Could not get an inspection sticker - no mechanic could find out why the check engine will not go off -very costly. It stalls when raining, the passenger door handle does not work, it has to warm up for 5 minutes before it will move, the tail lights came loose, causing melting of housing, every valve imaginable has been replaced, belt squeals when air or defrost turned on.
1997 Ford Contour: grinding or squealing brakes
6 of the 217 complaints about the 1997 Ford Contour describe grinding or squealing brakes.
- owner complaints
- 6
- of this car's complaints
- 3%
- recalls
- 1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 15 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Grinding or squealing brakes by model year
What owners say
I believe all 1997 ford contours should be recalled, over the past 3 years I have replaced the clutch, waterpump, blower motor, both lower control arms, bushings, sway bars, wheel bearings, front & rear brakes and rotors(both twice!!!!), axle, 2 oxygen sensors, catalytic converter, egr valve, coil springs, battery, balljoints, door latch, almost all of the full front suspension!!!! There are more parts that I had replaced but I can't remember all the names of the parts there are too many!! My check engine light will not turn off, seat belt light will not turn off, short in the drivers side power window, the engine will (rev) up by itself when it's in gear and when it's not, short in the drivers side power seats, water leakage in the trunk, A/C leaks onto the passenger side floor, all doors squeak no matter what you do, carpet is falling out, horn will not work most of the time, same for the cruise control, windshield wiper sprayer does not work, knocking noise coming from the engine, ended up in very bad debt because of this and no one will take it, I still owe money on the piece of crap. Contacted ford motor at one time regarding all the parts I replaced after the first year I had it, they say it's not there problem. Dealership who sold it to me says it was just fine, bull crap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I believe that those are too many items for a 1997 to go wrong on.
This has got to be the worst car we ever owned. Recently the A/C compressor made a grinding noise. The dealer said it would be $1200 to fix. They then said it would only be $950 because some parts were not needed. We later found out A/C isn't fixed and the dealer is demanding an additional $1200 to fix because they said we refused to fix the A/C the first time around. I would really like to know what we paid for the first time. We will never buy another ford again!!!
Took my car in for rattling when driving and steering. They ordered tack shield and bolts. Took it back in, they installed parts and said it didn't fix the problem. Had to order rack and pinion. Kept the car until that came in and installed it. A few days later it started squealing and smoking. Took it back in and they said it was leaking power steering fluid but they didn't know why. They kept it for a week, decided it was a defective part and installed another rack and pinion. Got it back and it was still rattling and now it has a low growl sound at an idle. Took it back. They had to replace the idler pulley and the right swade bar link. The growl is still there but they're saying that is now normal. It is not normal. It was not there until they started screwing around in there. This car is a piece of junk!
After driving through puddle, power steering assist is lost, drive belt squeals, and it becomes impossible to turn steering wheel for several seconds which causes lack of control. Ford has issued a tsb on this problem, but will not pay for repair.
When driving at any speed and applying the brakes there is a grinding noise coming from the brakes, and the brake rotors had to be replaced.
Service bulletins that may apply
- Safety recall pertaining to brake pressure control reducing valve replacement
- Information for servicing and diagnosing brake vibration, brake inspection, and brake friction material...
- Some vehicles may exhibit a groaning noise from the front brakes during city driving
- Experiencing a front brake groan during city driving
- Some vehicles may exhibit a front brake groan
- Hub-mount brake rotor machining equipment from rotunda is now approved for warranty and service use
- Service tip information regarding elimination of sanding rotors and drums
- Some vehicles parking brake equipped with rear disc brakes may stick and/or bind when attempting to release
Related recalls
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- If both pcrv's malfunction, vehicle handling could be adversely affected during braking as a result of the rear wheels locking, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install improved pcrv's in the rear brake system. This recall was expanded in september 2000 to include 1999 and 2000 ford contour, mercury mystique and cougar vehicles.
Recall number 00V075000 · Recall details
Questions about the 1997 Ford Contour grinding brakes
Is grinding or squealing brakes a common problem on the 1997 Ford Contour?
6 of 217 owner complaints about the 1997 Ford Contour (3%) mention grinding or squealing brakes. The model year with the most reports is 1998.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1997 Ford Contour?
There is 1 recall and 15 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 1997 Ford Contour
Headlights 10Fire or smoke 9Stalling 9Check engine light 8Transmission failure 5
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