2001 Ford Contour problems
The Ford Mondeo I (first generation) is a mid-size car that was produced by Ford, beginning on 23 November 1992, with sales beginning on 22 March 1993. It is also known as the Mk I Mondeo; the 1996 facelift versions are usually designated Mk II. Available as a four-door saloon, a five-door hatchback, and a five-door estate, all models for the European market were produced at Ford's plant in the Belgian city of Genk. In December 1992, Autocar published a section on the Mondeo, and how it would conquer rivals.
Intended as a world car, it replaced the Ford Sierra in Europe, the Ford Telstar in a large portion of Asia and other markets, while the Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique replaced the Ford Tempo and Mercury Topaz in North America. Despite being billed as a world car, the only external items the Mondeo shared initially with the Contour were the windscreen, front windows, front mirrors and door handles. Thus, the CDW27 project turned out not to be a true world car in the sense that the original Ford Focus and newer Fords developed under the "One Ford" policy turned out to be. The first generation Mondeo was replaced in 2000, by the larger second generation; in the United States and Canada, the Contour/Mystique were replaced initially by the Focus and later the Fusion.
Design and development
Mk I
Instigated in 1986 (just before its Sierra predecessor received a major facelift), the design of the car cost Ford US$6 billion. It was one of the most expensive new-car programmes ever. The Mondeo was significant as its design and marketing were shared between Ford USA in Dearborn and Ford of Europe. Its codename while under development reflected thus: CDW27 signified that it straddled the C and D size classes and was a "world car". The head of the Mondeo project was John Oldfield, headquartered at Ford Dunton in Essex.
A large proportion of the high development cost was due to the Mondeo being a completely new design, sharing very little, if anything, with the Ford Sierra. Unlike the Sierra, the Mondeo is front-wheel drive in its most common form, with a rarer four-wheel drive version available on the Mk I car only. Over-optimistically, the floor pan was designed to accept virtually any conceivable drivetrain, from a transverse inline-four engine to a longitudinal V-8. This resulted in a hugely intrusive and mostly disused bellhousing cover and transmission tunnel. Resultingly the front interior, especially the footwells, feels more cramped than would be expected from a vehicle of this size. The Mondeo featured new manual and automatic transmissions and sophisticated suspension design, which give it class-leading handling and ride qualities, and subframes front and rear to give it executive car refinement. The automatic transmission featured electronic control with sport and economy modes plus switchable overdrive. The program manager from 1988, and throughout its early development, was David Price.
By 1989, Ford had confirmed that it would be launching an all-new front-wheel drive car to replace the Sierra within the next four years, although it had not yet decided whether the Sierra name would continue or be replaced, with some subsequent reports even hinting that the Cortina name could make a comeback, having been axed in 1982 when replaced by the Sierra. Several prototypes were tested that year, but the launch of the Nissan Primera in 1990 prompted Ford to make a number of major alterations to the final product, as it saw the new competitor from Nissan to be the benchmark car in this sector, having previously identified the Honda Accord as the class leader.
The car was launched in the midst of turbulent times at Ford of Europe, when the division was haemorrhaging hundreds of millions of dollars, and had gained a reputation in the motoring press for selling products which had been designed by accountants rather than engineers. The fifth-generation Escort and third-generation Orion of 1990 was the zenith of this cost-cutting/high-price philosophy, which was by then beginning to backfire on Ford, with the cars being slated for their substandard ride and handling, though a facelift in 1992 had seen things improve a little. The Sierra had sold well, but not as well as the all-conquering Cortina before it, and in Britain, it had been overtaken in the sales charts by the newer Vauxhall Cavalier. Previously loyal customers were already turning to rival European and Japanese products, and by the time of the Mondeo's launch, the future of Europe as a Ford manufacturing base was hanging in the balance. The new car had to be good, and it had to sell. It was unveiled to the public on 23 November 1992, although sales would not begin for another four months. At this stage, Ford confirmed that the new car would feature a completely new name and would be called the Mondeo.
Safety was a high priority in the Mondeo design, with a driver's side airbag (it was the first-ever car sold from the beginning with a driver's airbag in all of its versions, which helped it achieve the European Car of the Year title for 1994), side-impact bars, seat belt pretensioners, and antilock braking systems (higher models) as standard features. Other features for its year included adaptive damping, self-leveling suspension (top estate models), traction control (V6 and 4WD versions), and heated front windscreen, branded Quickclear.
The interiors were usually well-appointed, featuring velour trim, an arm rest with CD and tape storage, central locking (frequently remote), power windows (all round on higher models), power mirrors, illuminated entry, flat-folding rear seats, etc. Higher-specification models had leather seats, trip computers, electric sunroof, CD changer, and alloy wheels.
During its development, Ford used the 1986 Honda Accord and in the later stages the 1990 Nissan Primera as the class benchmarks that the CDW27 had to beat.
Social links
Common 2001 Ford Contour problems
The Ford Contour, produced in the early 2000s, is known for certain issues that have been reported by its owners.
Another issue that has been reported is the fragility of window regulators. This problem has been noted in other Ford, Lincoln, and Jaguar vehicles from the same era, and may affect the Contour as well. It is recommended to be aware of this issue and to consider replacing the window regulators with more durable parts if needed.
