Faults:

Nothing major has gone wrong, I just put some tune up parts in it when I got it.

Such as belts, plugs and hoses. An Air Intake hose went, but was easily fixed and 1 alternator, no biggie though.

It tends to stall when its idling at a stop light and you suddenly hit the gas, but I found a way around it.

My emergency brake does not work, but that's not a problem.

General Comments:

This car looks like a box, but the interior is in very good condition and is laid out nicely, except for cup holders.

My Tempo is a very good first car or if you want a cheap beater that will last.

Faults:

There was a bad rubber gasket on a bolt on the header, I fixed it easily.

The A/C is starting to go out, I need to recharge it.

My family previously owned it in Kansas, so the clear coat of paint has peeled considerably.

It has never rusted though.

General Comments:

It is very unique in its own right.

It is fast enough to beat many Mustang GT's.

Faults:

The front passenger side rotor had to be replaced when I bought it.

A/C pump needed to be recharged when I bought it.

Previous owner says the electrical system had to be replaced after mechanic placed wrench across the two battery terminals.

Previous owner says he had to rebuild the top of the motor (heads, etc...).

Power steering pump went out at 120,000 miles.

General Comments:

For the most part, since I have bought this car, it has been a decent car. Myself being a 16 yr old, I didn't have much money for a car, so this car appealed to me as it was selling for $1100.

The reliability of the car has been decent for a car with such high mileage (High in my opinion anyways).

The handling of the car is decent.

One thing I love about my car, is after the mechanics replaced the electrical system, they put in a chip underneath the dashboard that I can pull out, and nothing will work. Perfect Anti-theft device.

Overall, a decent, car for the price.

Faults:

The alternator terminals melted 4 or 5 times since 1989.

Leaks a little bit of oil.

The A/C died at 90,000.

General Comments:

This car is the best car ever made.

The only reason people think of the Tempo/Topaz as a lemon is because so many people own them.

This car has gotten me from point A to point B thousands of times, and will continue to do so for many years.

My recommendation is, if you can get one of these cars with under 100,000 miles on it, buy that car right now, and sell it to me. The only car I plan on driving for the rest of my life will be the 1989 Ford Tempo.

This car is a seriously, and extremely reliable car.