1990 Ford Tempo Engine Problems

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

NHTSA ID

10010168

Incident

Dec 10, 2001

Mileage

55 mi

WHILE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY ALTERNATOR BELT SNAPPED WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, AND VEHICLE SHUT DOWN. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ID

8006777

Incident

Jun 1, 1998

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.

NHTSA ID

8004990

Incident

Dec 21, 2001

VEHICLE CUTS OFF WITHOUT WARNING, BUT IT WILL START BACK UP AGAIN. ALSO, CONSUMER CAN HEAR IT WHEN IT IS GETTING READY TO CUT, WHICH GIVES HER TIME TO APPLY BRAKES AND PULL TO SIDE OUT OF TRAFFIC.*AK

NHTSA ID

899767

Incident

Nov 29, 2001

CONSUMER STATES AS SHE WAS DRIVING, VEHICLE BEGAN TO STALL, SHE THEN PULLED OVER AND THAT IS WHEN SHE SAW THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE, POSSIBLY ENGINE RELATED.(OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT#10-90-330)*JB

NHTSA ID

562259

Incident

Jun 9, 2001

WHILE AT A STOP SIGN OR STOP LIGHT, VEHICLE STALLS AT TAKE OFF. PAINT IS PEELING OFF OF VEHICLE.*AK CONSUMER ALSO STATED THAT THE TFI IGNITION MODULE WAS REPLACED AFTER ONE INCIDENT WHERE THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START BUT DID NOT HELP THE PROBLEM, VEHICLE SURGES FOWARD AT TIMES, IT CAN MOVE FOWARD UP AN INCLINE WITHOUT PRESSING ON THE ACCELERATOR.*JB

NHTSA ID

889013

Incident

May 5, 2001

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

745166

Incident

Sep 25, 1997

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

NHTSA ID

874099

Incident

Apr 30, 2000

THE PROBLEM STARTED IN 7/99 AND CONTINUES 9/00. AT APPROX. 65 MILES PER HOUR WITH TEMPERATURE AT 85 DEGREES + THE ENGINE CUTS OUT(STOPS). THIS MEANS NO POWER STEERING OR POWER BRAKES. WE ARE SENIOR CITIZENS AND HAVE ALMOST BEEN KILLED ON THE FREEWAY 6 TIMES. THE LAST TIME AN 18 WHEELER ALMOST LOST CONTROL AND JUST MISSED A SCHOOL BUS LOADED WITH KIDS. WE NOW DO NOT LEAVE HEMET WHERE WE DRIVE 45MPH AND GET ANYWHERE IN 20 MINUTES. MY FAMILY MUST VISIT US OR COME AND PICK US UP. WE HAVE REPLACED THE TFI MODULE WITH A NEW FORD PART FOR $130 AT PEP BOYS A LOCAL REPAIR CHAIN. THERE ARE NO TESTS TO DISCOVER A FAILING COMPONENT. PLEASE HELP BEFORE MORE PEOPLE ARE STALLED IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF THE FREEWAY THAT MAY NOT BE AS GOOD A DRIVER AS MY WIFE AND I.*AK

NHTSA ID

731226

CONSUMER WAS STOPPED ALONG SIDE OF THE ROAD WHEN HE SAW SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD, CLAIM 11-3444-113. *SLC

NHTSA ID

6900627

Incident

Apr 3, 2000

ALSO HAVE 95 CONTOUR WITH SAME PROBLEM. EXHAUST MANAFOLD CRACKS AND ALLOWS EXHAUST FUMES INTO DRIVING COMPARTMENT

NHTSA ID

700996

Incident

Jan 1, 1998

WHILE TRAVELING SMOKE CAME FROM UNDER THE HOOD, VEHICLE WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES, RESULTING IN A FIRE. *AK

NHTSA ID

516113

WHILE DRIIVNG 50-55 MPH THE CAR JUMPS LIKE IT IS TRYING TO CUT OFF. AT STOP SIGNS, IF DOES NOT HAVE FOOT ON BRAKE THE VEHICLE WILL SURGE. WHEN DRIVING AND COMING TO A SLOW DOWN OR STOP DRIVER HAS TO KEEP FOOT ON THE GAS PEDAL AND BRAKE PEDAL SO THE VEHICLE WILL NOT DIE. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER ARE AWARE OF PROBLEM. PROBLEM NOT CORRECTED. *AK

NHTSA ID

816754

Incident

Sep 9, 1991

TRANSMISSION FAILED.

NHTSA ID

513947

Incident

Oct 26, 1996

MOTOR MOUNTS DISINTEGRATED, TIE ROD END BUSTED, CAUSED LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL, NO WARNING, SPEED 25 MPH. NO ACCIDENT. *AK

NHTSA ID

804187

Incident

Jul 15, 1994

WHILE DRIVING STEPPED ON THE GAS PEDAL AND THE GAS PEDAL STUCK. *AK CONSUMER STATES HE HAS HAD PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE SINCE PURCHASE, VEHICLE WOULD TURN OFF ,CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALERSHIP AND THEY INSPECTED IT, AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE DETRATEAL SENSOR WAS BAD, WHICH WAS CASUING VEHICLE TO STALL, CONSUMER GOT THE THROTTLE FIXED AND LATER THERE WAS A RECALL AND WHEN CONSUMER REQUESTED HIS MONEY BACK DEAKER ADVISED HIM THEY COULD NOT GO THAT FAR BACK INTO COMPUTER.*JB

NHTSA ID

804064

Incident

Apr 7, 1990

MOTOR MOUNTS REPLACED DUE TO TEARING. *DH

NHTSA ID

505205

Incident

Jul 1, 1995

ENGINE FIRE. *DH

NHTSA ID

505112

Incident

May 17, 1996

DRIVING LOW TO HIGH SPEEDS W/O WARNING CAR STALLS, CAUSING LOSS OF POWER STEERING/BRAKES. *SD

NHTSA ID

484011

Incident

Oct 1, 1994

THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT WORKS ON OCCASION, BROKE MOTOR MOUNTS, TIE RODS, ETC. TT

NHTSA ID

961458

Incident

Feb 27, 1995