IllustrationWHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WILL STALL. ALSO, SOMETIMES VEHICLE STARTS INTERMITTENTLY. CONTACTED DEALER.*AK
1994 Ford Tempo
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Tempo years
Owner complaints for the 1994 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: 5 of 161 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 45 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seat Belts. Review the 36 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
19 crash reports5 fire reports11 injury reports
What owners actually said
161 reportsENGINE STALLS, MOTOR DIES, NEVER CAN TELL WHEN IT IS GOING TO HAPPEN, USUALLY IN TRAFFIC.*AK
AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT TRACK MECHANISM ON THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER HAVE BECOME STUCK IN ONE POSITION AND WILL NOT MOVE. DEALERSHIP REPAIRED DRIVERS SIDE SHOULDER BELT TRACK APPROXIMATELY 2 YEARS AGO WHILE VEHICLE WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. CURRENTLY, PASSENGER'S SIDE SHOULDER BELT HAS BECOME STUCK IN FORWARD POSITION. PL…
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AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT TRACK MECHANISM ON THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER HAVE BECOME STUCK IN ONE POSITION AND WILL NOT MOVE. DEALERSHIP REPAIRED DRIVERS SIDE SHOULDER BELT TRACK APPROXIMATELY 2 YEARS AGO WHILE VEHICLE WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. CURRENTLY, PASSENGER'S SIDE SHOULDER BELT HAS BECOME STUCK IN FORWARD POSITION. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK
DRIVER SEAT BELT DOES NOT FULLY EXTEND FROM THE RETRACTING MECHANISM, CAUSING THE SEAT BELT TO BECOME INOPERABLE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
CONSUMER WAS IN PARKING LOT DRIVING ABOUT 2 MPH WHEN VEHICLE ACCELERATED, ENGINE REVVED. CONSUMER APPLIED BRAKES, BUT VEHICLE CONTINUED. VEHICLE STRUCK A PEDESTRIAN, A TREE, AND WAS THEN STOPPED BY A POLE.*AK ONE PERSON WAS INJURED IN ACCIDENT. *SLC
AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT ON DRIVER'S SEAT BECOMES JAMMED WITHIN DOOR FRAME, CAUSING SEAT BELT TO BECOME INOPERABLE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
A NO-START ON THESE DATES4/5/99,4/12/99, 6/9/99, 7/6/99, 9/19/00, 10/13/00. HAS DONW IT ONE MORE TIME. DEALER KELP PUTTING IN PARTS BUT DIDN'T FIX PROBLEM AND IT DOES START AND STALLS ALSO AND COULD CAUSE A WRECK AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHATS WRONG. *AK
WHEN GOING AT A SPEED OF 25MPH ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON AND THEN THE CAR STALLED IN TRAFFIC AND WOULD NOT START FOR ABOUT AN HOUR. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES LEAVING ME STRANDED FOR AN HOUR AT A TIME.*AK
FUEL TANK RUSTED/CORRODED THROUGH TOP. DEALER FOUND NOTHING WRONG WHEN TOLD OF COMPLAINT ABOUT FUEL FUMES IN GARAGE. SUBSEQUENT MECHANICAL INSPECTION DISCOVERED HOLE IN TANK. WHEN MECHANIC ATTEMPTED TO OBTAIN A USED TANK FROM AUTO PARTS YARD, FOUND OTHER TANKS IN SIMILAR VEHICLES ALL HAD CORRODED TANKS. NEW TANK ORDERED FROM…
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FUEL TANK RUSTED/CORRODED THROUGH TOP. DEALER FOUND NOTHING WRONG WHEN TOLD OF COMPLAINT ABOUT FUEL FUMES IN GARAGE. SUBSEQUENT MECHANICAL INSPECTION DISCOVERED HOLE IN TANK. WHEN MECHANIC ATTEMPTED TO OBTAIN A USED TANK FROM AUTO PARTS YARD, FOUND OTHER TANKS IN SIMILAR VEHICLES ALL HAD CORRODED TANKS. NEW TANK ORDERED FROM FORD DEALER. *AK
WHEN DRIVING AT 25MPH THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CAR STALLED. IT WOULD NOT START FOR ABOUT 45 MINUTES.*AK
Official recalls
197V019000 · 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.
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.