One problem related to steering linkages has been reported for the 1998 Ford Contour. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
My family and I were making a right turn from the parking lot of a movie theater to a moderately busy street. After I completed the turn, I heard a loud "bang", and my car suddenly swerved to the right, and I couldn't stop. I could not go forward, or back around. Thinking that it was caused by a blown tired, I got out; it was not. When I had it towed to my mechanic, he said that one of the steering rods on the front, right passenger wheel had broken. He replaced both the right and the left steering rods.