28th Feb 2002, 12:18
Scott.
I HAVE had much better luck with my other car. It is an '88 Accord LX. You can read about it under the caption "You cannot find a better college car...cheap, reliable, good gas mileage..." or something like that. Oh, and BTW, it has 255,000 miles on it and it runs great. I haven't had to fix anything on it since the review was written.
11th May 2002, 12:58
I have a 93 tempo gl. This is the best car I have had. After five years I have only speed 500 bucks repairing it.
30th Dec 2002, 22:17
I still have that darn car. It won't break all the way.
I do have to put oil in it EVERY TIME I start it. The oil leak is so bad, 5 miles the car will get so loud it sounds like it runs on steam. Then it will loose all pickup and stop running.
I replaced a bulb for the headlite, and it melted the headlite part and a piece of cardboard now holds it on.
You don't need a key to start it.
The inside is falling apart.
If you want heat,..get ready for a steam bath. It fogs up so bad it looks like "up in smoke"
The car wants to fall apart, but won't break all the way so I can s*** can it.
27th Jan 2004, 04:33
Stop waisting money on a Tempo.
When we bought our 1986 Ford Tempo in July 2002 from a dealer in Canada, the odometer read 14000 miles. And that was not tampered with. Everything under the hood was in mint condition, all shiny. As was the vehicle interior. Absolutely spotless.
Before could take the vehicle out of the dealer's showroom, he had to adjust the idling and patch up a couple rusty spots on the lower door.
We thought wow!,for $1200 we got ourselves a gem.
Soon we found out why this low-mileage semi-oldtimer was so cheap. In the first 2 months we spent $800 on new carburettors and and cooling systems. Then came the alternator, exhaust, shocks and side windows. That put us back another grand. It failed the emissions test a few times. The only good thing about it, is its tires. They are still the originals (1986!!) And it's not hard to guess why!
As long as we keep the foot on the gas, halfway down, it will keep running while waiting for the light to change to green.
Absolute rubbish car!!
DO NOT BUY A FORD TEMPO!
26th Apr 2004, 21:21
I have owned three Tempos, and all of them have passed 200K. I had an 84, an 85, and an 86. It's a toss-up which one I liked the most, because they all ran so great. The first was eaten by a deer (midflight across the highway), the second rusted out and was cannibalized for the third. The 86 ran on time every time. I couldn't have been prouder to own it. I'm not ashamed that it was an ugly car, although after a while, that baby-blue colour grew on me. I changed the transmission lines, and the transmission linkage. I also changed the alternator and the battery. That's it. All three of them had the same problems, but the same great qualities. I figure it's a good design manufactured by a low-quality company. Not everyone can get a Wednesday car, some people get the Friday cars.
28th Jun 2004, 15:23
Wow, I just spent $350 on a 86' tempo not even two weeks ago, and the exhaust fell off mine too. luckily this dude on my street can weld, but that still cost me $85 which isn't bad I guess, but then the car keeps wanting to shut off when its in low gear. Tempos are the worst cars ever!!! Even at school they said I drove the ugliest bucket known to man, but it does get me from "A" to "B" sooo I guess I can't complain too much. I felt like I was the only one in the world with an 86' Tempo, guess not.
P.S. Good Luck with your new car, get a Mustang or Mitsubishi, best cars in the world.
^Jet^B.
27th Sep 2005, 01:39
I agree 110% with your review, I also wrote a review on an 86 tempo GL, The only thing I can think that that tempo did for me was teach me how to fix everything on a car. I would rather trust a complete stranger to piggy back me across town, than to jump in my tempo and risk a catastrophic failure of say.. EVERYTHING and kill me and innocent bystanders. Henry ford is turning over in his grave thinking about the idiot that conceived this WONDER of a vehicle. Those of you who have had good luck with tempos, good for you. For those who have not, I share your pain.
22nd Jan 2002, 14:18
I have a 86 Ford Tempo and it is one of the greatest cars I have ever driven. It runs great. I have never had any real bad problems. It goes anywhere and when I say anywhere I mean anywhere. I have taken it mudding, driven through more snow then I thought a car could go through. I drove it through a river where water was 3/4 of the way up my headlights.
It has almost 200k miles on it, but there are some cars that have problems no matter what, but for me I love the Ford Tempo. I hope you have better luck with your new car.
Scott.