Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1989 Ford Tempo submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 32 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 32, in the owner's own words
AUTOMOBILE CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE PARKING LOT WHILE I WAS WORKING. TWO POLICE OFFICERS HEARD THE IGNITION CLICKING, BUT COULDN'T SEE A CAR WITH AN INDIVIDUAL IN IT. SHORTLY AFTER THE CAR WAS IN FLAMES. INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE AFTER THE FIRE SHOWS THAT THE FIRE APPEARED TO HAVE STARTED IN THE STEERING COLUMN.*AK
SINCE 2000, MY 1989 FORD TEMPO HAD BROKEN DOWN FOUR TIMES, TWICE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. EACH TIME, I HAVE BEEN TOLD THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE ALTERNATOR, AND I HAD IT REPLACED. NOW, IN APRIL OF 2003, THE ALTERNATOR IS ABOUT TO DIE YET AGAIN. MY CAR HAS 99,000 MILES AND IS DRIVEN LESS THAN 10,000 MILES PER YEAR. FIVE ALTERNATORS IN THREE YEARS IS NOT FROM NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR ON A CAR. I BELIEVE THERE IS A DEFECT IN THE FORD TEMPO SYSTEM THAT NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED. AND I SEE FROM OTHER FILED COMPLAINTS I AM NOT THE ONLY PERSON WHO HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM.
WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMER STATES THAT THE GAS PEDAL FEELS STICKY AND IS HARD TO PUSH. *TT
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE IGNITION MODULE IS DEFECTIVE. *SLC
VEHICLE WILL STALL AT ANY GIVEN TIME. PROBLEM USUALLY HAPPENS WHEN VEHICLE 0VERHEATS. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER NOTED THAT PROBLEM COULD BE IGNITION SWITCH. *AK
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLS UNEXPECTEDLY WHICH MAY CAUSE A CRASH. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE CAUSE. HOWEVER, IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM. *AK THE VEHICLE HEATED UP AFTER A 50 MILE TRIP. *YH
AFTER VEHICLE IS OPERATED AT CONTINUOUS HIGH SPEEDS (60MPH) VEHICLE WILL STALL WHEN APPROACHING A STOP SIGN, RED LIGHT ETC. VEHICLE WILL RESTART IMMEDIATELY, BUT WILL CONTINUE TO STALL AT NEXT STOP. I CONSIDER THIS TO BE DANGEROUS BECAUSE FOLLOWING TRAFFIC IS NOT EXPECTING THE STALL, AND GETTING THROUGH AN INTERSECTION CAN BE ADVENTUROUS. VEHICLE HAS HAD A MAJOR TUNEUP, (INCLUDING WIRES ROTOR ETC), THROTTLE BODY CLEANING, FUEL INJECTOR CLEANING BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. I HEARDTHAT NHSTA WAS TRYING TO GET FORD TO RECALL THIS MODEL BECAUE THE IGNITION MODULE WAS PLACED TOO CLOSE TO THE ENGINE AND WAS SUBJECTED TO INTENSE HEAT, LEADING TO STALLING.
WHEN DRIVING IN HOT WEATHER VEHICLE STALLS, AND WON'T START BACK UP FOR AT LEAST 30 MINUTES. MECHANIC REPLACED IGNITION, AND PROBLEM STILL EXISTS.*AK
RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE (1989 FORD TEMPO) WAS ISSUED AT 1996, BUT WE NEVER RECEIVED ANY NOTIFICATION FROM MANUFACTURER. CONTACTED MANUFACTURER BY PHONE ON 12/20/1999. MANUFACTURER'S CUSTOMER REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME THAT I WILL NOT RECEIVE ANY FREE REMEDY FROM THIS 1996 RECALL ON MY VEHICLE (1989 FORD TEMPO) SINCE THE RECALL IS CLOSED AND MY VEHICLE IS NOT UNDER ANY WARRANTY. CONTACTED NHTSA OFFICE BY PHONE ON 12/20/1999 AND WAS GIVEN ADVISE OF FILING SAFETY COMPLAINT ABOUT THIS MATTER. *AK
WHILE DRIVING ALONG CITY STREET THE MOTOR JUST STOPPED, NO WARNING OR ANYTHING.TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD THAT IT IS THE IGNITION COIL MODULE. *AK
LOCK CYLINDER FAILED CAUSING DRIVER TO BE SHOCKED WHEN KEY WAS INSERTED INTO IGNITION.
WENT TO PIONEER FORD TO GET PROBLEM FIX BUT IN REPAIRING THIS PROBLEM THEY BROKE DRIVERS SEAT AND MADE CAR UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND REFUSED TO REPAIR IT THEY SAID JUST BECAUSE THE VEHICAL WAS OVER 10 YEARS OLD THEY WERE NOT RESPOSIBLE
ALTERNATOR WIRING HARNESS MELTED BECAUSE OF A SHORT.
POSSIBLE IGNITION SWITCH FAILURE AFTER RECALL (95S28) REPAIR PERFORMED RESULTING IN VEHICLE FIRE. NLM
WHILE DRIVING SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM STEERING COLUMN AREA; VEHICLE PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER RECALL #96V071000; IGNITION SWITCH. *AK
EXPERIENCED IGNITION SWITCH MALFUNCTION, KEY WOULDN'T TURN TO START, AFTER REPLACING IGNITION SWITCH EXPERIENCED FIRE WHICH STARTED IN EXTREMELY COLD CONDITIONS, NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM IGNITON SWITCH, THEN STEERING COLUMN CAUGHT FIRE, VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED. *AK
HAD RECALL WORK DONE, WIPED MEMORY OF RADIO AND CLOCK, BATTERY NEEDS CONSTANTLY TO BE JUMPED. *AK
ENGINE FAN FAILED.
FULLER FORD 96V071. DEALER CHARGES OWNER $81.65 FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST BEFORE PERFORMING THE RECALL ORDER. *AK
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AND CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE, BURNING THE WHOLE CAR, DID NOT KNOW FROM WHERE THE FIRE CAME . PLEASE DESCRIBE . *AK
96V-071, RECALL RELATED, IGNITION SWITCH FAILURE, ELECTRICAL SHORT WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE, RESULTING IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. *AK
IGNITION SWITCH FAILED PRIOR TO RECALL. (THIRD VEHICLE ON 509613, 601624)
ON THREE OCCASIONS THE ALTERNATOR OVERHEATED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. *JB
IGNITION SWITCH SHORTED, CAUSING FIRE. *DSH
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FIRE, WIRING HARNESS CAUGHT FIRE, AND ALTERNATOR WAS BURNED. *AK
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .