Ford›Contour›1998›Overview/ford/contour/1998/base/

1998 Ford Contour

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1998 Contour.

Body PASSENGER CAR

The 1998 Ford Contour is a passenger car requiring 4.5 quarts of 5W-20 API engine oil. This model year is characterized by 12 recalls and 968 owner complaints, with the power train cited as the primary area of concern. Within the model's 1993-2001 production history, the 1998 version sits between the series low of three complaints in 1993 and the peak of 1,073 reported in 1995.

Model year2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4.5 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type5W-20 APIOEM · verified

Lug nut torque94 ft-lbsOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 40R · 590 CCA battery. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 40R · 590 CCAOEM · verified

Tire sizeP185-70R14OEM · verified

Wheel / rim5.5 inOEM · verified

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	184.6 in
Overall width	69.3 in
Overall height	54.3 in
Wheelbase	106.7 in
Curb weight	2780 lb
Track (front / rear)	57.5 / 58.7 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)	64/36

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4.5 qt of 5W-20 API engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 94 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 18.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-4-2-5-3-6. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake Fluid	DOT 3
Engine Coolant	ETHYLENE GLYCOL
Engine Oil	5W-20 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	4.5 qt
Engine Oil	5W-20 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	5.8 qt
Power Steering Fluid	ATF

Engine torques

Camshaft Sprocket and/or Gear Bolt(s)	47.0-53.0 ft-lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts	88 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	12-15 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	10-12 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	7.4 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	15 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	18.0-22.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	18.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts	94 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub	199 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub	210 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-3-4-2
Cylinder Firing Order	1-4-2-5-3-6
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)	MT: 880, AT: 800 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)	25 rpm
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)	MT: 720, AT: 770 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)	25 rpm
Spark Plug Manufacturer	Motorcraft
Spark Plug Gap	0.048-0.052 in

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	1.63 lbs
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Type	46
Oil Capacity	7.00 oz
Standard BCI Group Number	40R
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	590 cca
Standard BCI Group Number	40R

Service checks

Pressure Test	13-18 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	13-18 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	187-194 °F
Pressure Test	13-18 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	13-18 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	183-190 °F
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)	30.0-45.0
Regulated Fuel System Pressure (With Vacuum)	45.0-60.0 psi

Brakes

Brake Application	WITH REAR DISC / WITH STANDARD
Torque Caliper to Bracket	30 ft-lbs / 88 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	43 ft-lbs / 85-105 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.125; Rear: 0.125 in
Brake Application	WITH REAR DISC / WITH STANDARD
Rotor Max Parallel Variation	0.0006 in
Rotor Runout Limit	0.003 in / 0.006 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From	0.79 in / 0.95 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

37 ft. lbs., step 2: 90

37 ft. lbs

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages

1	18 ft. lbs.	18 ft. lbs
2	33 ft. lbs.	33 ft. lbs
3	105 degrees.	105 degrees

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 6 stages

1	29 ft. lbs.	29 ft. lbs
2	90 degrees.	90 degrees
3	Loosen 1 turn.
4	29 ft. lbs.	29 ft. lbs
5	90 degrees.	90 degrees
6	90 degrees.	90 degrees

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages

Prep Do not reuse old bolts. Coat new bolts with the specified engine oil.

1	15.0 ft. lbs.	15 ft. lbs
2	30 ft. lbs.	30 ft. lbs
3	90 degrees	90 degrees

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 5,000 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

At 5,000 mi	Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate) · Wheel Lug Nut (torque)
Every 5,000 mi	Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 10,000 mi	Brake System (inspect) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate) · Wheel Lug Nut (torque)
Every 15,000 mi	Engine Coolant System (leak inspection)
Every 20,000 mi	Cabin Air Filter (replace)
Every 30,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Exhaust System Heat Shield (inspect)
At 50,000 mi	Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
At 60,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 1998 Ford Contour exhibits the second-highest complaint volume of its generation (968 complaints), matching the 1995 peak in recalls (12) and investigations (7), while recording the highest TSB count (286) of any model year. This represents a sharp reversal from 1997's relatively low complaint figure of 252, suggesting 1998 introduced or exacerbated significant reliability issues. The target year's top complaint areas—Power Train and Engine/Cooling (108 each), Electrical System (95), and Suspension (85)—indicate systemic problems across critical vehicle systems, with 51 crash-related complaints and 26 fire complaints also recorded. By comparison, subsequent years showed substantial improvement: 1999 dropped to 459 complaints and 2000 fell to 252, with 2001 essentially returning to baseline levels. The data does not specify the exact root causes of these issues. Given that 1998 sits at an anomaly peak within the generation, carrying the highest TSB volume and elevated serious complaint categories, it is not a recommended year to purchase within this generation.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

286

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

968

Owner complaints

51 involved a crash · 26 a fire

NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars

Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’93 ’94 ’95 ’96 ’97’98’99 ’00 ’01

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 968 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Power Train108

Engine & Engine Cooling108

Electrical System95

Suspension85

Air Bags77

Service Brakes, Hydraulic55

Fuel System, Gasoline52

Visibility33

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 12 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

08E033000SuspensionReported 14/04/2008

FEDERAL MOGUL IS RECALLING 6,903 AFTERMARKET BALL JOINT ASSEMBLIES SHIPPED BETWEEN NOVEMBER 9, 2007 AND MARCH 26, 2008, WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN PACKAGED WITH INCORRECT NUTS. THE PART NUMBERS PACKAGED WITH INCORRECT NUTS… Remedy: FEDERAL MOGUL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE PARTS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 22, 2008. OWNERS CAN CONTACT FEDERAL MOGUL AT 877-489-6659.

06E022000Service Brakes, HydraulicReported 13/03/2006

CERTAIN AFTERMARKET BRAKE HYDRAULIC MASTER CYLINDERS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT BRAKE CYLINDERS FOR CERTAIN FORD, DAIMLERCHRYSLER, AND JEEP PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE BRAKE CYLINDERS WERE SOLD UNDER THE BRAND NAMES OF NAPA… Remedy: AFFINIA (BRAKE PARTS, INC.) WILL REPLACE THE SUBJECT BRAKE HYDRAULIC MASTER CYLINDERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 20, 2006. OWNERS CAN CONTACT AFFINA GROUP CUSTOMER…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 286 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
020503	2005-03-21	Fuel System, Gasoline	GUIDANCE FOR CNG TANK INSPECTION FOR VEHICLES PRODUCED AFTER DECEMBER 2, 1996. *TT…
042107	2004-12-13	Power Train	GENERAL (PCM) POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE PROGRAMMING PROCEDURES. *TT
041516	2004-08-09	Electrical System	MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (MIL) ILLUMINATED WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE(S) P0420 AND/OR…
041814	2004-01-01	Steering	STEERING COLUMN SHIPPED WITHOUT CRUSH PAD - REUSE ORIGINAL CRUSH PAD IF NOT DAMAGED. *TT
03181	2003-09-15	Electrical System	REMOTE KEYLESS ENTRY (RKE) - SERVICE TIPS. *TT

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Contour. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 40R battery Vehicles taking 4.5 qt

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1998 Contour take?

4.5 qt of 5W-20 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 1998 Contour have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 12 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.