1998 Ford Contour engine and engine cooling problems
132 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the engine and engine cooling on the 1998 Ford Contour — 16% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford contour. The contact stated that bolts were missing from the engine and transmission. He did not know the bolts were missing at the time the vehicle was purchased. The dealer stated that they did not have the necessary parts available, but would have them ordered…”
filed Mar 31, 2009
“Original start date 1-12-07. Timing belt shredded. Had shop fix the problem. 4-2-07 belt broke again replaced again. 10-18-07 timing belt broke again. Shop did not want to replace again said it is dealer problem. Dealer says shop problem. Shop says it will fix on 11-2-07. Shop finally fixes on…”
filed Mar 14, 2008
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related service bulletins
The malfunction indicator lamp (mil) may be illuminated and diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) p1380, p1381, p1383, and/or p0340 may be stored in memory. *tt
031514 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 4, 2003Vehicles without the coolant lock-off may exhibit a no start condition. *tt
03103 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 26, 2003
Engine and Engine Cooling problems in other Contour years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 Contour | 14 | 7% |
| 1999 Contour | 52 | 12% |
| 1997 Contour | 35 | 16% |
| 1996 Contour | 123 | 22% |
| 1995 Contour | 224 | 25% |
Other reported problem areas on the 1998 Ford Contour
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.