflated due to contact with a broken spring." Dealers added spring catcher brackets.

Wiring that runs hot, 1996-1998

Three electrical recalls hit the middle years. 99V103 covered 605,581 Contours and Mystiques from 1996-1998 whose headlight switch terminals can overheat. 01V230 covered 342,962 cars, 1996-1998 Contours and Mystiques plus 1999 Cougars, whose heater blower resistor can damage its connector, with arcing that could melt the housing. 99V243 covered 280,481 1998 Contours and Mystiques whose air bag sensor wiring can crack from heat and water and switch the air bag off.

Throttles, shifters and the 1998

Two campaigns dealt with throttles that might not return to idle: damaged cables on 1995-1996 cars with traction control (97V225) and a burr that could fray the accelerator cable on 1998 cars (99V194). Another, 98V233, found that some interior cleaners could damage the automatic's floor shifter so it showed the wrong gear.

The 1998 is the second-worst year for complaints, at 846. Engine and cooling (107) and power train (106) lead it, and owners describe engine and transmission failures, but no recall or bulletin we found matches them.

Warped dashboards, 1999-2000

On the late cars, structure becomes the top complaint category. Of 92 structure complaints on the 1999, 27 describe a warping dashboard; on the 2000, it is 22 of 82. One 2000 owner says the dash warped over a year until the view ahead was blocked and the defroster vents stopped working. We found no recall or warranty program for it.

Complaints, crashes, fires and recalls by year

NHTSA data as of October 10, 2026. "Crashes" and "fires" count the complaints that report one. NHTSA also files 12 complaints under 1994 and 4 under 2001, model years the Contour never had; they are part of the 3,152 total.

One campaign can reach across model years, which is why the yearly recall figures total more than 22.

Should you put money into a Contour now?

• The fan warranty is long gone. Eight years from the warranty start on a 1995 or 1996 car ran out in the mid-2000s.
• Recalls are still worth a VIN check. Most Contour campaigns date from 1995 to 2001, and a car this old may never have had the work done. Look yours up at NHTSA's recall page before paying for a brake, spring or fan repair yourself.
• Inspection failures stack up. Rusted brake lines, broken springs and worn parts on a car this age tend to arrive together. Our failed inspection guide helps you weigh a long repair list.
• Compare quote and value. If the written estimate is close to what a running Contour of the same year sells for, selling it as it sits is the easier call.

How to sell your Contour

1. Write down the VIN and odometer reading, note four-cylinder or V6, and list what's wrong.
2. Request an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
3. Explain where the car is and if it can be pushed. A Contour that hasn't moved in years, on flat tires or behind a building, can be described just as it is; our car sitting for years guide covers that case.
4. Keep it complete. Missing wheels, a pulled catalytic converter or a stripped interior change the offer.
5. Have the title and your ID for pickup. Lost title? Start with selling a junk car with no title.

Looking at other Ford sedans? See the Tempo, Taurus and Fusion, or every Ford we cover.