1994 Ford Tempo

1994 Ford Tempo 4-DR

Overall

Not Rated

Front Crash

Not Rated

Side Crash

Not Rated

Rollover

Not Rated

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN

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.

Campaign: 97V019000

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 FORD TEMPO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL TANK IN ROUTED OUT AND CAUSED FUEL TO LEAK. THE CONTACT NOTICED THE FUEL ODOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THAT SMELL OF FUEL WAS NORMAL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL LEAKED WHENEVER THE FUEL TANK WAS FULL AND ONTO HOT EXHAUST PIPES. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 75,000.

VISIBILITY

THE WIPERS ON MY 94 FORD TEMPO STOP INTERMITTENTLY, THEN START A FEW SECONDS LATER. THIS IS DANGEROUS IN HEAVY RAIN. *TR

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 FORD TEMPO. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED AND THE SERVICE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AFTER TEN MINUTES. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED BY A DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 99,900 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

DRIVING INTO CULVER DRIVE THROUGH AND NOTICE SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER HOOD, DROVE CAR OUT OF DRIVE THROUGH AND PARK. CALLED 911 AND BY THE TIME THE FIRE DEPARTMENT GOT THERE MY CAR WAS HEAVY WITH FIRE AND THE CAR NEXT TO IT WAS BURNED AS WELL, TOTAL ESTIMATED DAMAGES WAS $9000. MY CAR WAS TOTALED.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH THE HEATING LEVEL WENT UP. THE CONSUMER PROCEEDED TO THE STORE TO PURCHASE ANTIFREEZE, NOTICED THE VEHICLE SMOKING, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, THE CONSUMER GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE, AND THE VEHICLE BURST INTO FLAMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED.*AK......*AK IN THE TIME THE CONSUMER HAD THE CAR, THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE NEVER WENT PASS NORMAL UNTIL THAT DAY; THE ENGINE COOLING FAN WOULD COME ON BEFORE THE GAUGE WENT UP PASSED NORMAL. *BF

TIRES

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A TIRE PROBLEM. THE RIGHT REAR TIRE EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION. THE TIRE BEGAN TO TAKE ON OVAL SHAPE. REMINGTON, LT255/75R16, DOT#DAIL925028 . *AK

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE STALLING. AT A STOP, THE VEHICLE'S IDLE SPEED VARIES AND STARTS TO SHAKE AND WILL STALL IF I DON'T PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL. SOMETIMES IT HAS STALLED EVEN AFTER PUTTING IT IN NEUTRAL. I HAVE RECENTLY HAD A TUNE-UP AND MY GAS FILTER REPLACED, WITH NO RESULTS. *LA

SUSPENSION

BECAUSE OF AN EXTREMELY POOR DESIGN THE R. R. CONTROL ARM RUSTS THROUGH TOTALLY ON THE 1994 FORD TEMPO. I BELIEVE THIS IS CAUSED BY A POORLY PLACED EXHAUST RELEASE PERFORATION, DESIGNED INTO THE MUFFLER BY THE MANUFACTURER. MY CONTROL ARM FAILED AT 15 MPH. I WAS ADVISED BY THE MECHANICS THAT FIXED IT ($300 PLUS LATER) THAT A FAILURE AT HIGHWAY SPEED WOULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC FOR ANYONE IN THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME. I WAS ALSO ADVISED THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. I CONTACTED FORD MONTHS AGO ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, THEY DENIED IT WAS ONE. *JB

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

1994 FORD TEMPO GL. MY HUSBAND'S CAR WENT UP IN FLAMES AND SMOKE YESTERDAY WHILE DRIVING IT, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND POLICE CAME AND PUT IT OUT. THE CAR IS A TOTAL LOSS, AS WELL AS THE JACKET MY HUSBAND WAS (FORTUNATELY) WEARING WHEN THE FLAMES CAME SHOOTING OUT FROM THE ENGINE AREA INTO THE DRIVER'S SEAT. A FRIEND OF MINE SUGGESTED THAT I CHECK IF OTHERS HAD THIS PROBLEM, AND I CAME ACROSS THIS SITE. IT LOOKS LIKE OTHERS HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM, IF THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN 97V019000 IS AN INDICATION OF SUCH. AS FAR AS I KNOW, WE WERE NEVER NOTIFIED THAT SOME FORD TEMPOS WERE POTENTIAL FIRE TRAPS. MY HUSBAND COULD HAVE BEEN SEVERELY BURNED, BUT FORTUNATELY, HIS JACKET TOOK THE BRUNT OF THE FLAMES. *JB

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

"SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT GOES ON WHILE DRIVING, SOMETIMES GOING OFF AFTER A FEW MINUTES AND SOMETIMES STAYING ON FOR 20-40 MILES. SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE LOOKED UP THE CODES AND CAN'T FIND A PROBLEM. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR MORE THAN A YEAR. I DO NOT HAVE AN OWNER'S MANUAL AND CANNOT LOCATE ONE ONLINE, SO TROUBLESHOOTING IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. *NLM