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 1994 Ford Tempo submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 45 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 45, in the owner's own words
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 FORD TEMPO. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED AND THE SERVICE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AFTER TEN MINUTES. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED BY A DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 99,900 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 100,000.
WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH THE HEATING LEVEL WENT UP. THE CONSUMER PROCEEDED TO THE STORE TO PURCHASE ANTIFREEZE, NOTICED THE VEHICLE SMOKING, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, THE CONSUMER GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE, AND THE VEHICLE BURST INTO FLAMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED.*AK......*AK IN THE TIME THE CONSUMER HAD THE CAR, THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE NEVER WENT PASS NORMAL UNTIL THAT DAY; THE ENGINE COOLING FAN WOULD COME ON BEFORE THE GAUGE WENT UP PASSED NORMAL. *BF
I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE STALLING. AT A STOP, THE VEHICLE'S IDLE SPEED VARIES AND STARTS TO SHAKE AND WILL STALL IF I DON'T PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL. SOMETIMES IT HAS STALLED EVEN AFTER PUTTING IT IN NEUTRAL. I HAVE RECENTLY HAD A TUNE-UP AND MY GAS FILTER REPLACED, WITH NO RESULTS. *LA
1994 FORD TEMPO GL. MY HUSBAND'S CAR WENT UP IN FLAMES AND SMOKE YESTERDAY WHILE DRIVING IT, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND POLICE CAME AND PUT IT OUT. THE CAR IS A TOTAL LOSS, AS WELL AS THE JACKET MY HUSBAND WAS (FORTUNATELY) WEARING WHEN THE FLAMES CAME SHOOTING OUT FROM THE ENGINE AREA INTO THE DRIVER'S SEAT. A FRIEND OF MINE SUGGESTED THAT I CHECK IF OTHERS HAD THIS PROBLEM, AND I CAME ACROSS THIS SITE. IT LOOKS LIKE OTHERS HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM, IF THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN 97V019000 IS AN INDICATION OF SUCH. AS FAR AS I KNOW, WE WERE NEVER NOTIFIED THAT SOME FORD TEMPOS WERE POTENTIAL FIRE TRAPS. MY HUSBAND COULD HAVE BEEN SEVERELY BURNED, BUT FORTUNATELY, HIS JACKET TOOK THE BRUNT OF THE FLAMES. *JB
"SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT GOES ON WHILE DRIVING, SOMETIMES GOING OFF AFTER A FEW MINUTES AND SOMETIMES STAYING ON FOR 20-40 MILES. SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE LOOKED UP THE CODES AND CAN'T FIND A PROBLEM. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR MORE THAN A YEAR. I DO NOT HAVE AN OWNER'S MANUAL AND CANNOT LOCATE ONE ONLINE, SO TROUBLESHOOTING IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. *NLM
DUE TO FUMES EMITTING FROM MUFFLER BOTH OF THE LEFT REAR SUSPENSION BARS CORRODED WHICH CAUSED THEM TO DROP. CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED. CONSUMER STATED THAT EITHER THE MUFFLER WAS MOUNTED BACKWARD OR HAD A DESIGN FLAW. THE MUFFLER DRAIN HOLE IS ON TOP.*JB
VEHICLE STALLLED WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH OR MORE. VEHICLE BEEN TO THE DEALER ON THREE OCCASIONS, AND PROBLEM STILL OCCURRING. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
VEHICLE STALLS INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
WHILE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING VEHICLE WILL SHUTDOWN. SHE WILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *AK
CONSUMER, UPON INVESTIGATION, FOUND THAT THE MAIN PULLEY BOLTS ARE WORKING LOOSE. THEY WEREN'T PROPERLY TORQUED FROM THE FACTORY. AS A RESULT THE ENGINE HAS OVERHEATED, PROBLEMS WITH THE ALTERNATOR, LIGHTING SYSTEM AND STEERING POWER WAS LOST BECAUSE OF CONNECTIONS TO THE MAIN PULLEY. *JG
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WILL STALL. ALSO, SOMETIMES VEHICLE STARTS INTERMITTENTLY. CONTACTED DEALER.*AK
ENGINE STALLS, MOTOR DIES, NEVER CAN TELL WHEN IT IS GOING TO HAPPEN, USUALLY IN TRAFFIC.*AK
CARBURETOR AND DISTRIBUTOR FAILED.*ET
VEHICLE WILL STALL WHEN ENGINE GETS HOT. DEALER INSTALLED MODULE AND PULLEY.*AK
ENGINE CRANKCASE NOISE APPLICABLE TO MANY TEMPO'S TSB 97-15-9 LOOKING FOR FURTHER INFO ON THAT TSB
THE LOCATION OF DRAIN HOLE IN THE MUFFLER HAS CAUSED CONTROL ARMS AND FUEL TANK TO RUST. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE VEHICLE. OWNER NOTICED THE RUSTING ABOUT A MONTH AGO.*AK.ET.
GAS TANK WAS LEAKING AND SPRAYING GAS BACK ON THE MUFFLER. THERE WERE ALOT OF FUMES IN THE CAR. IF SOMEONE CAME BY, AND CAR BACKFIRED, IT COULD EXPLODE. TOOK TO DEALER, AND THEY REPLACED THE TANK. BUT FUMES ARE STILL THERE. CONSUMER FELT THEY SHOULD HAVE CHECKED MUFFLER ALSO. *AK
A HOLE IN THE MUFFLER TO PREVENT RUST IS CAUSING THE SUSPENSION AND THE GAS TANK TO PREMATURLEY RUST, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A FIRE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
WHILE DRIVING THERE IS FLUID LEAKING OUT DUE TO ABLOWEN OUT ENGINE HEAD GASKET.TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE IS VERY TIME CONSUMING AND COSTLY. *AK
OWNER HEARD A NOISE IN THE ENGINE. WHEN VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP, DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE PULLEY. THE PULLEY WAS REPLACED. AFTER THE PULLEY WAS REPLACED THE VEHICLE STARTED LEAKING OIL. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
VEHICLE WITHOUT ANY WARNING AT ANY SPEED JUST QUITS, COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND BRAKES, DEALERS CAN'T DIAGNOSE ANY REASON FOR FAILURE.*ET
FOR THREE YEARS THIS CAR HAS BEEN STALLING IN HOT HUMID WEATHER.THIS CAR RUNS FINE IN THE WINTER MONTHS.I HAD THIS CAR IN TO CAPITAL FORD WHILE IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY, MANY PARTS WERE REPLACED.ONLY KNOW ONE KNOWS WHAT THE PROBLEM IS WITH THIS CAR.I FEEL THIS CAR IS VERY UNSAFE.WHILE DRIVING IT JUST STALLS IF I WAIT 15 MINUTES CAR WILL RESTART I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER REPORTS OF THIS HAPPENING WITH OTHER CARS SUCH AS MINE. THANK YOU PAULA. *AK
WHEN THE WEATHER IS HOT MY 94 TEMPO STALLS AND WILL NOT START UNTIL IT COOLS DOWN. IT WILL START AND RUN UNTIL THE ENGINE GET HOT AGAIN. I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU WERE INVESTIGATING THIS PROBLEM BUT DROPPED THE INVESTIGATION. PLEASE RESUME YOUR RESEARCH. I AM A COLLEGE STUDENT TRYING TO DRIVE 65 MILES TO SCHOOL EACH DAY AND I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AS WELL AS AN INCONVIENCE. *AK
CRANKSHAFT PULLEY BROKE APART ON THREE OCCASIONS. MJS
CRANKSHAFT:PULLEY IS LOOSE, CAUSING A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED. *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 .