1988 Ford Tempo Owner Complaints

ACK UP.NMENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND MOTOR DIES. STARTS RIGHT.

NHTSA ID

10750222

Incident

Jul 1, 2015

Mileage

49,000 mi

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED SHE IS HAVING RETRACTION PROBLEMS WITH HER SEAT BELT. THE SEAT BELT IS NOT RETRACTING CORRECTLY FROM THE LAP BELT, FROM THE BUCKLE TO THE DOOR POST. THIS IS HAPPENING ON THE DRIVERS SIDE ONLY. THE SEAT BELT IS ALLOWING TOO MUCH WEBBING AND NOT RETRACTING ALL THE WAY BACK INTO THE HOLDER ON THE DOOR POST. WHEN THE DRIVER IS APPLYING BRAKE PRESSURE, THE SEAT BELT IS NOT HOLDING THE DRIVER SECURELY AND SAFELY IN THE SEAT. THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALERSHIP WHERE SHE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE FROM HAS NOW GONE OUT OF BUSINESS AND SHE HAS NOT CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER OF THE VEHICLE. SHE HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH THE SEAT BELT FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS. SPEED IS NOT A FACTOR WITH THE SEAT BELT FAILURE. EVEN SITTING STILL THE SEAT BELT IS NOT WORKING. *JB

NHTSA ID

10127897

Incident

Jan 15, 2005

Mileage

34,790 mi

CONSUMER IS REQUESTING FREE REPAIRS TO 1988 FORD TEMPO GL'S TRANSMISSION AND MOTOR.*MR *NM

NHTSA ID

10121481

Incident

May 1, 2005

SMELLED HOT WIRE SMELL WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY. NOTICED 1 INCH FLAME IN LEFT AIRVENT WHICH GREW TO 5 INCHES WHEN STOPPED CAR. UNHOOKED BATTERY, POURED LIQUID OVER DASHBOARD WHICH WAS ON FIRE, CLOSED DOOR, WAITED FOR FIRETRUCK. I THINK IT STARTED IN HEADLIGHT SWITCH. CAR TOTALED, MOST OF DASH BURNT AWAY.*AK

NHTSA ID

10052515

Incident

Aug 1, 1999

THE TREADS OF THE TIRE WARPED WITH ONLY 10000 MILES ON IT (FIRESTONE LEMANS RADIAL AT). *NLM SHORTLY AFTER THE TIRE WAS CHANGED A FIRE STARTED UNDER THE HOOD. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10018062

Incident

Jun 1, 2003

Mileage

5,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE STALLED. *AK *NLM

NHTSA ID

10017750

Incident

Nov 1, 2003

THE TREAD OF THE TIRE FAILED (BRIDGESTONE WEATHER FORCE TIRE). *NLM

NHTSA ID

10018059

Incident

May 1, 2003

THE VEHICLE VIBRATED WHILE DRIVING. THE TIRES WERE BALANCED YET THE VIBRATION STILL OCCURRED. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10018053

GASOLINE LEAKS ON ENGINE. *AK CONSUMER NOTICED GASOLINE COMING OUT OF THE VACUUM HOSE THAT RUNS FROM THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR TO THE VACUUM FITTING, CONSUMER REALIZED THE REGULATOR MUST BE FAULTY. *SLC

NHTSA ID

8017131

Incident

Aug 15, 2002

NHTSA RECALL96V 071000/ MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 95S28 CONCERNING IGNITION FAI;URE. CONSUMER NOTICED FROM OUTSIDE WINDOW THAT VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. VEHICLE HAD BEEN SITTING I DRIVEWAY FOR 30-45 MINUTES AFTER BEING DRIVEN HOME. VEHICLE HAD FLAMES COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. CONSUMER WAS CONFIRMING RECALL TO BE SERVICED. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ID

8007359

Incident

Apr 10, 2002

THE LAP BELT ON PASSENAGER SIDE FRONT WILL NOT STAY CLASPED. DRIVERS SHOULDER STRAP (AUTOMATIC) WILL NOT SLIDE OPEN. THE MOTOR CAN BE HEARD INSIDE, BUT WILL NOT MOVE.

NHTSA ID

9005921

Incident

Jun 1, 2001

VEHICLE FAILS TO OPERATE IN DRIVE, BUT IT DOES OPERATE IN REVERSE, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

NHTSA ID

8001755

Incident

Dec 8, 2001

THIS VEHICLE HAS STALLED ON STARTUP POSITION IN TRAFFIC SINCE IT WAS NEW AND HAS CONTINUED TO DO SO AFTER NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS TO THE DEALER. THIS PRESENTS A SAFETY HAZARD AS CROSS TRAFFIC IS NOT RESPONSIBLE TO WAIT WHILE WE RESTART THE VEHICLE. THIS IS NOT DUE TO DRIVER ERROR AS IT OCCURS WITH SEVERAL DIFFERENT DRIVERS.*AK

