IllustrationAIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND WOULD NOT GO OFF, DUE TO FAILURE OF THE AIR BAG MONITOR SYSTEM. *YC
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
What owners actually said
227 reportsREAR WINDSHIELD SHATTERED UNEXPECTEDLY WHICH MAY HAVE CAUSED INJURIES. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
RIGHT REAR DOOR WILL NOT OPEN. CANNOT PULL DOOR LOCK UP. CAR EQUIPPED WITH ELECTRIC LOCKS AND CHILD SAFETY LOCK. THIS IS A POTENTIAL HAZARD IF PASSENGER IN REAR OF CAR NEEDS TO EXIT THE RIGHT REAR DOOR. CONTACTED GARY AT WARNER FORD IN SLC ON 3/19/99 @ APPROX. 13:30. HE INDICATED THAT IT'S NOT FORDS RESPOSIBILITY TO REPAIR P…
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RIGHT REAR DOOR WILL NOT OPEN. CANNOT PULL DOOR LOCK UP. CAR EQUIPPED WITH ELECTRIC LOCKS AND CHILD SAFETY LOCK. THIS IS A POTENTIAL HAZARD IF PASSENGER IN REAR OF CAR NEEDS TO EXIT THE RIGHT REAR DOOR. CONTACTED GARY AT WARNER FORD IN SLC ON 3/19/99 @ APPROX. 13:30. HE INDICATED THAT IT'S NOT FORDS RESPOSIBILITY TO REPAIR PROBLEM FOR NO CHARGE. I DISAGREE.
NO SUMMARY
FLOOR MAT BECAME STUCK UNDER GAS PEDAL CAUSING VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE.
AFTER VIEWING DATELINE FEB. 10, 1999, I REALIZED WHAT HAD BEEN HAPPENING TO MY CAR WHEN THE ACCELERATOR STICKS DOWN. I CHECKED WITH THE DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME THE DASH MAT HAD SLIPPED UNDER THE GAS PEDAL. WELL I REMOVED THE MAT AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED, BOTH TO ME AND MY DAUGHTER WHO WAS TERRIFIED. I CANNOT STOP THE CAR W…
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AFTER VIEWING DATELINE FEB. 10, 1999, I REALIZED WHAT HAD BEEN HAPPENING TO MY CAR WHEN THE ACCELERATOR STICKS DOWN. I CHECKED WITH THE DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME THE DASH MAT HAD SLIPPED UNDER THE GAS PEDAL. WELL I REMOVED THE MAT AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED, BOTH TO ME AND MY DAUGHTER WHO WAS TERRIFIED. I CANNOT STOP THE CAR WITH BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKE AND MUST SHUT OFF THE CAR EVEN IF IN TRAFFICE. I HAVE CONTACTED BOTH FORD AND MY LOCAL DISTRIBUTORSHIP AND THEY BOTH CLAIM THERE IS NOTHING WRONG. THEY WILL BE HAPPY TO INSPECT THE SYSTEM, BUT BECAUSE THERE IS NO RECALL, I HAVE TO PAY FOR THE ENTIRE INSPECTION. THEY TOLD ME THAT UNLESS THE NATSA ORDERS A RECALL, NOTHING CAN BE DONE. I FIND IT INCOMPREHENSIBLE THAT FORD WOULD NOT ORDER THEIR OWN RECALL TO PROTECT THEIR CUSTOMERS EVEN AFTER THEIR OWN ENGINEERS HAVE DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM. ANYWAY, PLEASE ORDER THE RECALL - IT SEEMS THE ONLY WAY TO SAVE LIVES OF PEOPL E WHO OWN OR RIDE IN THESE CARS. THANK YOU.
MIDAS HAS REPALCED ENTIRE EXHAUST SYSTEM FROM MANIFOLD PIPE BACK. STILL GETTING SICK. TOOK CAR BACK TO MIDAS AND DISCOVERD THAT NONE OF THE CLAMPS HAD BEEN TIGHTENED. MIDAS FIXED AND SEALED ENTIRE SYSTEM. STILL GETTING CARBON MONOXIDE INSIDE CAR. HAD FIREDEPARTMENT TEST AGAIN, AND STILL GETTING 30 AND 40 PARTS PER MILLION READI…
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MIDAS HAS REPALCED ENTIRE EXHAUST SYSTEM FROM MANIFOLD PIPE BACK. STILL GETTING SICK. TOOK CAR BACK TO MIDAS AND DISCOVERD THAT NONE OF THE CLAMPS HAD BEEN TIGHTENED. MIDAS FIXED AND SEALED ENTIRE SYSTEM. STILL GETTING CARBON MONOXIDE INSIDE CAR. HAD FIREDEPARTMENT TEST AGAIN, AND STILL GETTING 30 AND 40 PARTS PER MILLION READING'S. TOOK CAR TO FORD DEALER AND HAD THEM TEST EVERYTHING. RESULTS ACCORDING TO THEM ARE EVERYTHING IS TIGHT AND NOT LEAKING. BUT THEY ARE AT AT A LOSS NOW. THE SERVICE ADVISOR TELLS ME THAT I HAVE A PROBLEM, AND THEY CANNOT FIX IT. IF THE DEALER CANNOT FIX IT THEN WHO CAN? I CANNOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE WITH CARBON MONOXIDE IN IT . PEOPLE DIE! IF I PASS OUT, AND CROSS THE CENTER LINE AND HIT SOMBODY HEAD-ON , PEOPLE WILL DIE. WE HAVE A POTENTIALLY DEADLY PROBLEM HERE, AND NO ONE WANTS TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I HAVE DONE EVERYTHING I CAN DO AT THIS POINT . CAN ANYONE HELP? *AK
MAJOR ENGINE PROBLEM, INITIAL OBSERVATION WOULD INDICATE A FAULTY INTAKE OR EXHAUST VALVE OR SPRING. DEALER TECHNICIAN INDICATES THAT A NORMAL INTERNAL ENGINE COMPONENT SHOULD LAST WELL OVER 50K MILES. ENGINE MAKES LOUD NOISE AND BUILDS UP A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF PRESSURE IN THE CRANKCASE. *AK
CONSUMER REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE APPROXIMATELY 10-15 MPH, DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK
MOTOR ON SEAT BELT CHEWED UP RETRACTOR AND BELT LOCKED UP IN FORWARD POSITION.
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.