REAR BRAKE FAILURE, ADJUSTERS FALL OUT OF POSITION, RESULTING IN REAR BRAKE FAILURE AND OR BRAKE LOCK UP PE96-005. *AK
1990 Ford Tempo complaints
Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 1990 record →
REAR BRAKE ADJUSTER FAILED TO ADJUST AND OWNER STATES MUST USE HAND. FRONT BRAKES ABSORB ALL STOPPING THAT'S APPLIED. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
REAR BARKE ADJUSTER BROKE OFF, DAMAGING THE WHEEL THE FIRST TIME, SECOND TIME WORE OUT THE PAD.
THE REAR BRAKES WERE CORODED AND CAUSED INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCE. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
FAILURE OF THE REAR BRAKE ADJUSTER, BRAKE ADJUSTER FELL OUT OF POSITION, RESULTING IN REAR BRAKE FAILURE PE96-005A. *AK
AN ELECTRICAL SHORT CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO CATCHON FIRE UNDER THE DASH. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
WIRING HARNESS SHORTED, CAUSING FIRE. *DH
VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE SITING IN THE DRIVEWAY,CAUSED BY IGNITION SWITCH. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
MASTER CYLINDER FAILED. *SD
PASSIVE RESTRAINT DOESN'T ENGAGE AUTOMATICALLY REMAINING IN LOCKED POSITION. FORD HAS REMEDY WHICH ALLOWS THEM TO BYPASS SYSTEM. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
IGNITION SWITCH SHORTED, CAUSING FIRE. *DH
DRIVER'S SIDE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT FAILED TO RETRAIN DRIVER WHEN VEHICLE HIT ROAD GUARD RAIL. *AK
UNDERHOOD FIRE CAUSED BY FAULTY ELECTRICAL WIRING. LIGHTS GO ON/OFF WHILE DRIVING; IMPAIRS VISION. TT
THE VEHICLE HAS HAD TWO FIRES RESULTING FROM THE ALTERNATOR SWITCH. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
ALTERNATOR WIRING HARNESS IS BURNING WHICH CAUSES THE ALTERNATOR TO GO BAD. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
UNDER THE DASH FIRE, STEERING COLUMN, ELECTRICAL SHORT IN IGNITION SWITCH, VEHICLE WAS PARKED FOR PERIOD OF 9 HRS. TT
HEAVY WIRE 3 PRONG CONNECTOR PLUG CAUGHT ON FIRE, REPLACE ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY. TT
BEARING THAT HOLDS THE STEERING COLUMN IN POSITION FELL APART IN THE STEERING ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT . TT
STEERING FAILED, CAUSING ACCIDENT. *DH
THE VEHICLE QUITS WHILE DRIVING. IT WILL NOT RUN AGAIN UNLESS YOU LET IT SIT. HAPPENS WHEN ITS HOT OUTSIDE. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
STEERING VERY LOOSE CAUSING DRIVER TO NOT HAVE FULL CONTROL; VEHICLE HAS BEEN SOLD. TT
INNER TIE RODS BROKE ON VEHICLE, LOSS OF STEERING. *AK
DRIVING LOW TO HIGH SPEEDS W/O WARNING CAR STALLS, CAUSING LOSS OF POWER STEERING/BRAKES. *SD
BRAKES REPLACED (3) TIMES W/OTHER COMPONENTS FAILING AS WELL. REAR BRAKES LOCKED UP, RESULTING IN IMMEDIATE WEAR. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
WHILE DRIVING, LOW TO HIGH SPEEDS, ENGINE SUDDENLY SHUTS DOWN, CAUSING LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND BRAKES, NO PRIOR WARNING. TT
1) VEHICLE WILL STALL AT ANYTIME WITH NO WARNING DUE TO POSSIBLE THROTTLE FAILURE. 2) REAR BRAKE STAR WHEEL FAILS . TT
UPON IMPACT, DURING REAR END COLLISION WHILE STOPPED, REAR LAP BELT BUCKLE DISENGAGED, ALSO FRONT PASSENGER LAP BELT STICKS WHEN PRESS RELEASE BUTTON. TT
STEERING FAILURE, RESULTED IN LOSS OF CONTROL/ACCIDENT. *SKD
CONSUMER GRANDDAUGHTER WAS DRIVING CAR THE LEFT FRONT BRAKE CAUGHT ON FIRE. TT
STEERING ASSEMBLY FAILED, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL/ACCIDENT. *AK
THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT WORKS ON OCCASION, BROKE MOTOR MOUNTS, TIE RODS, ETC. TT
IGNITION WIRES CORRODED AT COIL CONNECTION, PREVENTING VEHICLE FROM STARTING. *SKD
AUTOMATIC SEAT BELTS FAILED IN AN ACCIDENT. TT
Reading these
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 1990 Ford Tempo → · Every Tempo year → · How the figures are calculated →