Find a new mechanic. Just kidding. Maybe isolated problems and/or driver errors --neglected leaky battery, driving habits for the problems with brakes and clutches. Problems with all cars under those conditions. Not just a Contour problem. I may be in the dark here but I've never had any real problems and I've found that most Contours are pretty reliable cars that can take their fair share of abuse.
You might try kbb.com to see if the 5k is a good price or not.
