10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
18 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
14 / 0
Average Mileage:
10,239 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

1998 Ford Contour seat belts / air bags problems

seat belts / air bags problem

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1998 Ford Contour Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #27

Apr 202006

Contour 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 187,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I was driving a 1997 Ford Contour. This was the car I drove to and from work. I was driving to longview community college(lvcc) for a rehearsal and lesson on the bruce watkins drive (highway 71) South. The traffic was heavy as there was an accident at the grandview triangle. I was in the middle lane just at the 87th street exit. A vehicle cut in front of me to exit at this turn off. I was slowed to about 35 mph and was driving across a bridge. At the end of that bridge was a huge bump. As I hit that bump, the air bag exploded. I could not see with the powder, smoke and the smell ( which was burning my eyes.) I ran into the back of a trail Blazer. The trailer hitch rammed through the radiator. The driver did not know that I even had hit him. 60 seconds after the accident, a police captain detective on her way home from the metropolitan police station, asked me if I was ok. She said, "I saw the air bag deploy before you hit that car in front of you." The noise of the horn was loud. The front windshield was broken by the hood, which was bent back like a banana. All of the glass in the front was all broken. I was checked out by the mast ambulance. The car was loaded on a truck and pulled onto the property of dick smith Ford in raytown, mo. I called my agent with state farm insurance, and he got me in touch with their underwriters after the car was written off as being a total wreck. I had informed him what happened. The underwriters said, "they would have to pick and chose their battles with a big company like Ford." I also called Ford in Michigan and informed them about this situation. I have found on the internet 13 other examples of this kind of accident. I did not receive a ticket or any notice of wrongful driving. I did go to my doctor for several adjustments on my neck and back.

- Raytown, MO, USA

problem #26

Jun 162005

Contour 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Contact states while driving both air bags deployed without an impact. Vehicle was towed to a towing yard. The service dealer and the manufacturer have been informed that the air bags deployed without an impact.

- Framingham, MA, USA

problem #25

Jun 292004

Contour

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Consumer's vehicle was stopped at a traffic ligh and another vehicle rear-ended it, causing consumer's vehicle to rear end another vehicle. Upon impact, both front air bags did not deploy. Consumer had the vehicle towed to the dealership.

- Columbus, GA, USA

problem #24

May 052003

Contour

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

While driving another vehicle T-bone the consumer's vehicle on the passenger side. The drivers side airbag didn't deploy.

- Mesa, AZ, USA

problem #23

Mar 232003

Contour

  • 89,465 miles
The air bags were inoperative.

- Princeton, WI, USA

problem #22

Feb 052003

Contour

  • miles
Air bags deployed while vehicle was parked..

- Julian, WV, USA

problem #21

Sep 122002

(reported on)

Contour

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Consumer states air bag moudle shorted out.

- Shullsburg, WI, USA

problem #20

Mar 312002

Contour

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
When making a turn at about 5-10 mph, another vehicle hit consumer's vehicle head on, causing vehicle to start spinning on the street. Upon impact, none of the air bags deployed. Air bags deployed after impact, while spinning, five people were injured.

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #19

Jan 172002

Contour

  • miles
Driver's air bag failed to deploy.

- Revelstoke /Bc, CD, USA

problem #18

Jan 172002

Contour

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Vehicle was involved in a frontal collision. Upon impact airbags did not deploy, causing injury to the driver. In which the vehicle was totalled.

- Revelstoke /Bc, CD, USA

problem #17

Aug 122001

Contour

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

While traveling at about 65 mph in pouring rain, the airbag warning light started to flash a code 5 and 2. next morning light was off. Consumer took vehicle to dealer, and they could not duplicate problem. Consumer felt like airbag system was disabled, and may not deploy in an accident. Dealer replaced front airbags under recall 99 V 243 000.

- Waterford, CT, USA

problem #16

Jan 042001

Contour

  • miles
While driving about 30 mph rear ended another vehicle, and air bags did not deploy. Consumer was concerned.

- Corpus Cristi, TX, USA

problem #15

Dec 162000

Contour

  • miles
Vehicle was involved in a frontal collision with another vehicle at 25-30 mph impact. Upon impact, both air bags did not deploy. Feel free to provide any further details on this matter.

- Cliffwood, NJ, USA

problem #14

Jun 182000

Contour

  • miles
Vehicle involved in a frontal collision at an impact of 45-50 mph, and driver's air bag failed to deploy. No injuries were reported.manufacturer notified, and urged consumer to call NHTSA. Feel free to provide further details.

- Reno, NV, USA

problem #13

Nov 241999

Contour

  • miles
Consumer had a head-on collison, and the air bags came out with such a force that it knocked off cap on driver's head and his glasses. Consumer received recall notice 3 months after the recall was issued. Recall 99V243000.

- Hartford, CT, USA

problem #12

Feb 022000

Contour

  • miles
Consumer's wife was driving about 30 mph and she rear ended a vehicle in front. Upon impact, air bags did not deploy.

- Mound, IL, USA

problem #11

Feb 011999

(reported on)

Contour

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Violent deployment of passenger side air bag during collision caused injury to consumer face.

- San Jose, CA, USA

problem #10

Jul 091999

Contour

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
When traveling 31 mph consumer was involved in a head-on collsion in which neither driver's side nor passenger's side air bags deployed upon impact. Consumer has contacted the dealer, vehicle was totaled. Vehicle accelerated on its own, lost control, hit an embankment head-on

- Fayetteville, AR, USA

problem #9

Sep 201999

Contour

  • miles
While driving at about 35 mph in wet conditions consumer hit a ditch and caused the airbags to deploy. Passenger side airbag was burning around the subframe.

- Newman, GA, USA

problem #8

Aug 211999

Contour

  • miles
Vehicle was involved in a frontal collision, and the airbags did not deploy. Vehicle has been repaired.

- Sante Fe Springs, CA, USA

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