1989 Ford Tempo GL review from North America

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.

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.