Total Complaints
176 filings
FORD TEMPO · model year
1988 FORD TEMPO
176 NHTSA complaints, 4 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1988FORDTEMPO carries 176 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 4 crashes, 43 fires, 10 injuries, and 2 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1988 TEMPO is electrical system:ignition:switch with 21 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (17) and electrical system:alternator/generator/regulator (13). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 177 investigation files overlapping the 1988 TEMPO, and 8 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
176
Complaints
4
Crashes
43
Fires
10
Injuries
2
Deaths
Crashes Reported
4 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH | 21 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 17 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | 13 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 12 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 7 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 6 |
| SEAT BELTS | 6 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM | 5 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS | 5 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 5 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP | 3 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 3 |
| TIRES | 3 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 3 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING | 3 |
Recent Complaints
20150821ENGINE
ACK UP.NMENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND MOTOR DIES. STARTS RIGHT.
Mileage: 49,000
20150821ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
ACK UP.NMENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND MOTOR DIES. STARTS RIGHT.
Mileage: 49,000
20050708SEAT BELTS:FRONT
DT: THE CONSUMER STATED SHE IS HAVING RETRACTION PROBLEMS WITH HER SEAT BELT. THE SEAT BELT IS NOT RETRACTING CORRECTLY FROM THE LAP BELT, FROM THE BUCKLE TO THE DOOR POST. THIS IS HAPPENING ON THE DRIVERS SIDE ONLY. THE SEAT BELT IS ALLOWING TOO MUCH WEBBING AND NOT RETRACTING ALL THE WAY BACK INTO THE HOLDER ON THE DOOR POST. WHEN THE DRIVER IS APPLYING BRAKE PRESSURE, THE SEAT BELT IS NOT HOLDING THE DRIVER SECURELY AND SAFELY IN THE SEAT. THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALERSHIP WHERE SHE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE FROM HAS NOW GONE OUT OF BUSINESS AND SHE HAS NOT CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER OF THE VEHICLE. SHE HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH THE SEAT BELT FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS. SPEED IS NOT A FACTOR WITH THE SEAT BELT FAILURE. EVEN SITTING STILL THE SEAT BELT IS NOT WORKING. *JB
Mileage: 34,790
20050512ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
CONSUMER IS REQUESTING FREE REPAIRS TO 1988 FORD TEMPO GL'S TRANSMISSION AND MOTOR.*MR *NM
20050512POWER TRAIN
CONSUMER IS REQUESTING FREE REPAIRS TO 1988 FORD TEMPO GL'S TRANSMISSION AND MOTOR.*MR *NM
20040106FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
SMELLED HOT WIRE SMELL WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY. NOTICED 1 INCH FLAME IN LEFT AIRVENT WHICH GREW TO 5 INCHES WHEN STOPPED CAR. UNHOOKED BATTERY, POURED LIQUID OVER DASHBOARD WHICH WAS ON FIRE, CLOSED DOOR, WAITED FOR FIRETRUCK. I THINK IT STARTED IN HEADLIGHT SWITCH. CAR TOTALED, MOST OF DASH BURNT AWAY.*AK
20030508ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE STALLED. *AK *NLM
20030502TIRES
THE VEHICLE VIBRATED WHILE DRIVING. THE TIRES WERE BALANCED YET THE VIBRATION STILL OCCURRED. *NLM
20030502SUSPENSION
THE VEHICLE VIBRATED WHILE DRIVING. THE TIRES WERE BALANCED YET THE VIBRATION STILL OCCURRED. *NLM
20030502TIRES:TREAD/BELT
THE TREAD OF THE TIRE FAILED (BRIDGESTONE WEATHER FORCE TIRE). *NLM
20030502FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
THE TREADS OF THE TIRE WARPED WITH ONLY 10000 MILES ON IT (FIRESTONE LEMANS RADIAL AT). *NLM SHORTLY AFTER THE TIRE WAS CHANGED A FIRE STARTED UNDER THE HOOD. *NLM
Mileage: 5,000
20020823FireFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM
GASOLINE LEAKS ON ENGINE. *AK CONSUMER NOTICED GASOLINE COMING OUT OF THE VACUUM HOSE THAT RUNS FROM THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR TO THE VACUUM FITTING, CONSUMER REALIZED THE REGULATOR MUST BE FAULTY. *SLC
20020411FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
NHTSA RECALL96V 071000/ MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 95S28 CONCERNING IGNITION FAI;URE. CONSUMER NOTICED FROM OUTSIDE WINDOW THAT VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. VEHICLE HAD BEEN SITTING I DRIVEWAY FOR 30-45 MINUTES AFTER BEING DRIVEN HOME. VEHICLE HAD FLAMES COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. CONSUMER WAS CONFIRMING RECALL TO BE SERVICED. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.*AK
20020404SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
THE LAP BELT ON PASSENAGER SIDE FRONT WILL NOT STAY CLASPED. DRIVERS SHOULDER STRAP (AUTOMATIC) WILL NOT SLIDE OPEN. THE MOTOR CAN BE HEARD INSIDE, BUT WILL NOT MOVE.
