The fuse box had to be replaced by the dealership a few days after I got the car because it left me on the side of the road.
The front brakes had to be replaced and a new rotor put on at 80000 miles.
The car had to be towed and a new timing belt, idler, tensioner, and serpentine belt had to be put on and the timing set which was expensive at 85000 miles.
The timing belt broke, the car needed to be towed, and a new belt put on and the timing adjusted again a month later than above. Again it was expensive.
New tires had to be put on because metal was showing on front tires at 85000 miles.
Back brakes had to be replaced at 87000 miles.
A fuse had to be replaced at 87000 miles.
A wheel cylinder had to replaced on the right wheel at 95000 miles.
The plugs, plug wires, and temperature sensor had to be replaced at 105000 miles.
The temperature gauge in the car still has not been working at all.
The car is missing at a speed of 45 miles per hour and it has been taken to the dealership 3 times in the last 3 weeks and they still have not fixed it. It will be fine for a few days and then start missing again. They are not sure why and cannot find out.
Now the battery light and airbag light are both flashing on and off.
The car runs really well when it is actually repaired and ready to drive.
The car is small and not very roomy.
If you are looking at Contours, first look at the number of negative reviews compared to positive. Yes its responsive and I like it when it runs. And you might be lucky. Mine is a 98 SE (2.5 liter with an automatic). I have heard the same stories from other owners. The interior plastic is cheap and the leather peels off the steering wheel. The rear suspension clunks, and the water pump has a plastic impeller that breaks apart and causes overheating. Also, the engines might lose lubrication during long, fast turns. The auto trans makes an annoying BANG between 1st and 2nd. (I replaced mine at 60K, but the "check engine" light is back. The diagnostic test was almost $100, and they cannot say what's wrong without opening the trans) Repairs are costly - they quickly overtake the car's value. Look in the classifieds and see if you find any saying "Used Contour - Clean, just needs motor!" or "...just needs trans!" Again, maybe you will be one of the lucky ones.
I own a 98GL, timing belt went out at 119k miles cost me 150 bucks to fix it (with Labor).
Also the driver side running light is out, but the turn signal still works, its not the bulb I have changed it and still the same thing.
Other than those 2 problems the car has been great to me, I don't mean to sound rude, but complaining about having to change tires at 87k miles when ALMOST all tires are only rated for 50k isn't that bad, also remember 90% of all problems are operator error, meaning if you get in a family car and try to drive it like a race car what can you expect it to do?
I do not agree with the comment above. I think Ford Contours are pieces of junk. They are really very cheap cars. I bought my 1998 when it was pretty new. I paid more to keep it running than I did for the car. The bumper was falling off and I treated it like it was a 70,000 dollar car. I would have rather drove a lawn tractor than that thing. I was honestly worried that the wheels were going to fall off when I was driving it.
All of the problems you listed are not to be unexpected in any car after 80,000 miles. Belts wear down, tensioners may come loose, TIRES wear down after 50k as mentioned above (many even well before that). I hope you've at least changed your oil.
Correction: The above damages are not unexpected in cars over 80,000 if they are AMERICAN made. Foreign cars hold up much better... and this is coming from a person who owns 3 Ford vehicles... a 98 Contour, Ranger and F-250... I only keep them because I love the look of the F-250, and it is pre-computer so I have do the repairs myself... the Ranger because it was my late grandfathers, and the Contour because it was a gift. All my relatives drive foreign now, and they don't have these problems and they get much better gas mileage.
Everything above "temperature gauge not working" is wear and tear, NOT breakdowns! Brakes have a finite life, tires have a finite life. IIRC, the timing belt that broke at 85K is scheduled to be replaced at 60K. Also, the tires were allowed to wear all the way to the cords?!?
Owning a car requires more than just putting gas into it.
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