1996 Ford Contour: recalls and complaints
NHTSA lists 8 recall campaigns for the 1996 Ford Contour. The newest campaign is 01V230000. NHTSA received the report on 9 Jul 2001. The NHTSA record gives the component Electrical System. NHTSA has 563 complaints on file for this model year. 5 NHTSA investigations name this model year.
The NHTSA recall file shows no do-not-drive advisory and no park-outside advisory on these campaigns.
This page cannot show if a recall applies to one vehicle. The NHTSA VIN lookup shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle.
Remedy of the newest campaign, 01V230000, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will install a new heater blower resistor and a new wire jumper harness. Owner notification began august 29, 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 1-800-392-3673.
Complaint information entered into NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation vehicle owner's complaint database is used with other data sources to identify safety issues that warrant investigation and to determine if a safety-related defect trend exists.
NHTSA publishes these words. Source: NHTSA Datasets and APIs, section Complaints, read on . Complaint file through . Recall file through .
Since the last update
No tracked figure of this page changed in a data update. What the log tracks
Recall campaigns
8 campaigns, newest first. 1,884,426 units in total.
- 01V230000Electrical System
- 00V367000Engine and Engine Cooling
- 00V075000Service Brakes, Hydraulic / Foundation Components
- 99V247000Fuel System, Gasoline / Storage / Tank Assembly / Filler Pipe and Cap
- 99V103000Exterior Lighting / Headlights / Switch
- 98V233000Power Train / Automatic Transmission / Lever and Linkage / Floor Shift
- 97V225000Vehicle Speed Control / Cables
- 97V203000Fuel System, Other / Storage
01V230000Received . 342,962 units.
Electrical System
- Defect, in the NHTSA record
On certain my 1996-1998 passenger vehicles built at the kansas city, cuautitlan assembly plants or on my 1999 passenger vehcles built at the automotive alliance international assembly plants, the rough surface of the heater blower resistor's stainless steel blades can damage the copper surface of the wiring harness connector. The damage could, over time, cause increased resistance in the connector and, due to subsequent terminal relaxation, result in an open circuit condition.
- Consequence, in the NHTSA record
The open circuit could lead to electrical arcing that could melt the connector housing material creasing the potential for a fire.
- Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will install a new heater blower resistor and a new wire jumper harness. Owner notification began august 29, 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 1-800-392-3673.
Report filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY. Manufacturer campaign number 01S22. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .
00V367000Received . 262,559 units.
Engine and Engine Cooling
- Defect, in the NHTSA record
Vehicle description: 1995 passenger vehicles equipped with the 2.0l and 2.5l engines, and 1996 vehicles equipped with 2.5l engines. Tightening of the engine cooling fan motor bearings, up to and including motor stall, can result in increased motor torque and higher than normal motor current and accompanying high motor temperatures.
- Consequence, in the NHTSA record
Overheating of the cooling fan motor due to excessive current can result in smoke and odors from bearing grease, insulation and other internal motor components. If electrical current continues to be applied to the motor, internal motor components could ignite possibly igniting other engine compartment components.
- Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will install a positive temperature coefficient device in-line with each fan motor. Ford will also extend the warranty on the engine cooling fan assembly to a total of 8 years of service or 100,000 miles from the warranty start date, whichever occurs first. If the vehicle already has more than 100,000 miles, this coverage will last until july 31, 2001.
Report filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY. Manufacturer campaign number 00S44. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .
00V075000Received . 436,200 units.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic / Foundation Components
- Defect, in the NHTSA record
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles not equipped with the anti-lock braking system (ABS). A pressure conscious reducing valve (pcrv) in the rear brakes may be subject to corrosion and result in malfunction, when operated in areas that use salt compounds on the roadway for de-icing or dust control.
- Consequence, in the NHTSA record
If both pcrv's malfunction, vehicle handling could be adversely affected during braking as a result of the rear wheels locking, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will install improved pcrv's in the rear brake system. This recall was expanded in september 2000 to include 1999 and 2000 ford contour, mercury mystique and cougar vehicles.
Report filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY. Manufacturer campaign number 00S03. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .
99V247000Received . 22,324 units.
Fuel System, Gasoline / Storage / Tank Assembly / Filler Pipe and Cap
- Defect, in the NHTSA record
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.
- Consequence, in the NHTSA record
A cracked hose could result in fuel leakage when the vehicle is being fueled.
- Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will install a fuel filler vent hose contacting the appropriate blend of pvc and nitrile rubber.
Report filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY. Manufacturer campaign number 99S24. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .
99V103000Received . 605,581 units.
Exterior Lighting / Headlights / Switch
- Defect, in the NHTSA record
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The terminals at the headlight switch and wiring harness connector can experience heat damage as a result of overheating.
- Consequence, in the NHTSA record
The damage could result in distortion of the terminal causing an open circuit in the instrument panel illumination, parking lamp, and tail lamp circuits.
- Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will install a headlamp switch wiring connector containing bronze terminals and an inspection, and replacement if necessary, of the headlamp switch.
Report filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY. Manufacturer campaign number 99S14. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .
98V233000Received . 175,000 units.
Power Train / Automatic Transmission / Lever and Linkage / Floor Shift
- Defect, in the NHTSA record
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.
- Consequence, in the NHTSA record
This condition can result in incorrect gear selection.
- Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will replace the automatic transmission floor shift control.
Report filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .
97V225000Received . 38,000 units.
Vehicle Speed Control / Cables
- Defect, in the NHTSA record
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with the traction control option. The throttle cables were damaged during vehicle assembly leading to fraying or separation of the throttle cable.
- Consequence, in the NHTSA record
This condition could prevent the engine from returning to idle.
- Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will replace the throttle cable with a revised design that is less susceptible to bending or kinking during installation.
Report filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .
97V203000Received . 1,800 units.
Fuel System, Other / Storage
- Defect, in the NHTSA record
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.
- Consequence, in the NHTSA record
Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire.
- Remedy, in the NHTSA record
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.
Report filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .
The campaign number opens the NHTSA record. Each quotation is the text of the NHTSA recall file.
Recall campaign: One recall in the NHTSA recall file, with one campaign number. A campaign can name many makes, models and model years.
Units: The number of vehicles or products that a recall can include. The manufacturer or the firm reports the number to the agency.
Complaints by component
563 complaints, 858 component mentions.
A complaint can name more than one component. Each component that a complaint names is one component mention. The figure per 1,000 component mentions shows how many of each 1,000 mentions name the component.
- 1996 Ford Contour
- All 1996 vehicles
| Component | 1996 Contour | All 1996 vehicles | Contour, all years | Mentions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 172.5 | 84 | 141.4 | 148 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 166.7 | 140.9 | 152.5 | 143 |
| Power Train | 100.2 | 97.9 | 95.2 | 86 |
| Exterior Lighting | 87.4 | 22.9 | 41.4 | 75 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 61.8 | 120.9 | 70.5 | 53 |
| Visibility | 53.6 | 59 | 50.3 | 46 |
| Equipment | 50.1 | 21.9 | 29.3 | 43 |
| Suspension | 47.8 | 55 | 66.7 | 41 |
| Steering | 37.3 | 48.9 | 40.3 | 32 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 36.1 | 42 | 27.6 | 31 |
The table shows the 10 components with the most mentions, of 26.
- Complaints that report a crash
- 35
- Complaints that report a fire
- 24
- Injuries in the complaints
- 39
- Deaths in the complaints
- 0
- Date of the newest complaint
- 20 Sep 2021
These figures are the entries of the persons who sent the complaints.
Complaint: A report about a possible safety problem that a person sends to NHTSA. This site shows the number of complaints and not their text.
Investigations
| Number | Type | Subject | Component | Opened | Closed | Campaign |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RQ02006 | Recall query | INCORRECT GEAR INDICATION | Power Train | 26 Feb 2002 | 12 Sep 2002 | 98V233000 |
| EA01001 | Engineering analysis | BLOWER SWITCH/RESISTOR OR WIRING HARNESS | Electrical System | 5 Jan 2001 | 31 Jul 2001 | 01I009000 |
| PE00023 | Preliminary evaluation | BLOWER SWITCH/RESISTOR OR WIRING HARNESS | Electrical System | 14 Jun 2000 | 5 Jan 2001 | |
| RQ99019 | Recall query | VARIOUS INTERMITTENT ELECTRICAL ISSUES | Unknown or Other | 15 Sep 1999 | 7 Mar 2001 | 99V243000 |
| PE98063 | Preliminary evaluation | HEADLIGHT SWITCH | Exterior Lighting | 3 Dec 1998 | 10 May 1999 | 99V103000 |
Investigation: A study of a possible safety defect by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation with no closing date in the NHTSA file is open.
Other model years
The number under each year is the number of recall campaigns.
A year without a link has fewer than 2 campaigns and fewer than 25 complaints. It has no page.
Follow by RSS:Ford recallsVehicle recalls
Official channels
- NHTSA VIN lookupNHTSA shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle from its VIN or its license plate.
- NHTSA: report a safety problemThe NHTSA form for a complaint about a vehicle, a tire, a child seat or equipment.
- NHTSA page of the 1996 Ford ContourThe recalls, the complaints and the investigations that NHTSA shows for this model year.
Cite this page
Recall Register. 1996 Ford Contour: recalls and complaints. https://recallregister.com/vehicle/ford/contour/1996/. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall, complaint and investigation files. Data through .
Sources
- Source
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
- Licence
- US government work, public domain
- Recall file through
- 30 Sep 2026
- Complaint file through
- 30 Sep 2026
- First complaint in the file
- 1 Jan 1995
- Manufacturer in the recall file
- FORD MOTOR COMPANY
The NHTSA record is the authority. A complaint count is the number of different complaint numbers for the make, the model and the model year. How the register is made. Report an error.
Questions
- How many units are in the recall campaigns for the 1996 Ford Contour?
- 1,884,426 units in 8 campaigns. A campaign can name other models and model years, and its units include them.
- How many recall campaigns does the Ford Contour have for all model years?
- NHTSA lists 22 recall campaigns for the Ford Contour, model years 1993 to 2001. 8 of them name the 1996 model year.
- Which component do the complaints about the 1996 Ford Contour name most often?
- Electrical System: 148 of 858 component mentions, or 172.5 per 1,000. For all 1996 vehicles the figure is 84 per 1,000.
- Is an NHTSA investigation of the 1996 Ford Contour open?
- No. Each of the 5 investigations that name this model year has a closing date in the NHTSA file.