Tl*the contact owns a 1996 ford contour. The contact stated that the wiring harness was malfunctioning, which causes the check engine indicator to illuminate on the instrument panel, engine failure, and electrical fires under the hood. He has been repairing the failure himself, but the wiring harness continues to malfunction. The dealer stated that there were no recalls related to the failure and the repair would cost $1,500. The manufacturer stated that they would not repair the vehicle. The failure mileage was 103,000.
1996 Ford Contour: engine failure
11 of the 562 complaints about the 1996 Ford Contour describe engine failure.
- owner complaints
- 11
- of this car's complaints
- 2%
- typical mileage
- 90,000
- recalls
- 1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 38 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Engine failure by model year
What owners say
Tl*the contact owns a 1996 ford contour. One month ago, the contact discovered that there is a recall for her vehicle. She stated that the engine lights continue to illuminate while driving 40 MPH, and a wiring repair was performed in the transmission. She also stated that the wiring harness was damaged by the heater blower. The vehicle was purchased in 2001 and the contact has been experiencing engine failure ever since. The engine size is not available. The current mileage is 110,000 and failure mileage was 90,000.
Engine failure while accelerating in a passing zone.
Head gasket and engine failure on my 1996 ford contour at 64,000 miles. The car was well taken care of and it happened while I was in a passing zone and the car failed to accelerate. From what I can see over the internet, this is an on-going problem with ford.
This car has less than 70000 miles on it. We had trouble with the fuel door, front wheel bearings, brakes, door handles, transmission, electric windows, and now as a special treat the engine failed. This car has been the worst investment that my wife and I have ever made. I have have owned several cars and trucks with 200000 plus miles on them and none of them have ever been as problematic as this automobile.
The consumer stated that while driving the cooling fan seized. This caused the electrical components to melt and result in a fire. *ak the consumer saw the recall on the internet but later found out the vehicle was not included in the recall due to the VIN. The consumer fells the scope of the recall should be expanded. *ph
Also the timing belt is broken and there's nothing on owner's guide that tells you to change timing belt after 60,000 miles. Engine light on after one month of buying this car I call the dealer made appointments few times but the problem never went away, few times I had to pay for them to check on the way home the light is back on , I call them back and ask what's the problem , what's the purpose of me taking a day off to bring the car to be fix and the problem still exist., their remark was there's 23 sensor and they could'nt tell which one it was. Now I'm stuck paying 1 1/2 yrs on a car that I don't have , still have to came up with money to get a new engine in which I don't have , bumping ride to and from work, cancel all my appts. And begging people for rides so I can pick up kids from school and food shopping, I can't take the kids to do anything because I have no car that's not fare. Thank-you for all your help ,thank-you again.
The engine cooling fan broke prior to recall notice 00v‑367 causing the vehicle to overheat, the consumer had to have a new engine installed, consumer requests reimbursement. Nlm
Possible engine failure resulted in vehicle fire. (ohio traffic crash report)
Engine failed, causing smoke.
Engine overheated with no warning left us stranded in memphis, tn in ice storm, ruined engine. Had to replace engine, dealership could not tell us why this happened. The engine contained water and oil at the time.
Service bulletins that may apply
- Vehicles without the coolant lock-off may exhibit a no start condition
- Some engine assemblies with aluminum cylinder heads repaired in-vehile have been found to leak coolant...
- Engine oil system priming procedures, service tips for reports of premature engine failure
- Some vehicles may exhibit a check engine light and/or EGR diagnostic trouble codes 332, P0401, P1407...
- Subject regarding engine oil recommendations for use in 2001 vehicles - sae 5W-20 motor oil
- Owner notification program regarding additonal coverage for the engine cooling fan
- Some vehicles equipped with a 2.5L duratec engine may exhibit an engine overheat condition due to lack of...
- The temperature gauge reads high in the normal range when engine is at normal operating temperature.
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: 1995 passenger vehicles equipped with the 2.0l and 2.5l engines, and 1996 vehicles equipped with 2.5l engines. Tightening of the engine cooling fan motor bearings, up to and including motor stall, can result in increased motor torque and higher than normal motor current and accompanying high motor temperatures.
- Risk
- Overheating of the cooling fan motor due to excessive current can result in smoke and odors from bearing grease, insulation and other internal motor components. If electrical current continues to be applied to the motor, internal motor components could ignite possibly igniting other engine compartment components.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a positive temperature coefficient device in-line with each fan motor. Ford will also extend the warranty on the engine cooling fan assembly to a total of 8 years of service or 100,000 miles from the warranty start date, whichever occurs first. If the vehicle already has more than 100,000 miles, this coverage will last until july 31, 2001.
Recall number 00V367000 · Recall details
Questions about the 1996 Ford Contour engine failure
Is engine failure a common problem on the 1996 Ford Contour?
11 of 562 owner complaints about the 1996 Ford Contour (2%) mention engine failure. The model year with the most reports is 1995.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1996 Ford Contour?
There is 1 recall and 38 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 1996 Ford Contour
Headlights 54Stalling 34Overheating 24Fire or smoke 21Check engine light 17Loss of power 11Transmission failure 10Won't start 9ABS 8Brake failure 8Warning lights 7Ball joint 6Power windows 6Seat belt 6Grinding brakes 5Door locks 5Sudden acceleration 5Tire blowout 5
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