IllustrationINTERMITTENTLY VEHICLE WILL STALL OUT AND DIES AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK
1993 Ford Tempo
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Tempo years
Owner complaints for the 1993 Ford Tempo are substantially higher than the model-year median of 30.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Tempo years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 7 of 227 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 61 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seat Belts. Review the 61 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 37 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
16 crash reports5 fire reports14 injury reports
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
61 reportsNO 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 T…
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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
MANUFACTURER SENT THE RECALL NOTICE TO THE WRONG PERSON, CONSUMER WAS DENIED RECALL REPAIR WORK DUE TO DEADLINE OF REPAIR (97V-019). MJS
RECALL 97VO19000; CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING AT 40 MILES PER HOUR AND NOTICED SMOKE ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE. STOPPED AND PULLED UP THE HOOD AND IT WAS ON FIRE . CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND THEY DETERMINED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS ELECTRICAL.*AK
WHILE TRAVELING IN HOT TEMPERATURES IT WAS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL OUT APPROX\IMATELY EVERY 100 MILES. WHEN IT GOT HOTTER IT WOULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO STALL OUT AGAIN AT APPROXIMATELY EVERY 50 MILES. TOOK VEHICLE TO A GAS STATION AND INSPECTED. REPAIRED BY REPLACING A TFI MODULE; PROBLEM WAS CORRECTED. INSIDE TEMPERATURE …
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WHILE TRAVELING IN HOT TEMPERATURES IT WAS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL OUT APPROX\IMATELY EVERY 100 MILES. WHEN IT GOT HOTTER IT WOULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO STALL OUT AGAIN AT APPROXIMATELY EVERY 50 MILES. TOOK VEHICLE TO A GAS STATION AND INSPECTED. REPAIRED BY REPLACING A TFI MODULE; PROBLEM WAS CORRECTED. INSIDE TEMPERATURE GAUGES READ NORMAL. CAN NHTSA PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS SUBJECT. *AK
HOSE/LINE COMING OFF THE BACK OF COMPRESSOR, LINE FROM MANIFOLD TO CONDENSOR FAILED ALSO. MJS
WHILE DRIVING AND COMING TO A STOP, VEHICLE STALLS UNEXPECTEDLY WHICH MAY CAUSE A CRASH. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM.* AK CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE IS STILL STALLING.*SB
Official recalls
297V019000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:cooling System:fan
Feb 25, 1997
THESE VEHICLES ARE ORIGINALLY SOLD OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE FOLLOWING STATES: ALASKA, IOWA, MINNESOTA, NEBRASKA, NORTH DAKOTA, AND SOUTH DAKOTA. THE VEHICLES INVOLVED ARE 1992-1994 TEMPO/TOPAZ VEHICLES WITH 3.0L ENGINES; 1994 TEMPO/TOPAZ WITH 2.3L ENGINES; 1992-1995 TAURUS/SABLE WITH 3.8L ENGINES; 1994-1995 TAURUS/SABLE WITH 3.0L ENGINES AND 1992-1994 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL VEHICLES WITH 3.8L ENGINES. DURING HIGH WINDS, HEAVY, BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW, AND LOW TEMPERATURES, THE ENGINE COOLING FAN CAN BECOME BLOCKED OR FROZEN WITH SNOW. THE FAN MOTOR MAY NOT ROTATE AND COULD OVERHEAT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION CAN CAUSE SMOKE OR FLAMES FROM THE FAN AND/OR SHROUD, THE FAN ELECTRICAL WIRING, OR THE FAN MOTOR RESULTING IN A VEHICLE FIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL AN ELECTRICAL JUMPER HARNESS CONTAINING AN AUTOMATIC RESETTING CIRCUIT BREAKER TO PROTECT THE FAN MOTOR LOW SPEED CIRCUITRY FROM OVERHEATING.
96V071000 · Electrical System:ignition
Apr 25, 1996
THE IGNITION SWITCH COULD EXPERIENCE AN INTERNAL SHORT CIRCUIT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE OVERHEATING, SMOKE, AND POSSIBLY FIRE IN THE STEERING COLUMN AREA OF THE VEHICLE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2EA96024 · Engine Cooling Fan Fires
Opened Sep 30, 1996 · Closed Apr 15, 1997
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling
There is no summary currently available
PE96033 · Engine Cooling Fan Fires
Opened May 2, 1996 · Closed Sep 30, 1996
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling
IN DECEMBER 1995, FORD RECALLED 119,313 VEHICLES IN CANADA TO REMEDY THE SUBJECT CONDITION IN CERTAIN 1992-95 TAURUS, SABLE, TEMPO, TOPAZ AND CONTINENTAL VEHICLES.FORD IS AWARE OF SIMILAR INCIDENTS OCCURRING IN NORTHERN REGIONS OF THE UNITED STATES, BUT MAINTAINS THAT THE FREQUENCIES DO NOT WARRANT A FINDING OF AN UNREASONABLE RISK TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY.