Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General General How long will it last?

Sorry if it's out there, but I searched all over, so....

I'm looking at an auto, 98 Contour SE with 108,000 mi on it. Shifts good, drives great, minor issues like dents, A/C needs recharge, blower resistor blocks needs to be changed... But basically, how much longer can I expect this car to go without needing any major service? It's replacing another fwd car that blew the transmission at 120,000 mi and has to last for quite a while.

If it was well taken care of, 200k with a little work and luck is possible. If it was poorly maintained, you could blow the engine, transaxle and CV joints tomorrow. Of course, neither is likely. Personally, I'd never buy an automatic Contour, or a 4-banger. Is this the 4 or 6 cyl? I think there are much more economical cars, but if you really like it, and it's priced right, treat this well and it should last you. But I'd try to find maintanence records: oil changes, transaxle fluid flush/change, coolant flush, any repairs, etc.

is it an atx or mtx?

alright, well in that case. The ATX can be unpredictable imo. I hear horror stories all the time about it going out unexpectingly.