Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1993 Ford Tempo submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 61 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 61, in the owner's own words
WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE STARTED SMOKING UNDER THE HOOD. THE CONSUMER DROVE TO A NEAR-BY MECHANIC, WHO DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY CABLES. THE MECHANIC FOUND THAT THE MOTOR MOUNTS WERE WORN, THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REBUILT AND THE HEAD GASKETS WERE LEAKING. THE SPEEDOMETER WAS ALSO INOPERABLE. THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WILL BE INFORMED OF THE PROBLEMS. *JB
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE STALLS INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING.*AK
I HAVE A 1993 FORD TEMPO, THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY STOPED SPINNING.I FOUND A RECALL ON THE INTERNET FOR MY CAR,AND THE SAME PROBLEM.I CONTACTED FORD MOTOR CO. AND THEY TOLD ME THAT MY CAR CAME FROM A DIFFERENT LOCATION SO THE RECALL DOES NOT PERTAIN TO ME.APPARENTLY THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE CAR.
AFTER HALF HOUR OF DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, ENGINE GAUGE INDICATE IS OVERHEAT, DUE TO A FAULTY ENGINE SENSOR. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER. PH *TR
CONSUMER ON BEHALF OF DAUGHTER. THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED FOR CONSUMERS DAUGHTER, WHO STARTED HEARING NOISES. A COUPLE OF REPAIR SHOPS AGREED IT WAS THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY. THIS REPAIR WAS ON RECALL AND WAS REPAIRED SIX YEARS PRIOR TO THE PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR REPAIRS. UPON CHECKING THE VEHICLE, THE MECHANIC, INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THE WATER PUMP WAS BAD. AFTER REPAIRING, THE NOISE WAS STILL PRESENT. THE MECHANIC CHANGED THE PULLEY AT NO COST TO CONSUMER. *JG
THE MOTOR AND/OR TRANSMISSION MOUNTS ON THE DESCRIBED VEHICLE HAVE FAILED THREE(3) TIMES, THE FIRST AS NOTED, OCCURRED AFTER ONLY 18,000 MILES AND AT THE TIME THE CAR HAD JUST PASSED THE 36 MONTH NEW CAR WARRANTY. WADE FORD IN SMYRNA ,GA REPLACED THE MOUNTS THE FIRST TIME AT NO LABOR CHARGE...ONLY PARTS BECAUSE THE DATE WAS SO CLOSE TO THE WARRANTY EXPIRATION. SINCE THEN, THE MOUNTS HAVE FAILED TWO MORE TIMES. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF ANY OTHER CAR OWNERS OF THIS MAKE/MODEL HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM?*AK
VEHICLE WILL STALL WITHOUT NOTICE. ONCE IT STALLED ON HIGHWAY. CONSUMER HAS YET TO CONTACT DEALER. *AK DEALER CAN NOT FIND THE CAUSE OF THE STALLING. *SLC
CAR CUTS OFF WHILE I'M DRIVING. THIS ONLY HAPPENS IN DAYTIME WHEN WEATHER IS VERY HOT. I HAVE TO LET THE CAR SIT ABOUT 20-30 MINUTES BEFORE IT WILL START AGAIN. NO PROBLEMS AT NIGHT, OR EARLY MORNING WHEN IT'S COOL. *AK
VEHICLE STALLS OUT AT ANY SPEED STANDING STILL OR IN MOTION. VEHICLE SEEMS TO HAVE THE PROBLEM MOST IN DO THE SUMMER. DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM TO CORRECT IT.*AK
