The fuel pump failed frequently while driving, usually uphill. Car would stall and sometimes restart, creating a hazard when on the freeway. Eventually the fuel pump failed completely. My mechanic replaced it, having to retrofit the gas tank in order for the pump to be installed, removing certain fittings. The filler grommet was defective, and after the fuel pump was fixed and refueling was taking place, gasoline poured out of the tank and the car had to be returned to the mechanic. The replacement fuel pump failed about 10 months later, in sept. 2011. At that time, the car had been working fine the night before and wouldn't start in the morning. Ford will only guarantee the original replacement, so if the replacement had failed after more than two months, ford wouldn't have replaced the part. The driver's side window motor has broken three times. I have also had trouble with the air intake system, which causes a whine whenever the car is started cold. This is irritating, but doesn't seem to cause any difficulty with the operation of the car. The dashboard was recalled, a cheap plastic piece placed over the vents, which ruined the look of the dashboard. I persuaded the dealer to replace the dashboard as originally promised in the recall notice. The replacement has now also developed a problem with the vent being separated from the dash. There are also vague electrical problems, including surging and dimming of lights. Can't use the radio for fear of stalling the car, or use the heating system along with the rear defrost simultaneously.
Ford Contour fuel pump problems
49 of the 3,151 owner complaints about the Ford Contour describe fuel pump failure, most of them for the 2000 model year.
- owner complaints
- 49
- worst model year
- 2000
- typical repair cost reported
- $825
- typical mileage
- 81,600
By model year
Often reported together
Stalling 13Won't start 7Check engine light 6Hesitation 5Loss of power 4Overheating 3
What owners say
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford contour. The contact stated that when the fuel tank was half full, the engine would hesitate, lose power, surge and stall. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the fuel pump and fuel filter were replaced but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not contacted. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 120,000 and the current mileage was 170,000.
The engine wiring harness which connects to the vehicle's main power supply box has wiring for which the insulation comes off exposing live, bare wires. This leads to shorts in the electrical system which affects drivability (engine runs erratically and affects the electric fuel pumps operation) and could lead to a vehicle fire if the wiring suffers catastrophic failure. It goes without saying that if the car's fuel supply or engine control systems fail, the driver may lose control and become involved in a crash or collision. Ford does not sale replacement parts nor are parts available on the secondary market. The part number for the wiring harness on my car is f8rz14289ca. Ford should be required to replace these defective harnesses.
Tl* the contact owns a 1995 ford contour. The contact stated that while parked, a burning odor began to emit from the vents. In addition, the check engine light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostics, where the mechanic stated that the insulation on the wiring harness melted. The mechanic replaced the thermostat, radiator, oxygen sensor, fuel pump and fuel filter. The failure continued. There was a recall under the federal safety agency campaign id number 00v367000 (engine and engine cooling) that may be related to the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired a second time. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000. Updated 2/23/12
1999 ford contour, fuel constantly cutting off and not restarting. Shows gas but acts like no gas in car. Said to be fuel pump problem. No one can find issue. I have babies and had been stuck on freeway for over two hours when someone had to come and get us and tow vehicle home. Still not working.
Dash curling back. Strap for fuel tank rusted, going to break, rust on brake line, rust under both back doors and spreading to underneath car, radio speakers out, car hesitates while accelerating, trunk leaks defroster not working properly because of dash. Was not aware of a recall for dash. Should be recall for corrosion problem as it is unsafe to drive. I have no other means of transportation so I take a huge chance everytime I drive which is 3 or 4 times a week to work.. Fuel pump had to be replaced. Check engine light comes on for no reason. Piece of junk and I can't afford to buy another car. Ford should be ashamed of themselves. They should have to fix these cars or replace them. The mechanic told me the strap for fuel tank is going to break. The car only has 61,000 miles on it. What a joke!
Car acceleration was sluggish when brake was applied,a week later engine would kill when driving. Changed air filter,oil,and fuel line was cleared. A month later same thing is happening. Mechanic says may need new fuel pump,but not sure that will correct problem.