Additionally, the water pump impeller in the Contour is made of plastic, which can be prone to failure. This issue can be mitigated by replacing the water pump with one that has a metal impeller.
It is important to note that these issues do not affect all Contours, and that the overall reliability of the vehicle can vary depending on factors such as maintenance and usage. However, being aware of these common problems can help potential buyers make informed decisions when considering a Ford Contour from the early 2000s.
Is the Ford Contour a good car?
Ford Contour Ratings Overview
The average rating is a 3.9 out of 5 stars.
Why did they stop making Ford Contour?
The Focus supplanted both Escort and Contour. Ford wanted the Kansas City plant to make Escapes and chickened out on bringing a new Contour based on the 2001+ Mondeo. The Taurus SE was supposedly to take V6 Contour's place, but it's too big and old.
What engine is in a Ford Contour?
Ford SVT Contour
It was powered by an upgraded version of the 2.5 L V6, producing 195 hp (200 hp from 1999).
What was the last year they made the Ford Contour?
2000
With Ford deciding to cancel production of the Contour model for sale in the USA after the 2000 model year, 2000 became the final year for the SVT Contour. The car still enjoy enthusiast following today. Bore x Stroke: 3.2 in.
Why did they stop making Ford Contour?
The Focus supplanted both Escort and Contour. Ford wanted the Kansas City plant to make Escapes and chickened out on bringing a new Contour based on the 2001+ Mondeo. The Taurus SE was supposedly to take V6 Contour's place, but it's too big and old.
What engine is in a Ford Contour?
Ford SVT Contour
It was powered by an upgraded version of the 2.5 L V6, producing 195 hp (200 hp from 1999).
How many Ford Contour SVT were made?
CEG'er. Team, 11,445 Contour SVT's were made.
What replaced the Ford Contour?
End of the Contour
In the Ford lineup, the Contour was replaced by the Ford Taurus SE (a Taurus trim line, which was introduced in 1998). Those looking for a mid-sized car tended to purchase the larger Ford Taurus, while those looking for a small sedan tended to purchase the Escort.
2001 Ford Contour car problems categorized by type of issue
After analyzing all complaints sent to the NHTSA and researching popular Ford Contour problems, we found that the most common problems with these 2023 model year vehicles are:
- Structure problems
- Power train problems
- Engine and engine cooling problems
The graph below shows statistics for all 2001 Ford Contour vehicle components and the number of complaints received.
2001 Ford Contour complaints
The NHTSA has received 4 complaints about various vehicle components related to the 2001 Ford Contour.
POWER TRAIN PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2006-08-09
- Components: POWER TRAIN
- Summary: I REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION IN MY 2001 FORD CONTOUR IN AUGUST, 2006. IT IS NOW JUNE, 2007 AND THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS REPLACING AGAIN!!! I HAVE HEARD FROM SEVERAL PEOPLE WITH CONTOURS THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THAT PARTICULAR MAKE/MODEL. THEY HAVE ALL GOTTEN RID OF THEIRS BECAUSE OF THIS MAJOR PROBLEM. *TR
STRUCTURE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-11-24
- VIN: 1FAFP6639YK
- Components: STRUCTURE
- Summary: DASHBOARD IS SEPARATING FROM THE STRUCTURE AND LIFTING UPWARDS. THIS IS CAUSING AN OBSTRUCTION OF THE DRIVER'S VIEW THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD. THIS MAY BE CAUSED BY HEAT MOISTURE. *AK
STRUCTURE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2003-07-01
- VIN: 1FAFP66L0YK
- Components: STRUCTURE
- Summary: WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING DASHBOARD IS PEELING, AND THE VENTS ARE FALLING ONTO THE FLOOR. *AK
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-11-24
- VIN: PLEASE FILL
- Components: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
- Summary: WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 60MPH ON THE HIGHWAY THE VEHICLE STARTED TO VIBRATES AND THE STALL WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. TS
Additional sources
More sources of information about 2001 Ford Contour problems:
Ford Contour Problems and Complaints - 5 Issues
Top Ford Contour Problems · Transmission Failure Common Due to Front Pump Failure · Check Engine Light Due to Plugged EGR Passage · Hi-amp alternator fuse at ...
Contours Famous for Transmission Problems? | Ford Contour ...
Jul 19, 2009 ... 147000 on my sport, bought it with clean fluid and all records that came with the car indicate it was serviced regularly. No issues whatsoever.
Q&A: 1999 Ford Contour SE A/C Compressor - Ford Contour Sport ...
Jul 2, 2016 ... That is a common problem on the contour I have seen and repaired lots of times for that concern. As far as the compressor clutch not ...
Odometer Repair | Ford Contour Enthusiasts Group Forums
Aug 16, 2016 ... One of the most common problems I've seen with our cars is the inevitable failure of the odometer. If the speedometer and odometer have both ...
Q&A: 2000 Ford Contour V6 - Common Issues, Maintenance Tips
Oct 2, 2009 ... I have a 2000 ford contour v6. It has approx. 100000 miles on it. It has run great and has had regular maintainence. It - Answered by a ...
Other years of Ford Contour
Are you having problems with your 2001 Ford Contour?
Leave your review of 2001 Ford Contour