VEHICLE WAS STALLING IN HOT WEATHER/ 80-100 DEGREES. ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON. CONSUMER ABLE TO STOP VEHICLE WITH EMERGENCY BRAKE. *AK *JB
ENGINE WILL STALL DURING ANY HIGHWAY DRIVING OR WHEN VEHICLE ACCELERATES PAST 50 MPH. DEALERSHIP HAS NOT EXAMINED VEHICLE TO DETERMINE CAUSE OF DEFECT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK
ENGINE SHUT DOWN AND STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. *AK
VEHICLE STALLS ON HIGHWAY AND TURNS OFF WITH NO POWER AT ALL. CONSUMER WAITED ABOUT 10 MINUTES AND IT STARTED UP AGAIN. TOOK TO DEALER, AND THEY SAID IF THEY CORRECT IT, IT MAY HAPPENED AGAIN BECAUSE TFI MODULER WAS TOO CLOSE TO ENGINE BLOCK. THIS ONLY HAPPENS WHEN ITS WARM OUTSIDE. *AK
ENGINE STALLS WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED FOR ABOUT 45-60 MINUTES. LOSES POWER AND AFTER COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP WILL NOT IMMEDIATLEY RESTART , OR IF IT RESTARTS RUNS ROUGH WITH ONLY ENOUGH POWER TO GET TO A SAFE PLACE TO STOP. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY SINCE WE OWNED THE CAR. FORD DEALERS IN PUERTO RICO HAVE INVESTIGATED THE PROBLEM WITHOUT SUCCESS. ON ONE OCCASION THE DEALER REPLACED THE COOLING FAN, BELIEVING THE PROBLEM WAS COOLING RELATED. IT STILL DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. THE LOCAL FORD SERVICE MANAGER ONLY OFFERS TO DRIVE THE CAR TO SEE IF THE PROBLEM REOCCURS. THE PROBLEM WITH THIS IS IT IS SUCH AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM THERE IS LITTLE CHANCE STALLING WILL HAPPEN UNLESS THE CAR IS DRIVEN AT HIGHWAY SPEED FOR NEARLY AN HOUR. *AK
CATALYTIC CONVERTER LEAVES A SULPHUR SMELL INSIDE VEHICLE. DEALER DOESN'T BELIEVE SMELL IS COMING FROM CATALYTIC CONVERTER. CONSUMER WILL ADD MORE INFORMATION. *AK
FAN MOTOR OVER HEATS, MAKES A SOUND LIKE SOMETHING ELECTRICAL IS SHORTING OUT AND SMOKES. HAS COMPLETELY STOPPED WORKING. WE HAVE HAVE TO REPLACE THE FUEL INJECTIONS SYTEM AND THE BATTERY. THE CAR SHOCKS YOU EVEYTIME YOU TOUCH IT. IT FEELS LIKE IT IS SKIPPING GEARS WHEN YOU TURN ALSO. WE ARE CONSTANTLY REPLACING SOMETHING ON IT AND IT HAS BECOME A REAL PAIN. *AK
THE HERMONIC BALENCER BROKE DOWN CAUSING A RATTLEING NOISE AND BROKE ANOTHER PART I KNOW TWO OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME MODEL AND MAKE AS MY CAR ONE OF THEIRS IS A 94 THE OTHER IS A 93 THEY BOTH ARE EXSPERIANCEING THE SAME PROBLEM AND WE ARE ALL AROUND THE SAME MILAGE. *AK
ONGOING / INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH ENGINE STALLING WHILE DRIVING, MORE SO DURING THE HOT SEASON, THEN THE COLD SEASON. ALSO, MORE FREQUENT WHEN ENGINE WAS RUNNING LONGER PERIODS OF TIME. BEEN TO AN INDEPENDENT SHOP ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, BUT PROBLEM STILLOCCURRING. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
TEMPO STALLS WHEN THE TEMPERATURE (AIR) IS HOT, MUST WAIT 15-30 MINUTES FOR COOL DOWN BEFORE THE CAR WILL RUN. NO NOTICE THAT THE CAR IS ABOUT TO FAIL, ONE OF THESE TIMES I AM GOING TO BE PASSING SOMEONE, AND WILL FIND MYSELF IN A REAL PREDICAMENT
WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR: THE ORIGINAL WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR WAS REPLACED WITH A REBUIT ONE SINCE THE ORIGINAL FAILED TO OPERATE ON ANY OF THE INTERMITTENT SETTINGS. IT WOULD WORK ON HIGH AND LOW ONLY. THE ORIGINAL MOTOR WAS REPLACED WITH A REBUILT WIPER MOTOR AND OPERATED FINE BUT MADE A LOUD NOISE. I HAD THE REBUILT WIPER MOTOR REPLACED WITH ANOTHER REBUILT WIPER MOTOR AND HAVE HAD IT FOR 13-14 MONTHS. THE WIPER MOTOR I HAVE CURRENTLY IS NOW MAKING THE SAME NOISE AS WITH THE SECOND WIPER MOTOR. IT IS STILL OPERATIONAL AT THIS POINT ON ALL SETTINGS.DOOR LOCKS: THE POWER DOOR LOCKS HAVE INDIVIDUALLY STOPPED WORKING AT DIFFERENT TIMES. I USED WD-40 ON ALL OF THE LOCKS AND IT HAS HELPED ALL BUT ONE (REAR PASSENGER SIDE) THAT REFUSES TO WORK WHEN DEPRESSING THE LOCK\UNLOCK BUTTON. IT WILL STILL WORK MANUALLY. REVVING OF ENGINE: THE ENGINE WILL REV VERY HIGH WHEN THE CAR IS PLACED IN PARK. PRESSING THE BRAKE OR THE GAS PEDAL DOES NOT DECREASE THE REVVING NOR DOES LIFTING THE GAS PEDAL UP. THE ONLY SOLUTION IS TO TURN THE CAR OFF AND TO TURN IT BACK ON. THIS IS TIED TO THE CAR ACCELERATING WITHOUT PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDAL. THEY BOTH HAPPENED ON THE SAME BRIEF TRIP (20 MILES) BUT HAVE ALSO HAPPENED INDIVIDUALLY ON SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE CAR ACCELERATES SLOWLY - APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE PER SECOND - AND WILL CONTINUE UNTIL ABOUT 40 - 50MPH WHERE ITS REMAINS CONSTANT. NO DEALER HAS BEEN ABLE TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM EVEN AFTER SEARCHING THE CARS COMPUTER FOR A STORED CODE OR CAUSE. IGNITION: THE KEY HAS BECOME STUCK IN THE IGNITION ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE KEY WILL NOT COME OUT BECAUSE THE IGNITION DOES NOT RETURN BACK TO THE PLACE WHERE YOU CAN REMOVE THE KEY. TO HELP CLARIFY - IT GETS FROZEN IN THE POSTION WHERE YOU WOULD TURN THE KEY TO ROLL THE WINDOWS UP/DOWN BUT NOT START THE CAR. I HAVE HAD TO MOVE/JIGGLE IT BACK AND FORTH TO GET THE IGNITON TO RETURN BACK TO HOME STATE AND TO THE POSITION WHERE I WAS ABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY.
INTERMITTENTLY VEHICLE WILL STALL OUT AND DIES AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
ENGINE STALLS AT STOPS AND CUTS OFF WHILE CAR IS IN MOTION WHICH CAUSES STEERING COLUMN TO LOCK, MAKING CAR UNCONTROLLABLE. THE LAST TIME I WENT ACROSS ONCOMING TRAFFIC LANE. (THANK GOD NO CARS WERE COMING TOWARD ME!!) THIS IS A LIFE-THREATENING PROBLEM BECAUSE I NEVER KNOW WHEN THE CAR IS GOING TO CUT OFF. WHAT IS WRONG?? IS THIS ONE OF THE PROBLEMS BEING ADDRESSED IN THE CLASS-ACTION SUIT FOR TEMPO'S? IN ADDITION, THE BRAKE LIGHT IS CONSTANTLY ON WHILE DRIVING, BUT GOES OFF WHEN I BRAKE??*AK
THE VALVE COVER LEAKS OIL. NLM
HARMONIC BALANCER ( CRANKSHAFT PULLY) ON THE FORD TEMPO IS DEFECTIVE. THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND REFUSES TO RECALL THE TEMPO OR REIMBURSE OWNERS FOR THE WORK THAT HAS TO BE DONE IN ORDER TO HAVE THE VEHICLE WORK. *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
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