1990 Ford Tempo GL review from North America
"Not fancy, just reliable"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
R-12 Based Air Con was non-operational when I purchased this car; have not repaired it.
Valve cover gasket leak, common problem with this engine. Replaced it myself.
Speedometer drive cable needed lubrication, corrected it myself.
General comments?
This car had been purchased for my Daughter. This car had been a Dept. of the Navy staff car and had been maintained extremely well.
For the most part I have done only normal maintenance on this car. Replaced brakes, belts, spark plugs and wires, tires and serviced the transmission.
This car is not fancy or refined, but it is reliable.
This car has one potentially fatal flaw, the government mandated automatic seat belt system. It is far too easy to drive off without fastening the lap belt. The automatic shoulder restraint will not provide any real protection in a collision, and may even cause injury or death due to strangulation. I have posted lap belt reminder labels on the dash to help prevent this type of injury.
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model Year | 1990 |
| First year of ownership | 2005 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2008 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.3L Automatic |
| Performance marks | 5/10 |
| Reliability marks | 9/10 |
| Comfort marks | 4/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 10/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 119000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 150000 miles |
| Date of Entry | 5th January, 2008 |