1993 Ford Tempo: problems, recalls and reliability
2 recalls and 227 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is seat belts (23% of complaints); the 1991 model year looks more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · latest recall Feb 1997
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 227 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Tl*the contact owns a 1993 ford tempo. While driving approximately 35 to 40 mph on normal road conditions; the vehicle stalled without warning. The engine restarted and resumed operation; however, it stalled on three times. The vehicle was inspected by a certified mechanic. The failure was contributed to the ignition module which has not been repaired. The contact had concerns of the safety risk involved. The failure mileage was 95,000 and the current mileage was 96,000.”Owner report · Electrical System · Jul 2009
“During routine maintenance a large bulge approximately 6 inches in length and 3 inches wide was found in the tread of the tire near the sidewall. The name of the tire is cordovan nova 70 metric radial and is made in brazil. *nm”Owner report · Tires · Oct 2005
“Intermitently random stalling. Car will not start for a few minutes. Then, everything seems okay, and car runs fine. Consumer isoalted problem to fuel pump relay inside "constant control" relay box. Replacing this module completely corrected problem. You can isolate this problem by putting a volt-meter on input and output of relay. Then, when problem occurs, the input will be high (12v), but there will be no output from relay, proving bad relay. I have kept this module if wanted for testing/inspection. Consumers having stalling problem can contact me at ospamchris_lawson@yahoo.com (remove "nospam.) *ak”Owner report · Fuel System, Other · Aug 2004
Show 7 more owner reports
“All four tires developed slipped belts, which caused the vehicle to shake, making it difficult to control vehicle. There were no current recalls on this particular type of tire.*ak”Owner report · Tires · Mar 2004
“Automatic system, neither the manual on the front passenger and the driver rear side doors can't open. Ealer has repairedeveral times,and problem is occurring.*ak”Owner report · Latches/Locks/Linkages · Jun 2003
“While driving about 55 the right driver side goodyear tire tread separted from the tire. The dealer was notified. *nlm”Owner report · Tires · Apr 2003
“The right front tire experienced a blow out. *jb the left front tire had split apart. The consumer found that the tire which was sold to her new was plugged prior to incident. *scc”Owner report · Tires · Apr 2003
“Without warning, rear power window came up pinning my wifes arm between glass and top of door. We were unable to stop window from continuing to try to close. We turned the car off at this point, but it continued to rise, finally after about 10 minutes of trying to release the window my wife was in such pain that I was forced to bend the window and it shattered releasing her arm. She went to the emergency room where she was diagnosed with a bad sprain. I thank god that I was there to help and that my seven year old daughter was not there at the time as she always sits in her car seat in the rear seat. Thank you. *jb”Owner report · Visibility · Mar 2003
“While driving at 25 mph, the vehicle started smoking under the hood. The consumer drove to a near-by mechanic, who disconnected the battery cables. The mechanic found that the motor mounts were worn, the engine needed to be rebuilt and the head gaskets were leaking. The speedometer was also inoperable. The dealer and the manufacturer will be informed of the problems. *jb”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Feb 2003
“After half hour of driving at any speed, engine gauge indicate is overheat, due to a faulty engine sensor. Dealer has been notified. Please provide further. Ph *tr”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Feb 2003
When filing, owners marked a crash in 17 of these complaints and injuries in 27 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 2 campaigns
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.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL AN ELECTRICAL JUMPER HARNESS CONTAINING AN AUTOMATIC RESETTING CIRCUIT BREAKER TO PROTECT THE FAN MOTOR LOW SPEED CIRCUITRY FROM OVERHEATING.
THE IGNITION SWITCH COULD EXPERIENCE AN INTERNAL SHORT CIRCUIT.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 1993 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact Tempo by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 1993 Ford Tempo reliable?
NHTSA has 227 owner complaints and 2 recall campaigns on record for the 1993 Ford Tempo. The most complained-about area is seat belts (23% of complaints).
At what mileage do 1993 Ford Tempo problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 78,000 miles or less.
Does the 1993 Ford Tempo have open recalls?
2 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning engine and engine cooling:cooling system:fan. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.