1990 Ford Tempo problems
Owners have filed 174 complaints about the 1990 Ford Tempo with NHTSA. Electrical system accounts for 30.5% of them — the clear leader, ahead of seat belts at 17.2%.
Complaints174
Crashes21
Fires32
Injuries15
Deaths0
What owners report breaking
Electrical system 30.5% · 53
Seat belts 17.2% · 30
Service brakes, hydraulic 12.1% · 21
Engine and engine cooling 11.5% · 20
Steering 7.5% · 13
Exterior lighting 3.4% · 6
Tires 2.9% · 5
Visibility 2.9% · 5
Severity
Of those complaints, 21 describe a crash, 32 describe a fire and 15 report an injury.
Reading the numbers
Across the 5 model years of the Ford Tempo in this data, 1990 draws comparatively few complaints; 1993 is the outlier year.
Filings have fallen off, 16 in the last three years against 50 in the three before. That is normal as a generation leaves the road.
The median odometer reading at the time of complaint was 55 miles.
In owners' own words
Car has repeatable problem of not starting...Have had it towed, due to this, numerous times, spent thousands of dollars trying to get it fixed, etc. Only to discover that it has two ignition defects...Potentially... Since the car was not new when I bought it 3 years ago, I have no recourse but to bear the cost of repairs myself. I am outraged that Ford got away with not recalling these vehicles!!! Electrical system · reported at 83,000 miles
Vehicle parked in driveway. Horn was blaring & owner looked out window & noticed vehicle in flames. Was told fire occurred near ignition switch area. Called dealer & informed under recall (#96v071000). Will repair ignition switch & wiring harness only & nothing else. Owner never received notice. Had owned vehicle since new. Electrical system
I had to have my ignition modual replaced because my car would stall on me while going down the road. I read in the paper today that Ford is fighting the recall on this exact problem. I have e-mailed Ford in hopes of rectifing this situation, but thought I would also contact you for help. Thank you for your help. Electrical system
Verbatim from NHTSA filings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.
Safety recalls
Checking NHTSA for open recalls…