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: broken coil spring
68 of the 844 complaints about the 1998 Ford Contour describe broken coil spring.
- owner complaints
- 68
- of this car's complaints
- 8%
- typical mileage
- 85,000
- recalls
- 1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 12 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Broken coil spring by model year
What owners say
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 ford contour. While driving approximately 40 MPH on a wet road, the steering wheel seized. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the coil springs were damaged. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact stated that the failure recurred every time the road was wet. The approximate failure mileage was 137,000.
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 However, now that the failure has occurred, the manufacturer stated that the recall was no longer valid.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.
Dt: the contact owns a 1998 ford contour. The contact complained about a rear coil spring problem. The contact stated while having the tires replaced the mechanic informed her that the left rear coil spring broke. The mechanic recommended that both coil springs be replaced. A recall on the front coil spring was issued, but not on the rear. The dealership stated they could not offer any type of service under a recall, and that the contact would have to cover the cost of the repairs. The manufacturer confirmed this decision by the dealership.
Dt: the caller found a recall on the front coil springs, but the manufacturer says it was an owner notification and not a recall. The caller has not had the failure yet the vehicle was making a noise. The dealer said there was some corrosion on the coil n springs. Manufacturer said they could not replace the coil springs until they fractured.
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
- Information on vehicles exhibiting a rubbing noise from the rear of the vehicle during heavily loaded...
- Experiencing vibration at 60 - 70 mph (110 - 12- kph)
- Some vehicles may exhibit a vibration at 60 - 70 mph (100 - 115 kph)
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
Questions about the 1998 Ford Contour coil spring
Is broken coil spring a common problem on the 1998 Ford Contour?
68 of 844 owner complaints about the 1998 Ford Contour (8%) mention broken coil spring. The model year with the most reports is 1998.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1998 Ford Contour?
There is 1 recall and 12 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 1998 Ford Contour
Airbag light 43Stalling 43Check engine light 33Headlights 31Fire or smoke 21Grinding brakes 20Transmission failure 17No deployment 16Overheating 15ABS 14Won't start 14Engine failure 13Jerking 13Slipping 13Loss of power 10Brake failure 8Fuel leak 8Power steering loss 8Sudden acceleration 8Fuel pump 7Seat belt 7Tire blowout 7Knocking 6Fuel gauge 6Adaptive cruise 5Pulling 5
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