1998 Ford Contour Electrical System Problems
NHTSA component category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · data through 07/12/2026
Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.
How electrical system ranks on this vehicle
Share of the 846 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 1998 Ford Contour overview page.
What owners report
“CONSUMER TURNED AIR CONDITIONER ON AND SMOKE CAME FROM KNOB AREA. INSIDE OF KNOB HAD MELTED CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.”NHTSA complaint 842364 — filed 07/14/1999
“THER E IS A PROBLEM WITHIN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WHICH CAUSES SIGNAL AND BRAKE LIGHTS TO MALFUNCTION. DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, AND VEHICLE…”NHTSA complaint 841527 — filed 06/30/1999
“WHILE DRIVING ELECTRICAL SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING HEADLIGHTS/TAIL LIGHTS/INTERIOR LIGHTS TO GO OUT, WHICH ALMOST CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. CAUSE UNKNOWN. CURRENTLY AT DEALER AWAITING PARTS. PLEASE…”NHTSA complaint 830665 — filed 11/12/1998
Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.
Electrical System complaints by year filed
Frequently asked questions
Does the 1998 Ford Contour have electrical system problems?
Electrical System is the #4 most-reported problem area on the 1998 Ford Contour: 45 of 846 complaints on file (5.3%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.
How many complaints does the 1998 Ford Contour have in total?
846 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/12/2026. Across all categories, 50 involved a crash, 20 involved a fire, 54 reported injuries, and 4 reported deaths.
What does NHTSA's electrical system category include?
NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the ELECTRICAL SYSTEM category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.
