IllustrationWAS DRIVING VEHICLE WHEN THE SHOULDER BELT GLIDED UPWARDS & STARTED TO CHOKE THE DRIVER. THE SEAT BELTS ARE AUTOMATIC. THE SHOULDER BELT LIGHT CAME ON & THE BELT IS NOT RETRACTING TO ORIGINAL POSITION. HAS NOT YET TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER.
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 reportsBOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEMS HAD A MAJOR FALIURE AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. IT IS TAKE WEEKS TO GET PART TO HAVE THEM REPAIRED AT MY EXPENSE. I AM FORTUNATE NOT TO HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THESE SYSTEMS NON-FUNCTIONAL.
IN SEPT. AN ODOR OF GASOLINE WAS NOTED. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION IT WAS FOUND THAT GASOLINE WAS SEEPING FROM AN AREA ON THE UPPER BACK LEFT HAND CORNER OF THE TANK WHERE RUST WAS OCCURRING DUE TO CONDENSATE FROM THE CONDENSTATE VENT HOLE IN THE EXHAUST BEING AIMED AT THE UPPER LEFT CORNER OF THE GAS TANK. IN CHECKING WITH USED…
Read full complaint
IN SEPT. AN ODOR OF GASOLINE WAS NOTED. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION IT WAS FOUND THAT GASOLINE WAS SEEPING FROM AN AREA ON THE UPPER BACK LEFT HAND CORNER OF THE TANK WHERE RUST WAS OCCURRING DUE TO CONDENSATE FROM THE CONDENSTATE VENT HOLE IN THE EXHAUST BEING AIMED AT THE UPPER LEFT CORNER OF THE GAS TANK. IN CHECKING WITH USED PART COMPANIES THIS SAME RUST PATTERN WAS SHOWING ON ALL TANKS OF THIS MODEL AND MAKE. THE RUST WAS OCCURRING FROM THE OUTSIDE IN AND GAS SEEPING WITH NO VISIBLE LEAKAGE OCCURING TO HAVE IT REGISTER ON THE GAS GAUGE. IF ODOR HAD NOT BEEN DETECTED THEN THERE COULD HAVE BEEN AN EXPLOSION IF THE CAR HAD BEEN DRIVEN AND A SPARK HAD OCCURED. IN NOV. A BREAK OCCURRED WITH THE LEFT REAR LOWER CONTROL ARM WHERE THE SAME RUST HAD FORMED DUE TO THIS CONDENSATE BEING AIMED AT THE CONTROL ARM. THE RIGHT CONTROL ARM DOES NOT SHOW THIS SAME PROBLEM. THE PLACEMENT OF THE GAS TANK WITH THE CONDENSATE VENT BEING AIMED AT THESE TWO CRITICAL PARTS APPEARS TO BE A SAFETY HAZARD. HAVE THERE BEEN ANY OTHER REPORTS OF THIS PROBLEM?
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THERE WAS A VERY LOUD KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE, AND THE DEALER HAD THE HARMONIC BALANCE REPAIRED. *AK
THE LEFT REAR TRAILING ARMS HAD TO BE REPLACED; THEY APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN TORCHED.
ENGINE COOLING FAN MOTOR AND BLADE FAILED CAUSING WATER PUMP TO FAIL.
THERE ARE SOME PROBLEMS WITH STEERING GEAR AND COLUMN BECAUSE WHEN CONSUMER WAS USING THE HORN SMOKE CAME OUT AND HORN NEVER WORKED AGAIN. ON THE OTHER HAND, THE IGNITION SWITCH WORKED SOMETIMES, AND IT WAS NOT EASY TO GET THE KEY IN. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. *AK
OIL PAN GASKET FAILED.
THE DRIVER MOTORIZED SHOULDER BELT GETS STUCK IN A "L" POSITION WHICH WILL NOT PROTECT THE OCCUPANT IN EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. DEALER SAID HAVE TO REPLACE MOTOR AT CONSUMER'S EXPENSE.*AK
CRANKCASE OIL THROUGH DIPSTICK ENGINE COMPLETELY RUINED.
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.