Page 3 of 3 · complaints 101–133 of 133

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 →

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Drum
Filed May 8, 1996MD

REAR BRAKE FAILURE, ADJUSTERS FALL OUT OF POSITION, RESULTING IN REAR BRAKE FAILURE AND OR BRAKE LOCK UP PE96-005. *AK

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Drum
Filed May 6, 1996VT

REAR BRAKE ADJUSTER FAILED TO ADJUST AND OWNER STATES MUST USE HAND. FRONT BRAKES ABSORB ALL STOPPING THAT'S APPLIED. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Drum
Filed May 6, 1996NY

REAR BARKE ADJUSTER BROKE OFF, DAMAGING THE WHEEL THE FIRST TIME, SECOND TIME WORE OUT THE PAD.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Drum
Filed May 6, 1996NY

THE REAR BRAKES WERE CORODED AND CAUSED INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCE. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Drum
Filed May 1, 1996FL

FAILURE OF THE REAR BRAKE ADJUSTER, BRAKE ADJUSTER FELL OUT OF POSITION, RESULTING IN REAR BRAKE FAILURE PE96-005A. *AK

Electrical System › Wiring › Interior/Under DashFire
Filed Apr 29, 1996MI

AN ELECTRICAL SHORT CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO CATCHON FIRE UNDER THE DASH. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK

Electrical System › Wiring › Interior/Under DashFire
Filed Apr 29, 1996TX

WIRING HARNESS SHORTED, CAUSING FIRE. *DH

Electrical System › Ignition › SwitchFire
Filed Apr 26, 1996KS

VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE SITING IN THE DRIVEWAY,CAUSED BY IGNITION SWITCH. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Master Cylinder
Filed Apr 10, 1996WV

MASTER CYLINDER FAILED. *SD

Seat Belts
Filed Mar 13, 1996TN

PASSIVE RESTRAINT DOESN'T ENGAGE AUTOMATICALLY REMAINING IN LOCKED POSITION. FORD HAS REMEDY WHICH ALLOWS THEM TO BYPASS SYSTEM. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

Electrical System › Ignition › SwitchFire
Filed Feb 26, 1996WI

IGNITION SWITCH SHORTED, CAUSING FIRE. *DH

Seat Belts
Filed Feb 23, 1996MD

DRIVER'S SIDE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT FAILED TO RETRAIN DRIVER WHEN VEHICLE HIT ROAD GUARD RAIL. *AK

Electrical System › Wiring › Front UnderhoodFire
Filed Dec 8, 1995ID

UNDERHOOD FIRE CAUSED BY FAULTY ELECTRICAL WIRING. LIGHTS GO ON/OFF WHILE DRIVING; IMPAIRS VISION. TT

Electrical System › Alternator/Generator/RegulatorFire
Filed Dec 6, 1995NY

THE VEHICLE HAS HAD TWO FIRES RESULTING FROM THE ALTERNATOR SWITCH. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT

Electrical System › Alternator/Generator/Regulator
Filed Dec 1, 1995IL

ALTERNATOR WIRING HARNESS IS BURNING WHICH CAUSES THE ALTERNATOR TO GO BAD. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT

Electrical System › Ignition › SwitchFire
Filed Nov 30, 1995LA

UNDER THE DASH FIRE, STEERING COLUMN, ELECTRICAL SHORT IN IGNITION SWITCH, VEHICLE WAS PARKED FOR PERIOD OF 9 HRS. TT

Electrical System › Alternator/Generator/RegulatorFire
Filed Oct 23, 1995IN

HEAVY WIRE 3 PRONG CONNECTOR PLUG CAUGHT ON FIRE, REPLACE ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY. TT

Steering › Steering Wheel/Handle Bar
Filed Oct 18, 1995IA

BEARING THAT HOLDS THE STEERING COLUMN IN POSITION FELL APART IN THE STEERING ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT . TT

SteeringCrash
Filed Aug 15, 1995NY

STEERING FAILED, CAUSING ACCIDENT. *DH

Electrical System › Ignition
Filed Aug 9, 1995UT

THE VEHICLE QUITS WHILE DRIVING. IT WILL NOT RUN AGAIN UNLESS YOU LET IT SIT. HAPPENS WHEN ITS HOT OUTSIDE. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT

Steering
Filed Jul 21, 1995MO

STEERING VERY LOOSE CAUSING DRIVER TO NOT HAVE FULL CONTROL; VEHICLE HAS BEEN SOLD. TT

Steering › Linkages › Tie Rod Assembly
Filed Jul 11, 1995NY

INNER TIE RODS BROKE ON VEHICLE, LOSS OF STEERING. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Filed Jul 8, 1995MI

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

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Drum
Filed Jul 6, 1995OH

BRAKES REPLACED (3) TIMES W/OTHER COMPONENTS FAILING AS WELL. REAR BRAKES LOCKED UP, RESULTING IN IMMEDIATE WEAR. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

Electrical System › Ignition
Filed Jun 14, 1995MI

WHILE DRIVING, LOW TO HIGH SPEEDS, ENGINE SUDDENLY SHUTS DOWN, CAUSING LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND BRAKES, NO PRIOR WARNING. TT

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Jun 9, 1995KS

1) VEHICLE WILL STALL AT ANYTIME WITH NO WARNING DUE TO POSSIBLE THROTTLE FAILURE. 2) REAR BRAKE STAR WHEEL FAILS . TT

Seat Belts › Front › Buckle AssemblyCrash2 injured
Filed May 23, 1995CO

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 › Hydraulic Power Assist SystemCrash
Filed May 17, 1995NY

STEERING FAILURE, RESULTED IN LOSS OF CONTROL/ACCIDENT. *SKD

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › DiscFire
Filed Apr 27, 1995FL

CONSUMER GRANDDAUGHTER WAS DRIVING CAR THE LEFT FRONT BRAKE CAUGHT ON FIRE. TT

Steering › Hydraulic Power Assist SystemCrash
Filed Apr 25, 1995NY

STEERING ASSEMBLY FAILED, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL/ACCIDENT. *AK

Seat Belts › Front › Webbing
Filed Mar 8, 1995NY

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

Electrical System › Ignition
Filed Mar 3, 1995NY

IGNITION WIRES CORRODED AT COIL CONNECTION, PREVENTING VEHICLE FROM STARTING. *SKD

Seat BeltsCrash1 injured
Filed Feb 1, 1995MI

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 →