Vehicle won't pass inspection due to a Broken or cracked coil spring front passenger side. It was in a recall that we never received notification. And I don't feel like we should be out over $200 to get it licensed.
1998 Ford Contour suspension problems
102 complaints (12% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 81,320.
- owner complaints
- 102
- of this car's complaints
- 12%
- typical mileage
- 81,320
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 1
Which part fails
- Front: springs: coil springs72
- Front8
- Front: wheel bearing4
- Rear: springs: coil springs3
- Front: macpherson strut3
- Rear2
- Front: stabilizer bar2
- Rear: springs1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
Ford Contour suspension problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 1998 Ford Contour suspension
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
Suspension: front: springs: coil springs
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- Some tires have deflated due to contact with a broken spring.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install spring catcher brackets. Owner notification began october 23, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1‑866‑436‑7332.
Recall number 01V255000 · Recall details
What 1998 Ford Contour owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford contour. The contact stated that he parked his vehicle overnight and the next morning his front left spring had snapped in half. The contact stated that his tire was punctured as well. He contacted the dealer and they were unable to do anything for him. The current and failure mileages were 89,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford contour. The contact stated that the front driver's and passenger side coil springs came out of the spring catcher bracket while changing the tires. If a tire were there, it would have burst. The VIN was excluded from the federal safety agency campaign id number 01v255000. The manufacturer was not willing to assist or assume any liability for the failure. The failure and current mileages were less than 127,000. Updated 07/28/09 *bf updated 07/30/09.
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford contour. While driving 25mph the front coil spring on the passenger side of the vehicle broke and disabled the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer. She states that she contacted ford motor company, where they stated that her vehicle VIN number is not included. The total cost on repairs was $950.00. The federal safety agency campaign id number is: 01v255000. The failure mileage was 47,000 and the current mileage is 47,020.
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford contour. The vehicle was taken to the repair shop for regularly scheduled maintenance. The mechanic stated that the front passenger side coil spring failed. In 2001, the contact received a recall notice for the federal safety agency campaign id number 01v255000 (suspension:front:springs:coil springs). The dealer inspected the vehicle at that time and stated that no repair was needed. However, now that the failure has occurred, the manufacturer stated that the recall was no longer valid. The failure mileage was 73,000 and current mileage was 81,000. Updated 01/09/08. *lj the consumer stated the coils springs have been replaced twice in this vehicle. The dealer stated replaced headlight switch and cable in engine. Updated 12/12/07 *tr updated 06/04/08.
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford contour. He noticed that there was a fractured coil spring during a routine inspection. There is a safety recall for the suspension: front: springs: coil springs (the federal safety agency campaign #01i013000) however his VIN was not included. The vehicle purchase date was unavailable. The current mileage was 125,000 and the failure mileage was 124,000.
The contact stated that the left front spring broke and punctured the tire while the car was parked in the driveway. Car was towed to the dealer, who found recall notice and replaced left spring and left tire at no charge. Less than a year later the same thing happened to the right spring and tire. Car was again towed to dealer, who again replaced the spring and tire at no charge as this was a recall problem. Dealer could not understand why the right spring had broken because he claimed that the right spring had been automatically changed when the left one failed as part of the recall spring replacement instructions. That meant that the right spring failed after being on the car only 10 months. Car is a 1998 ford contour lx. Mileage 75,000. The car has performed fine other than this spring problem.
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford contour. The contact stated that the front springs failed on the vehicle. While the vehicle was parked the contact noticed that the driver's side tire was flat. Once the tire was removed it was evident that the front coil spring had punctured the tire. The vehicle has not been repaired. The current and failure mileages were 85,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford contour. The contact discovered that the right front tire was flat. In the process of fixing the tire the contact realized that the right front coil spring detached and punctured the tire. The dealer was contacted regarding the coil spring. There was recall # 01i013000. However, this vehicle was not included. The current and failure mileage were 81,320.ak
As of today my car has 100250 miles. The problem is that I took my car to the mechanic for routine checkup and he found that the front and back coil spring are defective and must be replaced asap. I went to the web site (the federal safety agency) and I found that these cars don't have a safety recall however, it is deemed a safety replacement for the defective part at not cost to the owner. I need ford to contact me via e-mail or by mail to where I can take my car (a service center authorized near to my house) to repair my car at not charge. I use my car primarily as a family car and I need my car in good condition for the safety of my family.
Questions about the 1998 Ford Contour suspension
Does the 1998 Ford Contour have suspension problems?
Owners have filed 102 complaints about the suspension of the 1998 Ford Contour, 12% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 1998 Ford Contour suspension problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 81,320 miles.
Was there a recall on the 1998 Ford Contour suspension?
Yes, 1 recall: 01V255000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Ford Contour have bad suspension?
The Ford Contour model years with the most suspension complaints are 1998 (102 complaints), 1995 (83 complaints) and 1996 (38 complaints).
Other 1998 Ford Contour problems
Engine 134Electrical 130Transmission 127Airbags 99Brakes 91Fuel system 71Lights 50Visibility 41Seats 35Acceleration 33Steering 33Body 18Seat belts 18Tires 13Wheels 12Locks 6Driver assistance 2
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