20020108POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
VEHICLE FAILS TO OPERATE IN DRIVE, BUT IT DOES OPERATE IN REVERSE, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
20011120FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM
THIS VEHICLE HAS STALLED ON STARTUP POSITION IN TRAFFIC SINCE IT WAS NEW AND HAS CONTINUED TO DO SO AFTER NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS TO THE DEALER. THIS PRESENTS A SAFETY HAZARD AS CROSS TRAFFIC IS NOT RESPONSIBLE TO WAIT WHILE WE RESTART THE VEHICLE. THIS IS NOT DUE TO DRIVER ERROR AS IT OCCURS WITH SEVERAL DIFFERENT DRIVERS.*AK
20011115SEAT BELTS
I WAS DRIVING, WIFE IN PASSENGER SEAT WITH LAP BELT ENGAGED. UPON STOPPING, LAP BELT WOULD NOT RELEASE. IMPOSSIBLE FOR HER TO EXIT CAR BECAUSE OF AUTOMATIC RETRACTOR INSTALLED ON BELT ASSEMBLY. THIS IS A MOJOR SAFETY ITEM AND FORD WILL NOT ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY. HAD WE BEEN IN AN ACCIDNET AND CAR WAS BURING, WIFE WOULD HAVE BEEN BURNED TO DEATH. THE ONLY WAY I COULD GET WIFE OUT OF THE CAR WAS TO CUT THE BELT AND THERE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN TIME TO DO THIS IN A BURNING CAR! EVEN WITH THE LAP BELT CUT, I AM STILL UNABLE TO RELEASE THE BUCKLE. THE LAW REQUIRES THAT BELTS BE USED YET FORD WILL NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR SAFE AND NORMAL OPERATION OF THE LAP BELT THAT THEY INSTALLED IN THE VEHICLE. NO PREVIOUS INDICATIONS OF ANYTHING WRONG WITH LAP BELT SYSTEM ON EITHER SIDE OF VEHICLE.*AK
20010917ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
WORK DONE ON ENGINE BEFORE RECALL WAS KNOWN. CAR NOT THE SAME SINCE. TOTAL COST TO ME ,ABOUT 1500.00.*AK
20010801TIRES
WAS DRIVING IN TOWN ON 07/21/01 IN THE AFTERNOON GOING HOME, WHEN CAR STARTED VIBRATING REAL BADLY, AND WONDERED ALL OVER ROAD. THE TIRE IN QUESTIONED IS OFF THE RIGHT FRONT OF A 1988 FORD TEMPO. IT IS CHEWED UP AROUND THE INSIDE AND ALSO HAS "SEVERAL SOFT SPOTS" IN THE TIRE.*AK (DOT NUMBER: W2RV TIRESIZE: P18570R14)
20010706ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
THE ENGINE STALLS WHILE DRIVING. SOMETIME IT WILL RESTART JUST TO STALL AGAIN AFTER A FEW MILES. THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED UNDER A PREVIOUS RECALL BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUES TO PERSIST. THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT WAS REPLACE TWICE IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS. I BELIEVE THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE WIRING/MODULE THAT REGULATES THE ELECTRICAL PULSES THAT FIRE THE PLUGS. I WILL ASK THE DEALER TO RESEARCH. UNFORTUANTELY, THIS ELECTRICAL PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE VERY COMMON ON FORD TEMPO'S BUT NONE OF THE TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS ADDRESS IT. *AK
Compare 1988FORDTEMPO to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 8 Open
EA26001Engineering AnalysisOpen
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
PE25020Preliminary EvaluationOpen
Timing Belt Failure
DP25001Defect PetitionOpen
Underbody shields detachment
PE25007Preliminary EvaluationOpen
B-Pillar Trim Detachment
PE25002Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1988 FORD TEMPO have?▼
The 1988 FORD TEMPO has 176 NHTSA complaints, 4 crashes, 43 fires, 10 injuries, and 2 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1988 FORD TEMPO?▼
The most-complained component for the 1988 FORD TEMPO is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH with 21 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR.
Is the 1988 FORD TEMPO safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.