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#BS-1998-FORCON-3C8C

1998 Ford Contour

Based on reports from 1,000 owners and 12 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
1,000
Crashes
53
Fires
23
Recalls
12
TSBs
253
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 1,000 complaints, 53 crashes, 23 fires, and 12 recalls. Complaint rate is 6.0x the class average.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

loses gears

3 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX
2

slips out of gear while driving

3 complaints • Severity 9.3/10

$X,XXX
3

transmission failure

3 complaints • Severity 9.3/10

$X,XXX

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the Power Train:automatic TransmissionHIGH

65 owners reported power train:automatic transmission issues — failures commonly reported around 81K miles.

!Inspect the Suspension:front:springs:coil SpringsMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

6
0–30K
20
30–60K
45
60–90K
27
90–120K
8
120–150K
7
150K+

Peak failure range: 60–90K miles (45 reports) • Median: 81K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Power Train:automatic Transmission (65 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Power Train:automatic Transmission65 (7%)
Suspension:front:springs:coil Springs59 (6%)
Airbags43 (4%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline38 (4%)
Electrical32 (3%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine31 (3%)
Other29 (3%)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip28 (3%)

1998 Ford Contour: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Power Train:automatic Transmission Issues

Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 1998 Ford Contour, with 65 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 81,320 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 81K-mile mark.

Suspension:front:springs:coil Springs Issues

Suspension:front:springs:coil Springs complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 1998 Ford Contour, with 59 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to suspension:front:springs:coil springs-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Airbags Issues

Airbags complaints account for 4% of all reports filed for the 1998 Ford Contour, with 43 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to airbags-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline Issues

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline complaints account for 4% of all reports filed for the 1998 Ford Contour, with 38 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

231
00
166
01
115
02
50
03
40
04
26
05
19
06
12
07
7
08
6
09
9
10
6
11

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 1998 Ford Contour. Recent trend: decreasing.

Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own

Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (12 recalls)

00V075000Oct 2000

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES NOT EQUIPPED WITH THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS). A PRESSURE CONSCIOUS REDUCING VALVE (PCRV) IN THE REAR BRAKES MAY BE SUBJECT TO CORROSION AND RESULT IN MALFUNCTION, WHEN OPERATED IN AREAS THAT USE SALT COMPOUNDS ON THE ROADWAY FOR DE-ICING OR DUST CONTROL.

00V350000Nov 2000

FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: BI-FUEL VEHICLES. THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE A FUEL TANK FILLER PIPE GROMMET THAT COULD HAVE BEEN DAMAGED DURING THE INSTALLATION OF THE BI-FUEL SYSTEM. IF THE GROMMET IS DAMAGED, FUEL COULD LEAK. FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE COULD RESULT IN A FIRE. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL TANK FILLER PIPE GROMMET.

01I013000Sep 2001

SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:COIL SPRINGS

THIS IS NOT A SAFETY RECALL IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SAFETY ACT. HOWEVER, IT IS DEEMED A SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN BY THE AGENCY. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: 1998 FORD CONTOUR/MERCURY MYSTIQUE PASSENGER VEHICLES BUILT AT THE KANSAS CITY ASSEMBLY PLANT. THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS COULD POTENTIALLY FRACTURE DUE TO CORROSION.

01V230000Aug 2001

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

ON CERTAIN MY 1996-1998 PASSENGER VEHICLES BUILT AT THE KANSAS CITY, CUAUTITLAN ASSEMBLY PLANTS OR ON MY 1999 PASSENGER VEHCLES BUILT AT THE AUTOMOTIVE ALLIANCE INTERNATIONAL ASSEMBLY PLANTS, THE ROUGH SURFACE OF THE HEATER BLOWER RESISTOR'S STAINLESS STEEL BLADES CAN DAMAGE THE COPPER SURFACE OF THE WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR. THE DAMAGE COULD, OVER TIME, CAUSE INCREASED RESISTANCE IN THE CONNECTOR AND, DUE TO SUBSEQUENT TERMINAL RELAXATION, RESULT IN AN OPEN CIRCUIT CONDITION.

01V255000Oct 2001

SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:COIL SPRINGS

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES BUILT AT THE KANSAS CITY ASSEMBLY PLANT AND ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, AND WISCONSIN, AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS MAY FRACTURE AS A RESULT OF CORROSION IN HIGH CORROSION ENVIRONMENTS. DEPENDING ON THE LOCATION OF THE FRACTURE, A BROKEN SPRING COULD MOVE PAST THE SPRING SEAT AND CONTACT A FRONT TIRE.

+ 7 more recalls in the full report

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Ford Contour is the 2000 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.

1998 Ford Contour vs. Class Average (Compact Cars)

This vehicle

1,000

Class avg

167

6.0x the class average — significantly more complaints than typical compact cars vehicles.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 1,000 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 12 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Ford Contour Model Years

200120001999199819971996199519941993
View all Ford Contour years →

1998 Ford Contour: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 1998 Ford Contour?
The most commonly reported issue with the 1998 Ford Contour is related to the power train:automatic transmission, with 65 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 1998 Ford Contour reliable?
The 1998 Ford Contour has 1,000 complaints, 53 crash reports, and 23 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is 6.0x the class average — higher than typical for its segment.
How much does it cost to fix 1998 Ford Contour problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 1998 Ford Contour have any recalls?
Yes, the 1998 Ford Contour has 12 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Ford Contour problems start?
Based on 113 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 81,320 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 60–90K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 1,000 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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