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 1990 Ford Tempo submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 44 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 44, 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
WHILE DRIVING 40MPH AND WITHOUT WARNING, ENGINE STALLED, CONSUMER APPLIED BRAKES AND VEHICLE DID NOT STOP RESULTING IN A COLLISION, WHICH TOTALED VEHICLE. PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT VEHICLE SHUT OFF 4 TIMES, DEALER REPLACED BATTERY, ALTERNATOR, PLUGS/WIRES, AND STARTER BUT THIS DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM.
REPLACED SEATBELT AND THEY DO THE SAME THING LOCK IN THE BUCKLE POSITION WHEN WIFE PUT IN DITCH SHE HAD TO SQUEZE TO GET OUTEVEN WHEN OPEN DOOR WOULD NOT RELEASE THE HEATER CONTROL HAS BEEN BURNT 3 TIMES AND CURRENTLY IS BURNT AGAIN THEN THE IGNITION HAS BEEN REPLACED UNDER A RECALL AND THAT DINGS NOW WHEN THE KEY ISN'T EVEN IN IT NICE RECALL I WENT TO THE DEALER ABOUT THE SEATBELTS THEY TOLD ME IT WOULD COST ABOUT 300.00 PER DOOR TO FIX MY WIFE WAS QUITE UPSET ABOUT IT WROTE FORD MOTOR A LETTER THEY NEVER ECNOLLEDGE IT. SHE WON'T EVEN LET ME REPLACE THE ENGINE IN IT CAUSE SHE SAYS SHE WILL NOT DRIVE THAT CAR THAT COULD GO UP IN FLAMES OR DOESN'T HAVE SEATBELT THAT WORK CAUSE FORD DON'T KNOW HOW TO MAKE SOMETHING THAT WORKS PROPER SHE FEELS THE FORD COMPANY HAS DONE NOTHING BUT ENDANGERED MANY ADULTS AND CHILDRENS LIVES WITH THESE PROBLEMS AND SAYS SOMEONE OTTA TAKE CONTROL OVER THIS MATTER SINCERELY [XXX] AND [XXX]. *AK PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
96 V 071 000/ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IGNITION: VEHICLE WOULD STALL WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED OR WHILE PULLING OFF FROM A STOP POSITION. MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS COVERED UNDER THAT RECALL. BUT, DEALER REFUSED TO HONOR RECALL. *AK *SLC
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.*AK
GENERATOR IGNITED A SPARK, AND COATING ON ROOF CAUGHT ON FIRE. MECHANIC SAID THAT IT LOOKED LIKE THER WAS PROBLEM WITH HARNESS CONNECTOR. CONSUMER FELT ITS WAS A MANUFACTURER' DEFECT. *AK
THIS VEHICLE HAS A STALLING PROBLEM WHEN COMING TO A STOP SIGN OR INTERSECTION. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED.*AK THE CONSUMER SAYS THAT IGNITION SYSTEM WAS REPLACED AND THERE IS NO MORE STALLING PROBLEM. *YH
WHILE MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN CONSUMER CAME TO STOP AND VEHICLE STALLED RESULTING IN BEING HIT ON LEFT REAR DOOR AND VEHICLE SPUN AROUND. CONSUMER WAS TOLD BY MECHANIC REAR AXLE WAS BENT DUE TO THIS ACCIDENT. CONSUMER CONTACTED FORD, AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY WOULD PAY FOR DAMAGE TO VEHICLE, APPRXIMATELY $1300. VEHICLE HAS BEEN STALLING FOR THE LAST 30000 MILES. *AK THE CONSUMER SAYS THE ESTIMATE FOR DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE IS MUCH MORE. THE CONSUMER ALSO STATES THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS LEMON AND HAD CHANGED HANDS FIVE TIMES. *YH
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 20 MPH ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN, AND WAS SIDE CRASHED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE FROM THE UPCOMING TRAFFIC. CURRENTLY, PROBLEM WAS COMING BACK. 2 TRANSMISSIONS HAVE BEEN REPLACED ON THIS VEHICLE. VEHICLE EXPERIENCING AN OIL LEAK. *AK *SLC
VEHICLE WILL STALL INTERMITTENTLY. VEHICLE WILL SHUT OFF WHICH COULD CAUSE ACCIDENT.CONSUMER HAD IGNITON IDLE SENSOR REPLACED EVERY YEAR .*AK
NO SUMMARY
VEH. STOPS UNEXPECTEDLY ("CALIFORNIA RECALL PROBLEM" SYMPTOMS) WHILE CLIMBING IN MOUNTAINS AND UNDER WARM CONDITIONS. AFTER A FEW MINUTES, VEH. WILL RUN AGAIN BUT THEN REPEATS THE STOPPING PROBLEM. ENGINE STOPS AND POWER-ASSISTED BRAKING/STEERING IS LOST IN HIGHWAY DRIVING. *AK
STALLS WITHOUT WARNING. ONCE ON EXPRESSWAY, MOST ON 4 LANE 55 MPH ROADS. MANY SITUATIONS COULD HAVE CAUSED SERIOUS ACCIDENTS. AFTER SITTING AT ROADSIDE FOR ABOUT 2 HOURS IT WOULD START RIGHT UP. TRIED A NUMBER OF REMEDIES BEFORE HEARING OF THE POSSIBLE RECALL IN CALIFORNIA. IT WAS A USED FUNCTIONAL CAR SO WE DID ALL OF THE DO IT YOURSELF REMEDIES LIKE DRY GAS, NEW STARTER, ETC. ALL OF THE SITUATIONS IN THE ARTICLES ABOUT THE RECALLS DESCRIBED MY INSTANCES TO A T.*AK
THERE WERE SAFETY RECALLS ON THIS VEHICLE THAT WERE FOR THE IGNITION SWITCH. HOW DO I FIND OUT IF THIS RECALL WAS EVER DONE AND THE SWITCH REPLACED? *AK
CAR CONTANTLY STALLS, HAVE HAD SERVICE 3 TIMES TO CORRECT, NOTHING WORKS, NO ONE KNOWS WHAT IS WRONG.
KEY BROKE OFF IN THE IGNITION SWITCH, AND CONSUMER COULDN'T TURN THE STEERING WHEEL WHICH LOCKED UP. CONSUMER HAD TO CALL OUT A LOCK SMITH TO GET THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION. *AK
IMPROPER WIRE REPAIRS CAUSE THE VEHICLE ENGINE TO CATCH ON FIRE.
IGNITION SWITCH WILL START THE CAR, BUT WHEN THE SWITCH IS RETURNED TO THE ORIGINAL POSITION, IT WILL NOT KEEP THE CAR RUNNING. REPAIRS DONE TO PREVIOUS RECALL 95S28 ON 12/17/96. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER CONTACTED, AND CANNOT REPAIR THE WORK BECAUSE OF TIME FRAME LIMITATIONS ON RECALL. *AK
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. *AK
WHILE TRAVELING SMOKE CAME FROM UNDER THE HOOD, VEHICLE WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES, RESULTING IN A FIRE. *AK
ELECTRICAL:IGNITION SWITCH RECALL#96V071. VEHICLE PARKED IN DRIVEWAY, WALKED ABOUT 6 HOUSES DOWN .PEOPLE STARTED SCREAMING THAT VEHICLE WAS SMOKING,SUDDENLY BURST INTO FALMES. VEHICLE TOTALED. *AK
ALTERNATOR REPLACED EIGHT TIMES DUE TO SHORTING OUT. MJS
OWNER STATES THAT HER VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE IT WAS PARKED ,SHE THEN RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR THE IGNITION SWITCH, ALSO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT SAID THAT IT STARTED FROM THE PASSENGER'S SIDE. *AK *JB
ALTERNATOR WIRES BURNT.
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 .