IllustrationAUTOMATIC SEAT BELT ON DRIVER'S SIDE LOCKED UP ,CAUSING THE SEAT BELT NOT UNLOCK. MAKES LOUD NOISES WHICH COULD RESULT IN INJURIES IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT.DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
1993 Ford Tempo
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Tempo years
Owner complaints for the 1993 Ford Tempo are substantially higher than the model-year median of 30.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Tempo years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 7 of 227 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 61 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seat Belts. Review the 61 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 37 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
16 crash reports5 fire reports14 injury reports
Seat Belts complaints
61 reportsSEATBELT (ALL) MOTOR DOESN'T RUN AND BACKSEAT STICK, POWER LOCKS ONLY WORK WHEN IT WARM, DRIVERS SIDE DOOR DOESN'T WORK AT ALL. CAMSHAFT PULLEY WAS RECALLED AND SUPPOSEDLY FIXED, JUST AFTER WARRANTY RAN OUT IT BROKE AGAIN. BRAKES GO OUT EVER SIX MONTH, REPLACED WATERPUMP TWICE, IDLE PULLEY, FAN MOTOR AND THE LOWER FRONT BALL J…
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SEATBELT (ALL) MOTOR DOESN'T RUN AND BACKSEAT STICK, POWER LOCKS ONLY WORK WHEN IT WARM, DRIVERS SIDE DOOR DOESN'T WORK AT ALL. CAMSHAFT PULLEY WAS RECALLED AND SUPPOSEDLY FIXED, JUST AFTER WARRANTY RAN OUT IT BROKE AGAIN. BRAKES GO OUT EVER SIX MONTH, REPLACED WATERPUMP TWICE, IDLE PULLEY, FAN MOTOR AND THE LOWER FRONT BALL JOINTS, STARTER, ALTERNATOR, BATTERY TWICE, ENTIRE MUFFLER SYSTEM 3 TIMES, BAR THAT GOES ACROSS THE FRONT BY THE WHEELS, BLOWER MOTOR CHRIPS AND SQUEEKS AT LOW BLOWING SPEEDS, REPLACE MUFFLER HEAT SHIELDS AND THERE STILL IS CLANGING NOISE IN THE FRONT CRANKSHAFT, ALSO REPLACED MOTOR MOUNTS, SHOULD HAVE KEPT THE BEATER IT WAS MUCH CHEAPER.
AUTOMATIC SHOULDER SEAT BELTS TRAVEL ON A TROLLY BY A MOTOR. THE DOOR WAS OPENED AND CLOSED TOO MUCH , AND GEARS ON TROLLY ARE WORN OFF AND BURNT THE MOTOR OUT, DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK
THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT RETRACTOR IS BROKEN IN THE RESTRAINT POSITION, WHICH CAUSES THE LAP AND SHOULDER BELTS NOT TO LOCK WHEN RESTRAINED DUE TO SENSOR INADEQUACIES OF THE SYSTEM DESIGN. THE TRACK BELTS INTHE SHOULDER RESTRAINT SYSTEM FAILED. THE MOTOR DIRIVE WHEELS DID NOT INDEX ONTHE HOLES AND C…
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THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT RETRACTOR IS BROKEN IN THE RESTRAINT POSITION, WHICH CAUSES THE LAP AND SHOULDER BELTS NOT TO LOCK WHEN RESTRAINED DUE TO SENSOR INADEQUACIES OF THE SYSTEM DESIGN. THE TRACK BELTS INTHE SHOULDER RESTRAINT SYSTEM FAILED. THE MOTOR DIRIVE WHEELS DID NOT INDEX ONTHE HOLES AND CHEWED UP THE BELTS IN THEIR STALLED POSITION (IN TRACK). CONSUMER BELIEVES THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW BY THE MANUFACTURER. *AK *TT
DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT TRACK AND MOTOR BROKE. DEALER CLAIMS TO SELL A LOT OF THESE PARTS.
AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT DOUBLED UP IN THE TRACK AND LOCKED UP. (QCAW)
THE DRIVER SIDE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT HAS FAILED AND IS STUCK IN THE OPEN POSITION.
MOTOR BELTS FAILED CAUSING SEVERAL INJURIES, ONCE DURING ACCIDENT.
CONSUMER TRIED TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE OPENING BY OPENING THE DOOR ON THE DRIVER SIDE AND SHOULDER BELT GOT STOCK VEHICLE HAS MANUAL LAP BELT AND AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT. AFTER BELT GOT STUCK, DID NOT RESTRAINT BACK AND STAYING LIKE THIS UNTIL NOW. *AK
AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT BECOMES VERY TIGHT, CHOKING THE DRIVER'S SIDE OCCUPANT, CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK
Official recalls
297V019000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:cooling System:fan
Feb 25, 1997
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
96V071000 · Electrical System:ignition
Apr 25, 1996
THE IGNITION SWITCH COULD EXPERIENCE AN INTERNAL SHORT CIRCUIT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE OVERHEATING, SMOKE, AND POSSIBLY FIRE IN THE STEERING COLUMN AREA OF THE VEHICLE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2EA96024 · Engine Cooling Fan Fires
Opened Sep 30, 1996 · Closed Apr 15, 1997
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling
There is no summary currently available
PE96033 · Engine Cooling Fan Fires
Opened May 2, 1996 · Closed Sep 30, 1996
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling
IN DECEMBER 1995, FORD RECALLED 119,313 VEHICLES IN CANADA TO REMEDY THE SUBJECT CONDITION IN CERTAIN 1992-95 TAURUS, SABLE, TEMPO, TOPAZ AND CONTINENTAL VEHICLES.FORD IS AWARE OF SIMILAR INCIDENTS OCCURRING IN NORTHERN REGIONS OF THE UNITED STATES, BUT MAINTAINS THAT THE FREQUENCIES DO NOT WARRANT A FINDING OF AN UNREASONABLE RISK TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY.