Tl* the contact owns a 1995 ford contour. While driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was restarted after fifteen minutes and driven to the contact's residence. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who stated that a new transmission sensor was needed. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 84,000. Ma 10/2 updated 11/28/2017
Ford Contour transmission failure problems
47 of the 3,151 owner complaints about the Ford Contour describe complete transmission failure, most of them for the 1998 model year.
- owner complaints
- 47
- worst model year
- 1998
- typical repair cost reported
- $2,000
- typical mileage
- 84,000
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Check engine light 4Slipping 3Jerking 3Stalling 2Sudden acceleration 1Won't shift 1Seat belt 1
What owners say
I replaced the transmission in my 2001 ford contour in august, 2006. It is now june, 2007 and the transmission needs replacing again!!! I have heard from several people with contours that this is a common problem with that particular make/model. They have all gotten rid of theirs because of this major problem.
The transmission on my ford contour went out after just 70,000 miles. Of course it was after the warranty had ended. I did some research and found that other contours were experiencing the same problem. Ford did not recall and I paid 3000 dollars for ford to replace it. Along with the starter. Also the battery for the car is an international battery which is for bmw's and "international" vehicles. Ford is american yet made a car that needed an international battery. So a year and a half after the transmission was replaced sears has informed me that the transmission is leaking fluid and recommends I not drive the vehicle any more. While that happened the alternator went out on it. This car is junk and ford knows it!! Yet they have done nothing about it!!!
I was leaving work and discovered that my car now only goes in reverse-I have not had any problems with the transmission up to this point when from out of no where it just stopped working. The automotive shop tells me I have to go to a dealer to get a new transmission put in all costing more than the car is probably worth. Ford needs to recall this part-they're obviously having problems with it that are not "rare" or "unusual" for this transmission.
My 1995 contour gl v-6 sedan's automatic transmission failed after only 43,000 miles. An internal pump was found to be defective requiring the replacement of the entire transmission. Ford apologized by offered no compensation.
The vehicle's automatic transmission failed (1996 ford contour). *ph
Cd4e transmission in 1998 ford contour gl (same complaint as the c4de in the mazda 626). Transmission needed to be rebuilt due to the tss sensor breaking and falling inside the transmission - which stopped the pump and caused vehicle to become inoperable. The sensor is in the driver's side fenderwell, where it is exposed to road hazards and environmental conditions. Not a good design. Furthermore, the repair costs $3000 for a new transmission and all this happened because ford put the sensor in a position where it can break and cause significant damage. It's a lousy design. The sensor should be somewhere under the hood - not in the fenderwell.
Automatic transmission failed in 2001 (see odi # 759046 submitted 3/02). Transmission was rebuilt and remained in service until 2003. In june 2003, transmission began slipping under normal city driving conditions and was taken to independent mechanic for inspection and service. Transmission was deemed "unrebuildable" and replaced with new ford automatic transmission.
1998 ford contour se 4cyl VIN [xxx] - 4speed transmission. My wife was driving home from work when the transmission made sudden, erratic, jerky shifts on its own causing the car to pull from side to side and losing control and leaving the road and finally stopping in a field. I had to tow her out. The car now does not move forward, but does has reverse. Further research on the net has revealed other ford/mazda owners have experienced the same transmission failures. I am surprised the federal safety agency has not done anything about these transmissions. *ak information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
The vehicle experienced premature transmission failure.
Related recalls
Power train: automatic transmission: lever and linkage: floor shift
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The floor shift automatic transmission control can be damaged if subjected to certain interior cleaning products. The gear position indicator can deteriorate and not correctly indicate the actual gear position.
- Risk
- This condition can result in incorrect gear selection.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the automatic transmission floor shift control.
Recall number 98V233000 · Recall details
Questions about the Ford Contour transmission failure
Which Ford Contour years have complete transmission failure problems?
The model years with the most reports are 1998 (17 complaints), 1995 (10 complaints) and 1996 (10 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix complete transmission failure on the Ford Contour?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $2,000 (median of 5 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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