Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 133 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1990 Ford Tempo, most frequently naming the electrical, seat belts and brakes categories. 2 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; 3 NHTSA investigations name it; and 41 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
When owners filed reports about this model year
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| May 1995 | 2 | 7 |
| Jun 1995 | 2 | 9 |
| Jul 1995 | 4 | 13 |
| Aug 1995 | 2 | 15 |
| Oct 1995 | 2 | 17 |
| Nov 1995 | 1 | 18 |
| Dec 1995 | 3 | 21 |
| Feb 1996 | 2 | 23 |
| Mar 1996 | 1 | 24 |
| Apr 1996 | 4 | 28 |
| May 1996 | 8 | 36 |
| Jun 1996 | 4 | 40 |
| Jul 1996 | 10 | 50 |
| Aug 1996 | 5 | 55 |
| Sep 1996 | 2 | 57 |
| Oct 1996 | 5 | 62 |
| Nov 1996 | 4 | 66 |
| Dec 1996 | 3 | 69 |
| Jan 1997 | 3 | 72 |
| Feb 1997 | 1 | 73 |
| Mar 1997 | 3 | 76 |
| Apr 1997 | 1 | 77 |
| Sep 1997 | 2 | 79 |
| Oct 1997 | 1 | 80 |
| Dec 1997 | 1 | 81 |
| Feb 1998 | 1 | 82 |
| Mar 1998 | 2 | 84 |
| May 1998 | 1 | 85 |
| Jun 1998 | 1 | 86 |
| Oct 1998 | 2 | 88 |
| Nov 1998 | 2 | 90 |
| Dec 1998 | 1 | 91 |
| Jan 1999 | 1 | 92 |
| Apr 1999 | 1 | 93 |
| May 1999 | 1 | 94 |
| Jun 1999 | 1 | 95 |
| Aug 1999 | 1 | 96 |
| Oct 1999 | 1 | 97 |
| Jan 2000 | 1 | 98 |
| Apr 2000 | 1 | 99 |
| Jul 2000 | 1 | 100 |
| Sep 2000 | 2 | 102 |
| Oct 2000 | 7 | 109 |
| Nov 2000 | 2 | 111 |
| Dec 2000 | 1 | 112 |
| Apr 2001 | 1 | 113 |
| May 2001 | 2 | 115 |
| Jul 2001 | 1 | 116 |
| Aug 2001 | 2 | 118 |
| Sep 2001 | 1 | 119 |
| Nov 2001 | 3 | 122 |
| Dec 2001 | 1 | 123 |
| Mar 2002 | 2 | 125 |
| Apr 2002 | 1 | 126 |
| May 2002 | 1 | 127 |
| Feb 2003 | 1 | 128 |
| Mar 2003 | 1 | 129 |
| May 2003 | 1 | 130 |
| Sep 2004 | 2 | 132 |
| Oct 2004 | 1 | 133 |
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
2 campaigns cover this model year
Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.
Check a VIN on NHTSA.govELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.
REAR BRK ADJUSTER FAILURE
1984 - 1991 FORD TEMPO/MERCURY TOPAZ
REAR BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE
There is no summary currently available
FAILED PASSIVE RESTRAINT
WE HAVE RECEIVED NUMEROUS REPORTS WHICH ALLEGE A MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE OF THE PASSIVE RESTRAINT SYSTEM.ADDITIONAL REPORTS ALLEGE THAT THE PASSIVE RESTRAINT SYSTEM FAILED TO RESTRAIN/ADEQUATELY PROTECT THE OCCUPANT DURING AN ACCIDENT
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's 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!!!
