1994 Ford Tempo: problems, recalls and reliability
1 recall and 161 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is engine and engine cooling (26% of complaints).
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 161 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“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.”Owner report · Fuel System, Gasoline · Oct 2010
“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.”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Feb 2008
“The wipers on my 94 ford tempo stop intermittently, then start a few seconds later. This is dangerous in heavy rain. *tr”Owner report · Visibility · Jan 2008
Show 7 more owner reports
“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”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Dec 2004
“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”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Mar 2004
“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”Owner report · Suspension · Mar 2004
“"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”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Mar 2003
“Due to fumes emitting from muffler both of the left rear suspension bars corroded which caused them to drop. Consumer was traveling at a low rate of speed. Consumer stated that either the muffler was mounted backward or had a design flaw. The muffler drain hole is on top.*jb”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Dec 2002
“My stepdaughter was driving. The electronic seatbelt tightened while driving and could not be released. She had difficulty moving her foot to shift the break pedal or movement of any type. The belt was locked and she was pinned to the seat while driving. It was choking her, also. When she was able to stop the car, she tried to open the door to release the seat belt, this only made it tighten more, she managed to remove a small nail knife from her purse to cut herself loose. Had the car been involved in an accident with fire or water she would have burned up or drowned from a seatbelt. Or hung herself. Mr”Owner report · Seat Belts · Oct 2002
“Vehicle stallled while driving 50 mph or more. Vehicle been to the dealer on three occasions, and problem still occurring. Feel free to provide any further information.*ak”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Jul 2002
When filing, owners marked a crash in 19 of these complaints and injuries in 13 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 1 campaign
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.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 1994 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 1994 Ford Tempo reliable?
NHTSA has 161 owner complaints and 1 recall campaign on record for the 1994 Ford Tempo. The most complained-about area is engine and engine cooling (26% of complaints).
At what mileage do 1994 Ford Tempo problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 99,900 miles or less.
Does the 1994 Ford Tempo have open recalls?
1 recall campaign has 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.