I have had too much experience with transmission issues on my 96 contour se. At 97K miles the original Xmission started slipping in 1st gear during takeoff, then 3 miles further down the road it quit completely. The Dealer replaced it with a Ford Factory rebuilt for a Mear $3100.00. Then at 141K miles I had a different problem. The OD Light flashing and the car slamming into 2nd gear, followed by no reverse. This time I went to a transmission shop. They replaced the transmission with a Jasper rebuilt for a mere $2850.00. Oddly enough, that did not fix the flashing OD light problem. After replacing that xmission with another rebuilt the transmission shop gave up and sent the car to another shop. They found melted wires in the wiring harness near the starter. When I finally picked the car up (after 3 weeks in the shops), the oil pressure light was on and there was an engine knock. I foolishly drove the car (to get it away from these people) and only made it about 15 miles before the front cam froze up, causing head dammage. The car is still in the shop, but I probably will not be having it fixed. If you need a new transmission, I have one!
