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2000 Ford Contour

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2000 Contour.

Body PASSENGER CAR

Defined as a passenger car requiring 5.8 qt of 5W-20 API engine oil, the 2000 Ford Contour sits within a 1993-2001 model history marked by significant variability in owner feedback. This model year recorded 252 total owner complaints and 7 recalls, with structure emerging as the top complaint area. For researchers assessing reliability, these figures place the 2000 variant well below the 1995 peak of 1073 complaints but above the 1993 low of 3, indicating a moderate risk profile within the model history.

Model year2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995

Quick specs

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

Engine oil capacity5.8 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

Service quick specs OEM factory data

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

This engine holds 5.8 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	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)	845 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)	55 rpm
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)	MT: 772.5, AT: 730 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)	MT: 42.5, AT: 30 rpm
Spark Plug Manufacturer	Motorcraft
Spark Plug Gap	0.048-0.052 in

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Type	46
Oil Capacity	6.76 oz
Standard BCI Group Number	40R
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	590 cca
Standard BCI Group Number	40R
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	590 cca

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
Regulated Fuel System Pressure (With Vacuum)	35.0-55.0 psi
Injector Primary Resistance	11-18 DOHC ohms

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; spark plugs every 100,000 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.

Every 5,000 mi	Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 15,000 mi	Brake System (inspect) · Cabin Air Filter (replace) · Engine Coolant System (leak inspection) · Steering Linkage (inspect) · Suspension System (inspect)
Every 30,000 mi	Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Exhaust System Heat Shield (inspect) · Fuel Filter (replace)
At 45,000 mi	Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
Every 100,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · PCV Valve (replace) · Spark Plugs (replace)
At 120,000 mi	Timing Belt (inspect)
At 150,000 mi	Transmission Fluid & Filter (replace)

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 2000 Ford Contour sits late in a generation defined by two distinct complaint surges, peaking at 1,073 complaints in 1995 and 968 in 1998, with 2000 representing a clear cooling-off point at just 252 complaints, the lowest mid-cycle year since 1997. Recall activity remains moderate at 7, and federal investigations drop to a single action, suggesting most major issues had been identified and addressed in the earlier recall-heavy years. The dominant complaint areas for 2000—Structure (63), Fuel System/Gasoline (27), and Electrical System (24)—are consistent with age-related wear rather than the systemic defects that drove the 1995 and 1998 spikes, though 10 fire-related complaints in a single model year is worth scrutiny during pre-purchase inspection. Technical Service Bulletins also fall to 111, roughly a third of the 1998 peak, reinforcing that the platform had largely matured by 2000. Taken together, 2000 is a comparatively quiet year in an otherwise turbulent federal record, making it one of the more defensible model years to consider in the used market—provided a buyer has the 12 crash and 10 fire complaints independently checked.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

111

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

252

Owner complaints

12 involved a crash · 10 a fire

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 252 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Structure63

Fuel System, Gasoline27

Electrical System24

Unknown Or Other22

Visibility14

Engine & Engine Cooling13

Vehicle Speed Control10

Visibility,Structure7

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 7 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 111 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
CSP-08B01	2008-05-16	Engine And Engine Cooling	FORD: CERTAIN 1999-2001 MODEL YEAR VEHICLES UP TO 6000 LB GVWR REGISTERED IN NEW YORK AND…
SP-08B01	2008-05-01	Engine And Engine Cooling	FORD SERVICE CAMPAIGN: SEE DOCUMENT SEARCH BUTTON FOR OWNER LETTER. CSC LETTER WAS…
020503	2005-03-21	Fuel System, Gasoline	GUIDANCE FOR CNG TANK INSPECTION FOR VEHICLES PRODUCED AFTER DECEMBER 2, 1996. *TT…
04189	2004-12-13	Visibility	REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER GRID/INTEGRAL ANTENNA DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR - TERMINAL TAB REPAIR…
042107	2004-12-13	Power Train	GENERAL (PCM) POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE PROGRAMMING PROCEDURES. *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 5.8 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 2000 Contour take?

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

Does the 2000 Contour have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 7 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.