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1990 Ford TempoProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 133 owner complaints about the 1990 Ford Tempo, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 1 safety recall.

46
CarFlaw IndexSolid year1.2× the Tempo median · #3 of 11 years by complaints
Safety recalls1Free fix at dealersOwner complaints13352 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage83kElectrical system, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 21, 2004. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1990 Ford Tempo has problems

133 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Electrical system4626
Seat belts285
Service brakes, hydraulic201
Engine and engine cooling195
Steering123
Exterior lighting60
Power train41
Vehicle speed control41
Visibility31
8 other systems155

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

1 recall

1990 Ford Tempo recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

–no report yet

Electrical system: ignition

Recall 96V-071 · Apr 25, 1996 · 7,900,000 vehicles

Risk. THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE OVERHEATING, SMOKE, AND POSSIBLY FIRE IN THE STEERING COLUMN AREA OF THE VEHICLE.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Ford.

Best & worst years

1990 vs. every other Tempo year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Tempo median. How we score

'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
3 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1990 Ford Tempo, and the recalls they led to.

  1. REAR BRAKE SYSTEM FAILUREDP96002 · closed Jan 19, 1996
    No recall
  2. FAILED PASSIVE RESTRAINTEA90008 · closed Dec 31, 1991
    No recall
  3. REAR BRK ADJUSTER FAILUREPE96005 · closed May 28, 1996
    No recall
In owners' words

What Tempo owners report

Recent electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

CAR HAS REPEATABLE PROBLEM OF NOT STARTING...HAVE HAD IT TOWED, DUE TO THIS, NUMEROUS TIMES, SPENT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TRYING TO GET IT FIXED, ETC. ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT IT HAS TWO IGNITION DEFECTS...POTENTIALLY... SINCE THE CAR WAS NOT NEW WHEN I BOUGHT IT 3 YEARS AGO, I HAVE NO RECOURSE BUT TO…
Complaint 10096145 · Oct 21, 2004 · 83,000 miles
JUST AFTER PULLING INTO THE DRIVEWAY, THE CONSUMER SMELLED SMOKE. HE OPENED THE HOOD AND NOTICED THE TOP OF THE ALTERNATOR PLUG WAS BURNING FOLLOWED BY WIRING BURNING ACROSS TO THE BATTERY. THE TERMINAL BLOCK ON THE LEFT FENDER BEGAN BURNING AND MELTING. *JB *NM
Complaint 10087776 · Sep 28, 2004
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…
Complaint 8004990 · Mar 5, 2002

Own a 1990 Tempo?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.