One problem related to door has been reported for the 1997 Ford Contour. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
Power locks will not open doors. Consumer took vehicle to dealer and they are replacing the latch. The doors are not power but operate manually. When inside of vehicle the doors will not open from the inside. If you push the button to unlock the doors they still do not unlock. Doors will only open from the outside with a key after unlocking them.