1999 Ford Contour review from North America
"Good on gas, poor on reliability"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Dashboard warped and is rolling up towards the steering wheel.
Air conditioning and heating unit would only run on high starting at 28,000 miles.
Two camshafts cracked within 2 months due to lack of lube, even though oil had been changed.
Engine was faulty and had to be replaced at 48,000 miles. Thank goodness for the warranty!
Battery died around 72,000 miles.
Several hoses in the car have been found to get strange holes in them. Mechanics cannot figure out exactly why these holes are appearing.
Transmission is leaking badly.
The brakes continuously squeal and hiss, even though all pads and rotors are new.
The factory CD player gets so hot it melts CD's and additionally only plays about half of the time.
Check engine light goes on and off often, though no mechanic can figure out why.
General comments?
Overall this car has had a lot of mechanical problems.
Aside from the mechanical problems, it gets great gas mileage.
It has comfortable seats that do not show any wear and tear after 6 years.
It takes direct hits on the bumper well, but hit something sideways on the bumper and the car will have thousands of dollars of damage.
When all parts are functioning, it drives well and is a quick car.
Recommended reviews
  | Contour: Not worth the headache |
| Beware, depending on what model you get, IT MAY BE A PIECE OF CRAP!!! |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Model Year | 1999 |
| First year of ownership | 2000 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2005 |
| Engine and transmission | Automatic |
| Performance marks | 5/10 |
| Reliability marks | 5/10 |
| Comfort marks | 8/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 0/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 4/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 21000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 90000 miles |
| Previous car | Ford Contour |
| Date of Entry | 19th May, 2005 |