1996 Ford Contour GL review from North America
"A car you will drive until it breaks even if it is only 6 months"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
-Burnt out clock light (very hard to fix, just live with it)
-Blown cruise/hazard light fuse (cheap to replace)
-Engine light that never ceases (taken to mechanic, but no solution)
-Stalls when idling constantly (getting worse and worse, cam seals I heard?)
-Broken accessory parts (cup holders, vent covers... hard to find)
-Glove box doesn't close properly (no solution found yet)
-Gas cover stuck (pull secondary opener in trunk side)
-Catalytic converter defective (I just drilled a hole through it)
-Exhaust Manifold was said to need replacement (way too expensive to repair for the V6 ($1500)!)
-Low gas light doesn't work (I have a long, funny story about that...)
-Fuel injection (That is why the engine light is on, but the mechanic doesn't see any problem)
General comments?
When I first got the car I was pleased with the performance it gave. Then things started breaking. I then learned that the V6 engine (but not the 4 cylinder) was a Mitsubishi which barely lasts past 100,000mi (go figure).
Most contour reviews have very select problems in common. The problems in my car are as above (with the solutions in parenthesis). My thesis statement is as followed.
Cars are discontinued for a reason.
Recommended reviews
| 1996 - Contour GL 2.0L Zetec DOHC 16v Good handling car that's cheap to run, and a great gas sipping commuter car |
|
| Great road manners, great performance, expensive to maintain, and in the end, not worth repairing |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Year of manufacture | 1996 |
| First year of ownership | 2002 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2003 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.5 DOHO Automatic |
| Performance marks | 4 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 2 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 4 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 1 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 1 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 105000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 111000 miles |
| Previous car | Chevrolet Caprice |
| Date of Entry | 10th November, 2003 |