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
What owners actually said
227 reportsCLOCK SPRING ACTIVATOR - SENSOR UNIT FAILED AGAIN. DRIVER AIR BAG LIGHT WARNING FLASHES CODE 32. ORIGINAL PART REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. THIS CRITICAL AIR BAG PART SHOULD NOT FAIL. FORD MOTOR TOLD ME TO CONTACT DEALER. DEALER SAID REPLACEMENT NOT COVERED AND TO REPLACE WOULD BE AT MY EXPENSE. THIS CRITICAL ACTIVATION COMPONE…
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CLOCK SPRING ACTIVATOR - SENSOR UNIT FAILED AGAIN. DRIVER AIR BAG LIGHT WARNING FLASHES CODE 32. ORIGINAL PART REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. THIS CRITICAL AIR BAG PART SHOULD NOT FAIL. FORD MOTOR TOLD ME TO CONTACT DEALER. DEALER SAID REPLACEMENT NOT COVERED AND TO REPLACE WOULD BE AT MY EXPENSE. THIS CRITICAL ACTIVATION COMPONENT IS DEFECTIVE IN DESIGN AND SHOULD NOT FAIL. PLEASE ADVISE IF ANYTHING CAN BE DONE TO ASSIST ME AND OTHER DRIVERS WITH THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG OPTION ON THE 1993 FORD TEMPO. THANKS FOR YOU ASSISTANCE.*AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
HORN FAILED.*ET
CONSUMER 'S VEHICLE WAS PARKED & ANOTHER VEHICLE TURNING, HIT LEFT FRONT & REAR OF CONSUMER'S VEHICLE. IN CRASH, DRIVER'S SHOULDER BELT BECAME INOPERATIVE & USELESS.ALSO, PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT BELT STOPPED WORKING. HOWEVER, COULD HEAR MOTOR RUNNING. ONLY LAP BELT COULD BE USED. *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
HORN DOES NOT WORK. *CJ
BOTH FRONT MOTOR BELT RETRACTORS FAILED. WILL NOT SECURE OCCUPANTS IN FRONT SEATS, LEAVING BOTH WITHOUT PROPER RESTRAINTS. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND REPAIRS WOULD BE AT CONSUMER'S COST. *AK
DURING VEHICLE COLLISION FAILURE OF THE FAULTY SEAT BELT RESULTED IN INJURIES TO CONSUMER (SEVERE HEAD INJURIES). *MJS
NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAG DURING VEHICLE COLLISION. (ATTORNEY FOR CONSUMER) *MJS
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.