Ford Contour Reliability — Best and Worst Years by the Data

Quick answer

The 1995 draws 4.2 complaints per run and the 1997 2.62, a 1.6-fold gap within the same model. Half of all complaints arrive by 4 years of age, so 68% land after the 3-year basic warranty ends. The system owners report most is Electrical System, with 446 complaints, typically at 5.2 years.

Ford Contour years to avoid — and the best ones

FIG.01·Ford Contour — complaint rate by model year
Model year	Per run	Complaints	Runs	Enough history?
2000	2.9	145	50	yes
1999	3.86	324	84	yes
1998	3.45	673	195	yes
1997	2.62	178	68	yes
1996	3.81	461	121	yes
1995	4.2	698	166	yes

ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA complaints, grouped by VIN production run

Among the 6 Ford Contour years with enough history, the three to walk away from are 1995, 1999, 1996; the three worth hunting are 1997, 2000, 1998.

When it starts to break

FIG.02·Ford Contour — age at failure
Age at failure	Complaints	Running total	Warranty
0 years	203	10%	covered
1 year	208	20.3%	covered
2 years	235	32%	covered
3 years	318	47.7%	you pay
4 years	289	62%	you pay
5 years	246	74.2%	you pay
6 years	185	83.3%	you pay
7 years	99	88.2%	you pay
8 years	88	92.6%	you pay
9 years	37	94.4%	you pay
10 years	31	95.9%	you pay
11 years	22	97%	you pay
12 years	23	98.2%	you pay
13 years	17	99%	you pay
14 years	12	99.6%	you pay
15 years	8	100%	you pay

ROWS 16·SOURCE NHTSA complaints with incident dates

Basic warranty on this car is 3 years / 36,000 miles. Only 32% of reported failures happen inside it — the remaining 68% come out of the owner's pocket. Powertrain cover (5 years / 60,000 miles) reaches further, but it only covers the engine and transmission, which account for about 31% of the complaints here.

What actually fails — and at what age

On the Ford Contour, the early trouble is Power Train and Service Brakes — reported at around 4 years, so a car still under warranty is the one to check for it. What waits further out is Electrical System at 5.2 years — past every basic warranty, and the bill lands on whoever owns the car then.

FIG.03·Ford Contour — what fails and when
System	Complaints	Typical age	Crash	Fire
Electrical System	446	5.2 yrs	2	66
Engine And Engine Cooling	438	4.1 yrs	4	26
Power Train	319	4 yrs	4	2
Service Brakes	219	3 yrs	24	1
Suspension	212	4.4 yrs	4	—
Hydraulic	204	2.9 yrs	24	1
Fuel System	197	4.1 yrs	2	4
Gasoline	180	4.2 yrs	2	4

ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA complaints

What else in this class

6 models share the Contour's vehicle class. Per production run, the Toyota Corolla draws 5.16, the Lexus IS 1.31 and the BMW M3 1.49, against 3.74 for the Contour.

FIG.05·Ford Contour — rivals in the same class
Same class as the Contour	Complaints on record	Recall campaigns	Years built
Toyota Corolla	12,389	219	1981–2026
Lexus IS	47	118	2001–2026
BMW M3	565	78	1988–2026
Acura TLX	893	41	2015–2026
Ford Focus	22,576	138	2000–2026
Subaru WRX	290	17	2015–2026

ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA complaints and recall campaigns

The table shows totals on record; the rates per production run are in the sentence above.

Upgrade to Pro

Good year or bad year — the VIN settles it.

Check any VIN against complaints for its exact build year and plant
Exact value for that car, adjusted for its mileage
Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
Alerts if a recall lands on a car in your garage
No ads, on every page
No ads, no tracking — and much more

See plans → Start free →

Free plan available — no credit card needed

Everything on the Ford Contour

Recalls55 campaigns Fuel economy25 mpg best Common problems3,644 complaints Check a VINAgainst this exact build DimensionsSize, weight, generations Cargo space14 cu ft Window stickerOriginal Monroney label Decode a VINWhat each character means About this car1995–2000

Frequently asked questions

Is the Ford Contour reliable?

By complaints per production run it is worse than typical: 3.74 against 3.73 for the average car, and in the middle of its class rivals.

Which Contour years should you avoid?

By complaints per production run, 1995, 1999, 1996. The cleanest years old enough to judge are 1997, 2000, 1998. Years newer than 6 are left out: complaints keep arriving for years after a car is sold.

When do Contour problems usually start?

Half of all complaints arrive by 4 years of age. The most reported system is Electrical System, typically at 5.2 years, followed by Engine and Engine Cooling.

Will the warranty cover Contour problems?

Mostly not: basic cover is 3 years / 36,000 miles, and only 32% of reported failures fall inside it. Powertrain cover lasts longer, but engine and transmission make up about 31% of the complaints here.

Is the Contour more reliable than the Toyota Corolla?

Yes: 3.74 complaints per production run for the Contour against 5.16 for the Toyota Corolla.

Complaint records from NHTSA, grouped by VIN production run (characters 1–11). Rates, age-at-failure and warranty coverage computed by ForCar. Model years newer than 6 years are excluded from rankings — complaints accumulate for a decade (how we measure). Last updated Nov 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by Denis Kataev, founder of ForCar.

Found this useful?

Mark ForCar as a preferred source and our data shows up first in your Google results. One click, no account.

Prefer ForCar →