IllustrationAUTOMATIC SEAT BELTS MALFUNCTIONED. DRIVER'S SIDE HAS BEEN REPAIRED BY DEALER. CURRENTLY, PASSENGER'S SIDE AUTOMATIC SEAT ALSO MALFUNCTIONED, AND NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED. DEALER WILL NOT REPAIR MOTORIZED SEAT BELT UNLESS COST GOES TO CONSUMER. *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
Seat Belts complaints
36 reportsSEAT BELT RETRACTOR FOR PASSENGER'S SIDE IS BROKEN ,IT WILL STICK AND GRIND, CAUSING A LOSS OF PROTECTION. *AK
I HAVE HAD MANY CONTINUOUS PROBLEMS WITH BOTH SEATBELTS. MAKE LOTS OF NOISE. *AK
AUTOMATIC RESTRAINTS ARE INOPERABLE, THEY WILL NOT MOVE BACK AND FORTH ON THE TRACKS. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
WHEN OPENING THE DOOR AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT STARTS TO MOVE OUT OF THE WAY. IT WOULD STOP HALF WAY UP THE CURB ON THE TRACK. IT WOULD NOT GO ANY FURTHER. WOULD HAVE TO PUSH IT TO MOVE BELT ALONG THE TRACK. BEEN TO DEALER & MECHANIC WOULD NOT REPAIR DUE TO NOT BEING UNDER WARRANTY. *AK
SHOULDER HARNESS DOES NOT RESTRAIN CONSUMER. CONTACTED MANUFACTURER.
DRIVERS SIDE SHOULDER HARNESS BROKE.
WHEN THE CAR IS STARTED THE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELTS WILL NOT RETRACT. DEALER REPLACED THE TRACK AND THE MOTOR. *AK
WAS 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.
BOTH 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.
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.