1989 Ford Tempo GL 2.3 4 cylinder from North America

Summary:

A perfect first car at a great price!

Faults:

Very few things have gone wrong with my Tempo.

There are a few holes in the seats.

General Comments:

This car may be just a 4-cylinder, but its a great first car!

Its a great work car, too. I've learned so much about fixing smaller things, detailing it, etc.

Its very responsive and the front wheel drive comes in handy :-)

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 16th January, 2002

17th Jan 2002, 05:31

Wait till you get some miles on this one... Then the traditional Tempo problems will begin!!

7th Dec 2002, 13:23

I wrote this review when I first got the car earlier this year. I've had it now for 11 1/2 months, and I'm still failing to see the mechanical downfalls most people talk about. It's pushing 97,000 miles now, and all I've needed to do so far is retrofit the air conditioner, get a new catalytic converter, and new tires. Its been through almost anything a car can be put through. It has outlasted most of my peers' cars. I just posted this to update this, as someone told me to wait until I put some miles on it. Quick math shows that I put almost 11,000 miles on it. Everyone has an opinion, and each car is different, but this Tempo is built to last!

1989 Ford Tempo GL 2.3 Liter Four from North America

Summary:

Cheap transportation, but it comes with a few headaches

Faults:

The car will stall at red lights and in traffic from time to time.

The power steering pump leaks like a sieve.

The alternator is going, causing all the lights -- interior and exterior -- to flicker when the engine is running.

Neither of the backseat safety belts retract, and the passenger-side rear door will not open from the inside.

The car takes too long to warm up and provide some heat for the heater and defroster.

The air conditioning is just plain shot.

The steering has become unnervingly loose, even if there's no fluid in the power steering pump.

This isn't a big thing, but the factory tape deck refuses to work.

General Comments:

I suppose this is what you get for $800.

This car was built cheaply and apparently not intended to last very long. It's just plain falling apart.

It's not the worst vehicle -- it starts and runs well, and gets very good mileage, but it feels like it was built shoddily, inside and out.

And this car is bog-slow on the highway. It's about topped out at 65 MPH.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 8th January, 2002

8th Jan 2002, 18:40

The stalling problem happens to a lot of Tempos (some reviews here mention that) and nobody knows how to fix it, including the schmoes at the Ford dealership. It's a good reason to get another car.

27th May 2004, 22:00

Just a note on the tape decks: For some reason, Ford factory tape decks are piss-poor.

Problems with the tape decks run across the board (since all Ford cars, including the Mustang, had it)

1989 Ford Tempo from North America

Summary:

I am glad they have discontinued the Tempos!

Faults:

How about owning 2 of them? Purchased the 2nd one 1 year later.

Between both of them.

We have had to replace the C-V joints on both cars.

Window and door handles, interior and exterior have broken and can only be purchased through the manufacturer as an entire kit, even though you may only need one.

Both cars leak oil.

Both cars are currently overheating when left running and parked for at about 10 minutes. This first happened to both cars on the same day, same time.

The air conditioner does not work on one.

Automatic seat belts are no longer automatic, and make a loud noise for about 10 seconds when the door is opened.

Have put in 2 batteries in both cars in the past 5 years.

Have replaced the belts and hoses in both.

Water pump has gone out.

Both cars die out when at stop lights.

Idles very high when turned on and even when you come to a stop.

Front end constantly needs to be aligned.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 27th October, 2001

28th Oct 2001, 03:28

If you hate these cars so much why have two and why keep them so long??