NHTSA ID

754640

Incident

Aug 1, 1988

I WAS DRIVING, WIFE IN PASSENGER SEAT WITH LAP BELT ENGAGED. UPON STOPPING, LAP BELT WOULD NOT RELEASE. IMPOSSIBLE FOR HER TO EXIT CAR BECAUSE OF AUTOMATIC RETRACTOR INSTALLED ON BELT ASSEMBLY. THIS IS A MOJOR SAFETY ITEM AND FORD WILL NOT ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY. HAD WE BEEN IN AN ACCIDNET AND CAR WAS BURING, WIFE WOULD HAVE BEEN BURNED TO DEATH. THE ONLY WAY I COULD GET WIFE OUT OF THE CAR WAS TO CUT THE BELT AND THERE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN TIME TO DO THIS IN A BURNING CAR! EVEN WITH THE LAP BELT CUT, I AM STILL UNABLE TO RELEASE THE BUCKLE. THE LAW REQUIRES THAT BELTS BE USED YET FORD WILL NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR SAFE AND NORMAL OPERATION OF THE LAP BELT THAT THEY INSTALLED IN THE VEHICLE. NO PREVIOUS INDICATIONS OF ANYTHING WRONG WITH LAP BELT SYSTEM ON EITHER SIDE OF VEHICLE.*AK

NHTSA ID

754264

Incident

Nov 7, 2001

WORK DONE ON ENGINE BEFORE RECALL WAS KNOWN. CAR NOT THE SAME SINCE. TOTAL COST TO ME ,ABOUT 1500.00.*AK

NHTSA ID

752178

WAS DRIVING IN TOWN ON 07/21/01 IN THE AFTERNOON GOING HOME, WHEN CAR STARTED VIBRATING REAL BADLY, AND WONDERED ALL OVER ROAD. THE TIRE IN QUESTIONED IS OFF THE RIGHT FRONT OF A 1988 FORD TEMPO. IT IS CHEWED UP AROUND THE INSIDE AND ALSO HAS "SEVERAL SOFT SPOTS" IN THE TIRE.*AK (DOT NUMBER: W2RV TIRESIZE: P18570R14)

NHTSA ID

749336

Incident

Jul 21, 2001

THE ENGINE STALLS WHILE DRIVING. SOMETIME IT WILL RESTART JUST TO STALL AGAIN AFTER A FEW MILES. THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED UNDER A PREVIOUS RECALL BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUES TO PERSIST. THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT WAS REPLACE TWICE IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS. I BELIEVE THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE WIRING/MODULE THAT REGULATES THE ELECTRICAL PULSES THAT FIRE THE PLUGS. I WILL ASK THE DEALER TO RESEARCH. UNFORTUANTELY, THIS ELECTRICAL PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE VERY COMMON ON FORD TEMPO'S BUT NONE OF THE TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS ADDRESS IT. *AK

NHTSA ID

747522

Incident

Jun 28, 2001

I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR AN INJURY BEFORE FORD FIXES!. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED IN SUMMARY. *AK

NHTSA ID

744465

Incident

Jan 18, 2001

AFTER PUTTING GAS IN THE CAR WITH THE WINDOWS ROLLED UP THERE IS AN ODOR OF GAS INSIDE THE CAR. THE ODOR IS ALSO THERE WITH THE WINDOWS DOWN WHILE DRIVING THE CAR. IT GOES AWAY AFTER ABOUT 15 MINUETS OF DRIVING.*AK

NHTSA ID

743383

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE FOR A HIGH AMOUNT OF TIME ENGINE DIES OUT WHEN COMING TO A STOP OR EVEN DRIVING AT HIGH SPEEDS. NO ONE KNOWS PROBLEM.*AK *SLC

NHTSA ID

882463

BRAKE LINE RUPTURED CAUSING AN ACCIDENT, 2 PEOPLE WERE INJURED. *SLC

NHTSA ID

785272

Incident

Aug 7, 1999

THE SPEED SENSOR FAILED. NLM

NHTSA ID

559307

Incident

Jan 30, 1990

WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING VEHICLE CUTS OFF, CAUSING VEHICLE TO BE IN MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION OR IN SOME CASES IN MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC . CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED A MECHANIC WHO REPLACED PARTS. BUT, PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID

877148

ENGINE WILL QUIT SUDDENLY AND USUALLY AT SPEEDS ABOVE 45 MPH. I NARROWLY AVOIDED AN ACCIDENT WHEN THE ENGINE STALLED BECAUSE A TRUCK WAS RIGHT BEHND ME. THE TRUCK WAS ABLE TO CHANGE LANES QUICK ENOUGH TO AVOID THE ACCIDENT. THE ENGINE FAILURE HAS OCCURED ABOUT 8 TIMES SINCE I HAVE OWNED THE CAR. I CANNOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE FAILURE I.E. FROM EITHER IGNITION FAILURE OR FROM FUEL STARVATION FROM AN UNKNOWN CAUSE. IN EACH CASE, THE CAR WOULD RESTART AFTER A HALF HOUR WAIT. THIS REPRESENTS A POTENTIAL FOR A SERIOUS ACCIDENT ESPECIALLY FROM A REAR END COLLISSION HAZARD.*AK

NHTSA ID

737119

I LOST MY 4-YEAR OLD SON IN MY CAR. IT WAS PARKED, I DON'T KNOW WHY HE GOT IN THE CAR. WE HAD JUST ARRIVED AT MY MOTHERS. NO ONE CAN PROVE ANYTHING BECAUSE THE DASH IS SO BURNT AND THE STERINGWHEEL WAS IN THE FLOOR. ALTHOUGH THEY FOUND NO TRACES OF ANYTHING THAT COULD OF STARTED IT OTHER THAN FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH. THE CAR STILL SITS AND THEY WANT ME TO FORGET ABOUT IT. LAWYERS KEEP BACKING OUT AFTER SO FAR. PLEASE HELP ME. I HAVE TO KNOW THE TRUTH AND GET WHAT I DESERVE. NO ONE CAN PUT A PRICE ON A LOST CHILD.

NHTSA ID

734406

Incident

Jul 31, 1995