Selling a Ford Tempo that's done

Below is what owners told NHTSA about each Tempo year, and the 11 recalls Ford filed. One number stands out: 162 of the 1,188 complaints report a fire.

Two Tempos

1984-1987. A front-drive compact sold as a two-door and a four-door, with a Mercury Topaz twin. The gas engine was a 2.3-liter HSC four, an iron pushrod design that Ford's own engine history likens to its old 200-cubic-inch six with two cylinders taken off. There was also a 100 hp HSO version. From 1984 to 1986 a Mazda 2.0 diesel was offered with a five-speed. Central fuel injection arrived for 1985, and all-wheel drive joined the options for 1987.

1988-1994. Redesigned sedans and freshened coupes arrived in November 1987. All-wheel drive lasted through 1991. For 1992 the 3.0 Vulcan V6 from the Taurus became optional, and standard on the GLS. Tempos were built in Claycomo, Missouri; Oakville, Ontario; and Cuautitlan, Mexico. The last one left Oakville on May 20, 1994, and the Contour took its place.

Motorized seat belts that failed or locked

Seat belts are the part named most on the 1993, 54 of its 227 complaints, and they come second on the 1990 and 1994. Owners of later Tempos describe automatic belts that stopped moving or wouldn't let go. One 1991 owner's dealer replaced the retractor motor twice and the fault came back. A 1994 owner wrote that the belt "tightened while driving and could not be released."

NHTSA opened EA90-008 on failed passive restraints in 1987-1990 Tempos in December 1989, citing "numerous reports," and closed it at the end of 1991. A separate review, EA91-052, looked at belts separating on 1985-1989 cars. None of the Tempo's recalls covers the motorized belts. The only belt-related campaigns are from 1984: one for shoulder belt D-ring bolts (83V134), and 84V071, where the seat frame could cut the front belts in a crash.

Fires: wiring, alternators and the cooling fan

Owners tag the electrical system more than anything else on each year from 1984 to 1990, and on the 1992. On the 1988, 36 of 126 complaints report a fire, the highest count of any Tempo year. One owner wrote that the alternator had been replaced three times for overheating before it set the car on fire.

The cooling fan got a recall. NHTSA opened PE96-033 in May 1996 on fan fires in 1991-1995 Tempos and moved it to engineering analysis EA96-024. That closed in April 1997, tied to recall 97V019. Its scope was small: 1992-1994 cars with the 3.0 V6, and 1994 cars with the 2.3, sold or registered in Alaska, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota or South Dakota. Dealers added a jumper harness with a circuit breaker that resets itself, to keep the fan's low-speed circuit from overheating.

Fires fall off sharply on the last three years, to 32 among 564 complaints on 1992-1994 cars.

The early recalls: rear bolts and seats

The first two Tempo years carry most of its recalls.

• 85V086 and 85V145: bolts joining the rear control arms to the spindles could break, letting a spindle come loose from its arm. Each campaign covered about 227,000 Tempos and Mercury Topazes from 1984-1985.
• 86V082: the forward bolt holding the driver's seat back to its cushion frame could crack from fatigue, dropping the driver backward. It covered 195,732 Tempos and Topazes from 1984, after NHTSA's EA86-010.
• 85V134: the engine computer could open the throttle briefly on its own. The 3,988 count covers 1985 Mercury Topazes as well as Tempos.
• 83V055: a short behind the dash could overheat the headlamp switch on 626 very early cars.

Throttles and speed control

Recall 88V024 dealt with two screws on the throttle position sensor that could back out. Its 91,000 count covers 1988 Mercury Topazes as well as Tempos. If both fell out, the throttle could hang at mid position. NHTSA also ran EA90-042 on sticking throttles in the 1988, plus PE89-118 and EA89-037 on cruise control faults in 1985-1987 cars. Speed control shows up in 34 complaints across all years.

Problems with no recall behind them

• Crankshaft pulleys, 1992-1994. Engine and engine cooling tags 132 complaints on these years, and owners write about pulleys failing and pulley bolts working loose. One said a Ford bulletin claim was turned down as too late. We could not find that bulletin in a Ford or NHTSA document.
• Rear brakes, 1984-1991. A 1996 defect petition, DP96-002, led to NHTSA's PE96-005 on rear brake adjusters on Tempos and Topazes.
• Halfshafts, 1984-1986. NHTSA's PE88-034 said a broken halfshaft appears to cost the car its drive, not the driver's control.

Year by year

Figures are as NHTSA held them on October 10, 2026. "Share with a fire" is fires divided by complaints for that year, rounded. A recall naming several years shows up in every one of their rows. Three complaints sit under model year 1995, after Ford stopped building the car.

Fix the Tempo, or sell it?

We have no sourced repair prices for a Tempo. Have a shop price the job in writing, then line it up against the going price for a Tempo that still drives. Only that quote can tell you whether a belt motor, a pulley or a burned harness is worth paying for.

If you're weighing pulling parts yourself, part out or sell whole compares the time and the money. If the car has burned, start with selling a fire-damaged car.

Getting it picked up

1. Write down the year, body style and engine, plus the miles if the odometer works.
2. Request an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
3. Tell us where the car sits: a driveway, a carport, a street or a garage. Mention flat tires, missing keys or a car that won't roll, so the right truck comes.
4. Leave it in one piece. Missing parts change the offer, so mention anything already taken off.
5. Keep the title and a photo ID ready for pickup day. Your state decides what happens to the plates; see after you sell.

Lost the title long ago? See selling a junk car without a title. Other Fords: the Contour, Escort and Taurus, or every Ford we cover.