Your vehicle report
1993 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
- 227
- Received Jan 1995 to Sep 2009
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Seat belt fails to latch or retract50 complaints · 22% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Engine suddenly shuts off while driving34 complaints · 15% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Front brake rotors warp and wear early10 complaints · 4.4% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #97V019000These 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.
- Recall #96V071000The ignition switch could experience an internal short circuit.
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: 17 crashes, 5 fires, 27 people injured, 1 death.
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 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
- Vehicle catches fire from wiring
- Instrument cluster or speedometer fails
- Horn fails with airbag warning light
1 more problem
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
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 | 20 |
| 1996 | 37 |
| 1997 | 29 |
| 1998 | 31 |
| 1999 | 35 |
| 2000 | 29 |
| 2001 | 20 |
| 2002 | 9 |
| 2003 | 11 |
| 2004 | 2 |
| 2005 | 2 |
| 2006 | 0 |
| 2007 | 0 |
| 2008 | 1 |
| 2009 | 1 |
| 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 | 227 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 50 | 22% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 34 | 15% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 10 | 4.4% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 8 | 3.5% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 8 | 3.5% | – | |
| Engine knocking from rod or main bearings | 8 | 3.5% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 7 | 3.1% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 7 | 3.1% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 5 | 2.2% | – | NHTSA recall #96V071000 |
| Instrument cluster or speedometer fails | 5 | 2.2% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 5 | 2.2% | – | |
| Serpentine belt breaks or slips off | 4 | 1.8% | – | |
| Fuel pump fails and engine stalls | 4 | 1.8% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 4 | 1.8% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 4 | 1.8% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 3 | 1.3% | – | |
| Horn fails with airbag warning light | 3 | 1.3% | – | |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 3 | 1.3% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 3 | 1.3% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 3 | 1.3% | – |
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 #97V019000February 25, 199775,200 vehicles affected
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.
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.
NHTSA recall #96V071000April 25, 19967,900,000 vehicles affected
electrical system: ignition
The ignition switch could experience an internal short circuit.
This condition could cause overheating, smoke, and possibly fire in the steering column area of the vehicle.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the ignition switch.
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 1993 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