My 2000 ford contour se starting acting like there was no gas at around 1/4 tank. This continued every time my car got to 1/4 tank. Mechanic replaced fuel filter $54.90 for filter and diagnostic on 3/13/07. It still stuttering, hesitated and now was stalling. Mechanic replaced fuel pump $297.22 on 3/28/07. The problem persisted and now it was happening at 1/2 tank. Once summer hit, it was worse with the A/C. Between march and june 2007, mechanic replaced pump once and filter twice. On 6/27/07, car stalled and would not restart, tank was at 1/2. Mechanic replaced intake manifold runner control unit and the problem remained. The problem continued with hesitating and stalling especially uphill. On 8/21/07 replaced all the spark plugs and wires $234.90. The problem continued. My mechanic is at his wits end. The code on the check engine light is always the same. On 10/26/07, took the car back to my mechanic who had to replace the intake manifold runner control unit again. Decided to take my car to a different mechanic due to my current one not finding the problem. Replaced 2 oxygen sensors this week (11/7 and 11/9) one upstream and one downstream. The check engine light has come back on once again. If this is an intake manifold runner control unit problem then everyone that has had fuel pumps replaced will have to have them replaced again. This is not enjoyable since I drive 40 miles a day to work and halfway there I have to pull over and wait for the car to idle down before I can drive again or it will stall. This is not safe as this happens while people are driving and for no reason the car stalls in mid drive. Someone will get hurt and then there will be a recall. There were no events leading up to the failure except for taking my car for inspection which it passed. Two days later my car starts stalling and losing power. In 9 months I have spent close to $1000 to try and fix a problem that still is not fixed.
1999 ford contour se sport dashboard peeling. My dashboard started to peel away at approx 60,000 miles. I now have 80,000 miles on my car. I did not receive notice of a recall on this matter, which was apparently a secret. I have owned 3 fords and will never buy another due to the lax customer service and failure to take responsibility for product failure. I have also had all the head gaskets replaced (I am 60 and hardly hot rodding), rear struts and something related to a loud humming sound under the hood that was essential for the car to remain in working order and problems with the key sticking in the ignition and also a fuel pump.
My 95 contour started for two seconds, then died. It would not start after that. My mechanic determined that the fuel pump quit. I only had the car two days from purchase, so I checked online for service issues, recalls, etc., and found out all the various fuel, electrical, emission and other problems this vehicle has, my biggest concern being that it could catch fire(I do have a family to drive around), I am very disappointed about the uncooperative coming from the dealerships concerning all this, I am very low-income, I spent $1000.00 for this car thinking it was a good dependable car, and now find myself wondering how I will be able to afford all the repairs on my single income, ford, shame on you!!
Related recalls
Fuel system, other: storage: tank assembly
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: bi-fuel vehicles. These vehicles may have a fuel tank filler pipe grommet that could have been damaged during the installation of the bi-fuel system. If the grommet is damaged, fuel could leak. Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire. Dealers will replace the fuel tank filler pipe grommet.
- Risk
- If the grommet is damaged, fuel could leak. Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the fuel tank filler pipe grommet.
Recall number 00V350000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly: filler pipe and cap
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The fuel filler pipe vent hose may have less than the intended level of ozone resistance, which could result in the hose becoming brittle and cracking.
- Risk
- A cracked hose could result in fuel leakage when the vehicle is being fueled.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a fuel filler vent hose contacting the appropriate blend of pvc and nitrile rubber.
Recall number 99V247000 · Recall details
Fuel system, other: storage
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: bi-fuel vehicles modified to run on either gasoline or compressed natural gas (cng). The natural gas fuel tanks have a solenoid shut-off valve that stops fuel flow from the fuel tank in the event of certain moderate to severe collisions. If the vehicle is in a collision and the natural gas fuel line is damaged, the system could leak natural gas.
- Risk
- Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire.
- Remedy
- Ford has requested owners of these vehicles to have the cng fuel system disabled under a previous recall campaign and to only use gasoline fuel until a permanent corrective action is developed. Owners are being alerted to this solenoid valve concern at this time. The timing of corrective actions is being delayed to allow both conditions to be remedied at one time. In the meantime, there is not risk as long as the natural gas system has been disabled and the vheicle is only operated on gasoline.
Recall number 97V203000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly: filler pipe and cap
- What is wrong
- The fuel tank filler pipe opening reinforcement, constructed from two separately molded pieces, can leak at the weld.
- Risk
- Fuel leakage can result in a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the fuel tank assemblies with units containing one-piece molded reinforcements.
Recall number 95V232000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly: filler pipe and cap
- What is wrong
- The fuel tank filler pipe opening reinforcement can leak at the weld.
- Risk
- Fuel leakage can result in a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and, as appropriate, replace the fuel tanks.
Recall number 94V203000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly: filler pipe and cap
- What is wrong
- A metal shield on the outside of the plastic fuel filler pipe can develop a static electrical charge during refueling of the vehicle.
- Risk
- A static charge can discharge and serve as an ignition source for fuel vapors in the area of the filler pipe, resulting in a flash vapor ignition and a vehicle fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, modify the vehicles by adding a ground strap between the filler pipe shield and the body.
Recall number 94V184000 · Recall details
Questions about the Ford Contour fuel pump
Which Ford Contour years have fuel pump failure problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2000 (17 complaints), 1999 (14 complaints) and 1998 (7 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix fuel pump failure on the Ford Contour?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $825 (median of 8 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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