1995 Ford Contour LX V6 2.5L from North America

Summary:

A nightmare you won't forget. Complete and total trash

Faults:

The transmission needed to be rebuilt at 91000 miles. It still does not function properly after investing $1100 into it.

The engine cooling fans died at a cost of $500 at 103000 miles.

The water pump blew at 102000 miles for a cost of $400.

General Comments:

In general every part for this car costs twice as much as it does for most other vehicles of the same class. Parts are difficult to find, proprietary in nature, and labor-intensive to replace. The car model had a flawed transmission and electrical wiring design to begin with, but Ford decided to release it anyway.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 28th December, 2003

1995 Ford Contour GL Zetec from North America

Summary:

Reliable sporty feel well made car

Faults:

Gas cover stuck, I need to open the door using the override in the trunk.

When playing the tape, only right speakers are on.

Drivers side door handle is stiff.

At 60000 had a switch was replaced in the steering wheel (it was causing constant clicking sound), repair was quick and cost $150.00.

General Comments:

Very reliable car, drives fantastic, never had any stalling problems, never let me down, never any Check Engine Light problems.

Interior is good looking even after 91k miles and 8 years on the road.

Seats are very comfortable and look like new.

Car handles very well.

Engine is responsive given the fact it is only a 4 banger.

Paint quality is great.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 15th November, 2003

1995 Ford Contour GL 2.0L I4 from North America

Summary:

A little pocket rocket in disguise as a commuter darling

Faults:

As for things that have gone wrong with this car, there are very few.

I have had to replace the brakes.

Of course tires with the amount of miles the car has run.

Only a small a vacuum leak.

And the timing belt pulley go bad.

I tuned the car up at 100K miles.

I have recently run into a problem that I cannot quite put my finger on. It feels like a vacuum leak again, but, what an awesome trouble free car it has been.

General Comments:

Being 6'5 and 240lbs this is not the most comfortable car, but having put over 100k miles on the car in just a few years, I have been very pleased with how comfortable it has been.

I checked out Honda and Toyota before I settled on this car and well I payed thousands less and have had a relatively trouble free car.

Who says that the Domestic automakers don't know how to build quality.

Am I a fan, sure. But with quality like this who wouldn't be.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 5th November, 2003

23rd May 2004, 17:27

Thanks for the super review, have you had any transmission problems?

1995 Ford Contour V6 from North America

Summary:

It's garbage

Faults:

These are just the highlights:

The transmission has been replaced three times. The first time, I had less than 10,000 miles on my car and had owned it for less than a year. I was the original owner. The second and third times came approximately a year apart for each of the following two years.

There have been several recalls including the need to replace the gas tank, seat belts, sensors, and five or six others I can't remember exactly. I have a HUGE stack of papers detailing all the work that has been done on my car and all the recalls.

I have had to replace the neutral safety switch twice.

My check engine light started coming on in 1998. Five years and five thousand dollars later, I have had approximately 8 months in which the light didn't come on. Just in time for emissions testing for my annual inspection, I had problems again. In my county, your car has to pass emissions testing for the inspection to pass.

I believe there are around 32 sensors related to the engine in my car. I have replaced 15 of them.

The catalytic converter has been replaced.

The oxygen sensor has been replaced.

The mass air flow sensor has been replaced.

The torque converter has been replaced.

The spark plugs had to replaced at 35,000 miles!

The battery died way before it should have.

The brakes have been replaced twice.

I think the back seat of my car has been used approximately 10 times. You can imagine my shock that the interior panels are popping out (the ones between the passenger door and the rear window).

One of the springs in the driver's seat (the back) is popping out.

The exterior paint started peeling three years ago despite appropriate care.

The chrome trim has taken on a peeled/tarnished look.

The turn signals and brake lights have electrical problems I continue to have to have repaired.

This car gets all recommended servicing and is driven gently. I can honestly say that I have not done anything, but provide the Ford recommended care to this car and follow the servicing guidelines. I have had it for 8 years and it has less than 70,0000 miles on it.

The dealerships refuse to admit there is a problem with the car and consider me unreasonable in my beliefs that as representatives of Ford, they should be eager to make good on the $35,000 I've spent on purchasing and repairing this car.

General Comments:

For a few years, this was a beautiful car with a lovely interior. The working components of it, however, have never been anything, but junk. It doesn't technically meet the guidelines for a lemon in my state since each time in the shop is a new problem; but; it is most definitely a lemon. Ford owes all of us for the money we have wasted on the purchase of and on the good faith efforts to care for this junk.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 21st October, 2003

2nd Apr 2004, 15:13

I wholeheartedly agree. My Mercury Mystique (a Contour clone under the Mercury badge) started to experience serious problems at 70,000 miles despite nothing, but TLC. The front struts had to be replaced at 70,000, the mass air flow sensor and other assorted engine parts at about 74000, and the transmission at 79000. From about 50,000 miles on, virtually every warning light has come on for one reason or another, in particular the check engine light and the coolant light both of which have flashed multiple times. Sometimes the lights pointed to a real problem, other times not. But even so, there's always at least the $65 charge for diagnosis. Oh, and at about 40,000 miles, the exhaust manifold cracked. When this car ran right (and it did up to about 50K miles) it was a baby BMW. But I could not possibly recommend this car (or by extension any Ford product) based on my experience.