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Had to replace front springs at 37000km (23000 miles)
Had to replace Transmission at 67200km (41800 miles)
Had to replace timing chain and pulleys at 72300km (45000 miles)
This car has been my worst nightmare. Have to replace front spring, transmission and timing chain with only 45000 miles.
The sad thing is I called Ford on the transmission and was basically told that because it was out of warranty for how old it was. They could do nothing for me. I don't care how old the car was (unless it was like 10 or more years and just sitting) for that kind of miles I should not have had so many issue's.
I can understand now why Ford is losing market share and in trouble as I will never buy a ford again and my kids will not buy one either.
You should not tell your kids what to buy and what not to buy. My mom owns a Contour with almost 130000kms. It has not had any of those things go wrong that your Contour and it is the same year. Ford are good cars, but the Contour was their worst car made, so do not judge Ford by one of their worst cars. That is why they only were made for five years.
This car is junk and the fact that they made it or 5 years puts Ford in a very negative light.
Ford builds a bunch of junk: Contour/Mystiquw, Pinto, 2000 Ford Focus, Rangers, Festiva, ZX2. I can go on and on.
I made a mistake of owning a contour and thanks to that I will NEVER buy a FORD and I am happy about it.
I have a 1995, and two 1998 ford contours. the 1995 has been the best of the lot. Among the things replaced, the engine being the most expensive. Ford was unwilling to help in any part even though the problem was with a faulty installation of a frost plug heater. The car had been in on several occasions for recall items, but they did not check or replace the faulty frost plug. This resulted in a loss of cooling fluid and a ruined engine. After much discussion with ford and our local dealer it was decided to do absolutely nothing to help with the cost of installation of a new or reclaimed engine. the vehicle had 46,000. miles on it at the time. As a result I nor my children will never own a ford. My best advice is if you own one contour, or other ford product, you might want to buy an extra model of the same year for parts. You will need them! In the past I have owned all fords having as many as six at one time. Neveragain. I now own Toyotas and Hondas wonder why. Oh by the way it cost me $450.00 to replace that engine with a used one of the same mileage and a weekend of time.
I just bought a 1998 ford contour and believe the reason most people have bad luck with any car wether it be new or old is because of lack of properly maintaining there vehicle. You should always maintain your vehicle as recommended by the manufacture and change your oil as recommended. You should also pay attention to any noises or things that make your vehicle drive improperly. Another thing is how you drive your car if you have a tendancy to hot rod it, it may not last very long anyway.
I have owned a 98 Ford Contour for 3yrs and already had to replace two alternators. Now the Catalytic Converter and of course Ford made it impossible to find this one for this car. It always seems like they are playing a Monopoly game in the car field. Everyone wants an arm, leg and a eye for the Part. Well it has changed my mind about Ford. I know there are problems with cars, but, the problems I seem to have are not maintenance, they make sure only the dealership gets to work on your car!!! And they wonder why there are so many cars in the junk yard. Lets not make sense and create something that can't or is too expense to be fixed and returned to the running status. No lets put more trash on the streets more not willing to run cars.
People I talked with have either been very lucky or very unlucky with Contours. That tells me that the problem is with Ford's build quality, and not with owner maintenance. Common weak spots: auto trans (especially 1 - 2 shift BANG), rear suspension clunk, plastic water pump impeller breaks and car overheats, and poor lubrication can fry the engine (usually the SVT model). You would be taking a chance buying one. Some work can only be done at a dealer. These are NOT cheap cars to work on, and their resale value does not justify it.
I hear ya on the 1-2 shift BANG. I was having that problem since I got mine, ignored it for awhile until the transmission (automatic) couldnt get into 5th gear, resulting in 4000RPM's while driving 50MPH. Got this fixed by the dealer at a heafty sum of money, said it was good to go, (the check engine light was previously on, it was now off). And I swear to you the check engine light came back on on my way home from the dealer. The transmission completely crapped out a few months later, (less than 80,000 miles on the car), once and for all convincing me that the Contour is crap, and that the folks who worked on the transmission had no clue what they were doing. Avoid like the plague.
