Your vehicle report
1987 Ford Tempo
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 53
- Received Jan 1995 to Sep 2002
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Vehicle catches fire from wiring17 complaints · 32% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Engine suddenly shuts off while driving9 complaints · 17% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Fuel pump fails and engine stalls3 complaints · 5.7% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #87V060000Lug nuts could gall and possibly seize on the wheel studs without providing adequate clamping load on the wheels.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 2 crashes, 17 fires, 1 person injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 4 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Steering, suspension & tires
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Body, doors & glass
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 8 |
| 1996 | 20 |
| 1997 | 6 |
| 1998 | 4 |
| 1999 | 6 |
| 2000 | 3 |
| 2001 | 4 |
| 2002 | 2 |
| 2003 | 0 |
| 2004 | 0 |
| 2005 | 0 |
| 2006 | 0 |
| 2007 | 0 |
| 2008 | 0 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 0 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 53 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 17 | 32% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 9 | 17% | – | |
| Fuel pump fails and engine stalls | 3 | 5.7% | – | |
| Brakes fail intermittently or repeatedly | 3 | 5.7% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #87V060000April 27, 1987350 vehicles affected
wheels: lugs/nuts/bolts/studs
Lug nuts could gall and possibly seize on the wheel studs without providing adequate clamping load on the wheels.
Wheel studs could fracture creating a risk of a wheelseparating with little forewarning.
Remedy
Replace wheel lug nuts and if necessary, replace wheels and wheel studs.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1987 Ford Tempo.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN