Problems with 1996 ford contour front brakes, transmission, fuse box, heater blower motor, electrical and steering and suspension. *mr for the second time, the vehicle had problems with the brakes making a loud rubbing sound, the stabilizer bar was replaced and needs to be replaced again. The transmission was leaking, water was inside of the headlight seals, which made the lights very dim, the selector mode switch on the heater motor blower did not work properly, which made the heat not work at a 100%. The upper ball joints, rack and pinion and wheel bearing were all defective. *jb
1996 Ford Contour: ball joint or control arm failure
6 of the 562 complaints about the 1996 Ford Contour describe ball joint or control arm failure.
- owner complaints
- 6
- of this car's complaints
- 1%
- recalls
- 0
Is there a fix? 10 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below
Ball joint or control arm failure by model year
- 19993
- 19981
- 19973
- 19966
- 19953
- 19941
What owners say
Tie rod broke just pulling out of a parking space. Lucky it was'nt on the freeway.
Driving 60mph. Heard popping noises. Vehicle uncontrollable. Went off road & down 30ft embankment & flipped over twice. Mechanic checked & noticed left front lower ball joint had fallen out. This caused a loss of control. 4 people were injured & everyone was wearing seat belts.
Was traveling 60mph & driver lost control of vehicle. Had swerved first left & went off road & then swerved to the right into 30ft ditch. Vehicle towed to mechanic & was informed the left ball joint had broken which caused loss of vehicle control. The vehicle was totaled. Driver/passengers suffered injuries.
Idler arm and front control arm failed.
Purchase car new was driving and lower ball joint came loose . Tt
Service bulletins that may apply
- Some vehicles may exhibit a noise that appears to come from the front wheel bearings
- Some vehicles may exhibit a vibration at 60-70 mph
- Customer may comment on vibration at 60 - 70 mph at cruise
- Vehicles with rear disc brakes may exhibit a squeak in the rear suspension area
- Concerns with vibration at 60 - 70 mph
- Experiencing vibration at 60 - 70 mph (110 - 12- kph)
- Some vehicles may exhibit a vibration at 60 - 70 mph (100 - 115 kph)
- Transaxle- CD4E- harsh shift and/or engagement- diagnostic trouble code (DTC) 628 or P0741- service tip
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 1996 Ford Contour ball joint
Is ball joint or control arm failure a common problem on the 1996 Ford Contour?
6 of 562 owner complaints about the 1996 Ford Contour (1%) mention ball joint or control arm failure. The model year with the most reports is 1996.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1996 Ford Contour?
There are 0 recalls and 10 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 17Engine failure 11Loss of power 11Transmission failure 10Won't start 9ABS 8Brake failure 8Warning lights 7Power windows 6Seat belt 6Grinding brakes 5Door locks 5Sudden acceleration 5Tire blowout 5
VIN decoder
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