JUST AFTER PULLING INTO THE DRIVEWAY, THE CONSUMER SMELLED SMOKE . HE OPENED THE HOOD AND NOTICED THE TOP OF THE ALTERNATOR PLUG WAS BURNING FOLLOWED BY WIRING BURNING ACROSS TO THE BATTERY. THE TERMINAL BLOCK ON THE LEFT FENDER BEGAN BURNING AND MELTING. *JB *NM
DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT MALFUNCTIONED. DEALER REFUSED TO REPAIR SEAT BELT WITHOUT PAYMENT. *AK
THE TREAD ON ALL FOUR TIRES SEPARATED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH (KELLY METRIC RADIAL SIZE 18570R14). PLEASE PROVIDE THE DOT NUMBER. *NLM
1.) ROUGH IDLE, AND OIL LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY COMES ON WHEN IDLING AND ONLY GOES OFF WHEN ACCELERATING, BUT OFTEN STALLS OUT, AND DOESN'T WANT TO RE-START. (HAD OIL CHANGED TWICE TO GET EXCESS GAS OUT OF IT FROM TRYING TO START IT.) HAD TO TOW CAR THREE TIMES. PAID $1,000 TO TRY TO GET IT FIXED, BUT ON THE WAY HOME IT DID THE SAME THING. 2.) COOLING FAN QUIT WORKING AND CAR OVERHEATED AND I PAID TO HAVE THE RADIATOR REPLACED, AS PETCOCK WAS LEAKING. MECHANIC DIDN'T NOTICE THAT FAN WASN'T WORKING, SO IT OVERHEATED ON THE WAY HOME WITH A NEW RADIATOR. I FIGURED THAT OUT. ONCE THE FAN WAS REPLACED WITH A WORKING FAN, NO MORE OVERHEATING. AFTER-MARKET RADIATOR WAS BIGGER THAN THE ORIGINAL, CAUSING THE AT FLUID LINE TO GET SAWED OFF BY THE PULLEY 3 TIMES, BEFORE SOMEONE JUST PLUGGED THE LINE AND INSTALLED A SEPARATE AT FLUID "MINI RADIATOR TYPE" COOLER. 3.) TRANSMISSION DRAGS; CAR HAS JUST OVER 70,000 MILES ON IT. HAS REPEATABLE PROBLEM WHEN STARTING OUT AND SHIFTING FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR, USUALLY JERKING FORWARD WHEN IT SHIFTS. PUTTING CAR INTO DRIVE AFTER STARTING IT USUALLY ENDS UP IN THE CAR STALLING, AND THE IDLE IS DIFFERENT WHEN IT'S IN GEAR THAN WHEN IN PARK OR NEUTRAL. 4.) I RECEIVED A NOTICE ABOUT A CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT REGARDING A DEFECTIVE TFI MODULE, BUT EVERY MECHANIC I SPOKE WITH SAID THAT WASN'T THE PROBLEM, BUT THE NOTICE SAID THAT A BAD TFI MODULE WOULDN'T NECESSARILY ALWAYS MAKE THE CAR STALL WHEN IT'S GOING BAD, JUST SOMETIMES. STALLED IN RUSH HOUR ONCE. 5.) THE DRIVER SIDE AUTOMATIC SEATBELT QUIT WORKING, WHICH CAUSED THE PLASTIC GUIDE FOR THE BELT TO BREAK, AND WHEN I WENT TO FORD TO TRY TO GET THE PART, THEY COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHICH ONE IT WAS, AND SAID THAT THEY WEREN'T PLANNING TO HAVE THE PARTS AVAILABLE AFTER 2002 ANYWAY. OFTEN, I ABOUT GOT STRANGLED, AS DID OTHERS WHO RODE IN MY TEMPO, WHEN WE OPENED THE DOOR TO GET OUT OF THE CAR. 6.)FROM THE CAR OVERHEATING, THE FINISH ON THE HOOD IS PEELING AND CRACKING. *NLM
BRAKE ADJUSTERS FAILED 3 TIMES CAUSING BRAKE FAILURE
CONSUMER SLOWED DOWN TO TURN A CORNER AND VEHICLE STOPPED IN ITS TRACKS.ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING. MECHANIC STATED THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH STEERING. CONSUMER INDICATED TIRES WERE STUCK IN TURNING POSITION. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
WHILE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY ALTERNATOR BELT SNAPPED WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, AND VEHICLE SHUT DOWN. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE
SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT HEATER CORE LEAKS. *SLC
INFORMATION REGARDING TRANSMISSION FLUID USAGE CHARTS. *SLC
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
INFORMATION REGARDING THE NEW TRANSMISSION COOLER FLUSHER- SERVICE TIP. *MJS
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
SUBJECT ON A WIRE HARNESS TERMINAL REPAIR KIT AVAILABLE FOR REPAIRING ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESSES. *TT
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
INFORMATION ON IDENTIFYING NON-APPROVED / ALTERNATE REFRIGERANTS WHICH COULD CAUSE SAFETY, AND PERFORMANCE CONCERNS IF INSTALLED IN FORD A/C SYSTEMS. *TT
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
INFORMATION ON THE NEW FLUSH AND FILL TOOL AVAILABLE THROUGH ROTUNDA. *TT
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.