1997 Ford Contour Consumer Reviews
Most Helpful Reviews
Positive Review
I bought my SVT when it was 2 yrs old and had 59k miles on it. It is now 10 yrs old and has 203k miles on it. This car is great, the only two parts that have been replaced are the water pump and alternator. The car shows no signs of slowing down either. I run it on synthetic oil and premium gasoline and it stays clean and smooth. Great car, I don't know if I will ever find one I like more.
VS
Critical Review
Transmission failure in the automatics is very common. Mine died on the freeway with less than 78K miles and it is thousands of dollars to replace, more than the car is worth. These transmissions have many problems and you should be ready to throw away the car if it fails. Search for Contour Transmission failure if you want to get an idea of the failure rate. When I went to ask the local tech about the car, all I said was I have a Ford Contour and he said, "Let me guess, the transmission failed."
1997 Contour Reviews
Showing 8 of 419 reviews.
Reliable good looking basic transportation
Parts like transmission coolant lines are difficul
Great car overall, Considering it’s a 1996 it’s held up extremely well only problem is it’s hard to find parts for some things because of its age. The interior and exterior is in great shape after all these years.
Reliable
Not fast car
Good for work or to go to the store.................................................................
Great value, wonderful quality
Outdated media system, small cup holders
Very reliable. Love the car. Very, very reliable so far. Not expensive to service. Comfy. Handles very well. Best of all, not afraid of bills if I dent it (which I have).
little car its easy to get in and out others cant
parts are DIFFICULT to find, small back seat
I have had this car since Nov of 2015...Now its July 2016. I have only had to replace two things on it. windshield wiper motor and shifter cable. PARTS ARE DIFFICULT TO FIND HOWEVER NOT IMPOSSIBLE. Anything I've needed my mechanic has found or I have found on my own ONLINE. I wish I could tell the person who reviewed before me where to find some parts online and to keep looking. This car is great its just unfortunate that both Ford and the after market did not pick up the make bc it was an unpopular car. So a junk yard or online is about the only place YOU will find the parts if your mechanic doesnt want to search for them. It had 130k on it when I got it and now I have 145k and she's still running great. Power windows are having problems as well as the A/C blend door. In FL, A/C is a MUST! Debating on getting a new car if fixing the air costs more than the 800$ I spent on the car. Otherwise decent vehicle will little problems.
the car is running ok, but i have to take it to inspection, and i found tha check engine light is on ( a pain)took it to the mechanic and to my surprise he told me that the sensor i need to change is not available anymore because the car is OLD.even the dealer didnt have it,he called everywhere with no luck.i cant buy another car, right now, how come am going to get rid of a car with 88.500 miles,well kept, am not cheap, i fix everything.how come FORD does not have a parts compatible with my car, even if they dont make the car anymore, am so sad.
HAS ONLY NEEDED THE USUAL THINGS YOU WOULD DO ON ANY CAR YOU OWNED LIKE TIRES OIL CHANGES PLUGS & WIRES AND SO FORTH NEVER ANY TROUBLE WITH IT.
Reliable if taken care of, mpg, handling, comfy
Not fun to work on, rust, not good in snow/ice
Wonderful car for getting around and cheep to own. I highly recommend this car for any first driver. It's cheap so if you hit something or get hit its not expensive and it's bound to need something fixed so you can get get experience working on the thing. Personally I find it very comfy inside and fun to drive. The engine feels a little underpowered and really roars when you floor it. If taken care of it will last a good long time, I've had mine for a couple years got a ton of miles on it. Previous owner used it to drive across the country and its still going. Gets great mileage, gotten 32 hwy once :) handles well in the country or in mud but not well at all in the snow. Over all a fun little car that I highly recommend to first-time drivers as it's cheap and fun and will teach you how to work on a vehicle and nothing is really too expensive to fix.
Handling excels, good power, reliable. USA's BMW!
Ergonomics, rear seat space, minimalist int.
We bought this 1999 SE Sport in 2001 from dealer. It has been extremely reliable, only requiring (self-done) maintenance and a few age-related replacements (fuel pump, battery, alternator, power steering pump). The performancehas always been its best feature, handling being BMW-esque. It's like driving a go-kart: you know the power/acceleration aren't phenomenal but for the scale of vehicle, you begin to feel you could challenge a Ferrari! I've always found Ford seats to be comfortable and despite minimal padding to save space, these are survivable even on long journeys. It's biggest downside, though, is the ergonomics: cupholders too small and FORWARD of the gear-shift, no storage to speak of, center tray right under e-brake, minimalistic despite price, cramped engine bay. Still, the car has survived trans-California road-trips, daughter's college years and my neanderthal speed-shifting without issues. It's still on the original clutch! It out-does (out-DID) neighborhood 'rice-rockets' stock! I'm thinking of adding a turbo or converting to electric IF it ever dies!
