1995 Ford Contour problems & reliability
891 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1995 Ford Contour, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
30 complaints report injuries (40 injured, 11 deaths reported).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 224 | 25% |
| Electrical System | 180 | 20% |
| Power Train | 126 | 14% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 83 | 9% |
| Suspension | 83 | 9% |
| Steering | 76 | 9% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 72 | 8% |
| Air Bags | 44 | 5% |
| Seat Belts | 43 | 5% |
| Visibility | 43 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 100,000 miles (middle 50% between 78,000 and 128,000 miles), based on 77 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“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…”
Power Train · filed Jul 20, 2015
“Tl* the contact owns a 1995 ford contour. The contact stated a burning odor was emitted from the air vents. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis, where the mechanic stated that the insulation on the wiring harness had melted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of…”
Engine · filed Oct 8, 2013
“Tl* the contact owns a 1995 ford contour. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 mph, the contact noticed that the front passenger side tire was flat. The tire was replaced with a spare, which was also punctured. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The mechanic…”
Suspension · filed Jan 14, 2013
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- INCORRECT GEAR INDICATION
Recall Query RQ02006 · opened Feb 26, 2002 · closed Sep 12, 2002 · led to recall 98V233000
- BLOWER SWITCH/RESISTOR OR WIRING HARNESS
Engineering Analysis EA01001 · opened Jan 5, 2001 · closed Jul 31, 2001 · led to recall 01V230000
- BLOWER SWITCH/RESISTOR OR WIRING HARNESS
Preliminary Evaluation PE00023 · opened Jun 14, 2000 · closed Jan 5, 2001
- ENGINE COOLING FAN FIRES
Engineering Analysis EA00005 · opened Feb 23, 2000 · closed Nov 9, 2000 · led to recall 00V367000
- VARIOUS INTERMITTENT ELECTRICAL ISSUES
Recall Query RQ99019 · opened Sep 15, 1999 · closed Mar 7, 2001 · led to recall 99V243000
- ENGINE COOLING FAN FIRES
Preliminary Evaluation PE99052 · opened Aug 18, 1999 · closed Feb 23, 2000
- FRONT SUSPENSION COIL SPRING FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE98050 · opened Sep 14, 1998 · closed Feb 4, 1999
Technical service bulletins
223 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1995 Ford Contour. The 10 most recent:
Remote keyless entry (rke) - service tips. *tt
03181 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 15, 2003
New transmission cooler flusher - service tips. 2003 escort and super duty f series included. *tt
03148 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 21, 2003
Inoperative shift interlock solenoid or repeat instrument interface module failure. *tt
16880 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 1, 2003
Climate control a/c service tech tips. *eh
02208 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 14, 2002
Replacement speaker installation tips. *tt
022001 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2002
Lamp-brake-invadvertent disabling of brake shift interlock. *mj
02176 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 2, 2002
Subject regarding automatic shifter assembly or the indicator housing replacement. *tt
15894 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2002
Some vehicles equipped with the cd4e transaxle may exhibit harsh and delayed 1-2/2-3 upshifts after transaxle or turbine shaft speed sensor replacement, possible diagnostic trouble codes 628, 642, 645, 646, 647, 648…
0224 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 4, 2002
Concern with headlamps and/or instrument panel lamps dimming slightly at idle. *tt
15636 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 2002
Some engine assemblies with aluminum cylinder heads repaired in-vehile have been found to leak coolant and/or oil from the cylinder head gasket area. *tt
0214 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 21, 2002
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 1995 Ford Contour has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1995 Ford Contour?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 100,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.