-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)
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.
When it stalls during idling you may need to have th fuel pump replaced. That happened to me at 76,000 miles. It would first just stall every now and then, then it got to do it every 10 minutes, so I hauled it over to a shop they replaced it, and put a fuel filter in, my fuel mileage went up a bit and then it doesn't stall anymore.
I fixed my clock light for less than a $3 bulb. The clock is easy to remove from the dash and you twist the bulb to remove it.
Water pumps are weak and know to fail after 60k miles.
The gas door also can be a pain.
The engine is Ford internationally made and used in European and Australian cars generally very reliable.
I am amazed with my 1997 Contour with 115k miles I have never had to do any work on the exhaust system. I've done the front brakes twice and the rear once. I have had problem with the engine check light starting at 75k miles which was fixed with the replacement of one down stream O2 sensor.
I am passing the car over to my son who is just getting his drivers license and are replacing all O2 sensors, all fluids, 2nd wheel alignment, etc. Also I did replace the battery.
Not bad for 7 years of ownership.
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