I have a 98 Contour Se. It has cause nothing, but problems for me. I am amazed that it has lasted as long as this. I have replaced 2 timing belts in the past five years. My drivers side window will not open, and everytime I get it fixed, it breaks again! My check engine, and airbag lights are on. I had them checked at the garage numerous time, and nothing is wrong! I find the interior noise unbearable, and clunking in rear drives me nuts! All in all it has been a horrible experience, I have decided to buy a Dodge!
I have a 98 Ford Contour SE. I bought it about 3 years ago, About a year ago the timing belt went and was replaced, then it ran great for about a year. Just out of now where about a month ago now the pulleys went. These were very expensive to replace and the mechanic says that these cars are known for this so they sell the pulleys as a kit and cost about 300.00 plus labor. He also had to replace the timing belt again which was about 80.00 with labor. After I got the car back, I had to bring it right back because it still was not running right. This time he had to replace some sensors which cost me over $400.00. Well I had to take it back again and the machanic says that he had to replace the cam sensor which was about another 300.00 plus labor. Got my car back again and had to take it back, which is where it now sits again for almost another week and still no answer on what the problem it now. I have paid a lot of money out and I still don't have my car back. I sure would like to get some input on this and where to go from here. Everyone says that I should trade it in, but I have too much invested to do that. Don't know what to do.
I have owned many Fords and never had any problems like this before!!! I am kind of nervous about buying another Ford.
I would really welcome any advice at this time...
I am a college student almost two hours away from home. I have had a 98 Ford Contour SE for almost two years now.
It has always made some type of noise especially when it is in gear. The engine shakes and vibrates endlessly.
The things that have been replaced are brake pads, numerous times, pulleys, timing belt, alternator, power steering pump, and motor mounts.
The air no longer comes out of the vents, but from the defrost vents instead. No one knows how to fix that problem.
Also, my tires make a grinding noise whenever I turn the wheel.
The spark plugs are all covered in oil, so I have a blown head gasket.
I just do not understand why I am having these problems, because my car is well taken care of, being that my brother is a mechanic. The hood is always up on my car because he is always doing something to it. He told me that this car would cost more to fix and maintain it than I paid for it, and he was right.
I don't want another Ford unless it is brand new or it is given to me for free. These cars are not very reliable if you have to travel long distances everyday, or if you are away from home.
I will look into Honda's and Toyota's, I hear those are nice cars, especially for a college student like me!
I just want to let you know that the 1998 Contour can be a very reliable car. I bought it new and drove it myself for 110,000 miles. Now my 17 year old son is using it and it's up to 138,000 miles. I've been faithful in getting oil changes and did some preventative maintenance at 100,000. The most costly unexpected repair was for some sensors when the "Check Engine Light" came on.
I bought my 1998 Ford Contour 15 months ago. As soon as I signed on the dotted line and drove home my problems started. I've had to replace my front tires twice, the brakes went, the check engine light stays on, my air bag and overdrive lights flash on a regular basis and now my car won't shift into 2nd gear. This car has cost me more in repairs than the cost of the car itself. Not to mention all the normal maintenance that has to be done. Every time I get into the car with my kids I pray I just make it back home. I will never buy a Ford again because if they can make one car with so many problems why take a chance on another one.
"I will never buy a Ford again because if they can make one car with so many problems why take a chance on another one."
Same type of experience with the Ford Focus POS I had. If Ford can't build its cars right after being in business for nearly 100 years, what makes them think I would ever want to trust them to build one right now?
"I bought my 1998 Ford Contour 15 months ago. As soon as I signed on the dotted line and drove home my problems started. I've had to replace my front tires twice, the brakes went, the check engine light stays on, my air bag and overdrive lights flash on a regular basis and now my car won't shift into 2nd gear. This car has cost me more in repairs than the cost of the car itself. Not to mention all the normal maintenance that has to be done. Every time I get into the car with my kids I pray I just make it back home. I will never buy a Ford again because if they can make one car with so many problems why take a chance on another one."
You bought the car used after it was 7 years old and are expecting it to be in perfect condition. If your front tires and brakes are going out so often maybe there is something wrong with the suspension and you've only been fixing the symptoms and not the problem.
I bought my 98 contour SE manual 5 speed from the original owner at 45K. It had been well maintained and I have continued this: oil changes at 3k, plus recommended checks...it's now at 88K and is just great. No problems & no maintenance to speak of except the tires &...o.k., recently, the battery - which is because I often forget to check if the overhead lights are correctly set to auto turn off. I love my Contour!