1990 Ford Tempo Reviews - Page 7 of 8

1990 Ford Tempo GL not sure from North America

Year of manufacture	1990
First year of ownership	2001
Most recent year of ownership	2002
Engine and transmission	not sure Automatic
Performance marks	10 / 10
Reliability marks	9 / 10
Comfort marks	9 / 10
Overall marks (average of all marks)	9.3 / 10
Distance when acquired	197000 miles
Most recent distance	199000 miles
Previous car	Buick ford escort

Summary:

Cheap, dependable transportation!

Faults:

Stops running on hot day after 30-40 minutes , but seems fine for a while after 30-60 munites of cooling off.

General Comments:

This car has been very dependable with almost 200,000 miles. The car handles great, is very comfortable and has great fuel economy!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 12th August, 2002

1990 Ford Tempo GL 2.3 from North America

Year of manufacture	1990
First year of ownership	2000
Most recent year of ownership	2002
Engine and transmission	2.3 Manual
Performance marks	10 / 10
Reliability marks	10 / 10
Comfort marks	4 / 10
Dealer Service marks	1 / 10
Running Costs (higher is cheaper)	10 / 10
Overall marks (average of all marks)	7.0 / 10
Distance when acquired	100000 miles
Most recent distance	160000 miles
Previous car	Toyota Tercel

Summary:

My opinion is, it's a great car

Faults:

The whole coolant system, the air-conditioning, the muffler pipe, seats have started to wear.

General Comments:

I love this car becuse of the performance that it gives me.

I would recommend a friend to buy a ford.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 25th June, 2002

1990 Ford Tempo GL 2.3L Fuel Injection from North America

Year of manufacture	1990
First year of ownership	1999
Most recent year of ownership	2000
Engine and transmission	2.3L Fuel Injection Automatic
Performance marks	10 / 10
Reliability marks	10 / 10
Comfort marks	10 / 10
Dealer Service marks	10 / 10
Running Costs (higher is cheaper)	10 / 10
Overall marks (average of all marks)	10.0 / 10
Distance when acquired	145000 miles
Most recent distance	271000 miles
Previous car	Ford Tempo

Summary:

The greatest car ever built

Faults:

The A/C was gone when I first got the jewel.

The Tempo is a massive breed and was extremely reliable. The A/C was the only faulty problem I had with the car. All other things were self-inflicted by me.

General Comments:

I would not trade this car for anything in the world. It will run forever and can take so much abuse that it isn't even funny. It was my friend's and I personal drunken mobile. It provided the most comfort and support that I have ever seen in a car. It even surprised me when I went off roaming with 8 people in the entire car. It did things that vehicles tens of thousands more in cost would only dream of doing. All and all the greatest car ever produced.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 22nd April, 2002

1990 Ford Tempo GL from North America

Year of manufacture	1990
First year of ownership	2000
Most recent year of ownership	2001
Engine and transmission	Automatic
Performance marks	5 / 10
Reliability marks	5 / 10
Comfort marks	3 / 10
Running Costs (higher is cheaper)	8 / 10
Overall marks (average of all marks)	5.3 / 10
Distance when acquired	165000 miles
Most recent distance	201500 miles
Previous car	Chevrolet Cavalier

Summary:

What do you expect, its a Ford

Faults:

The front seal is bad and leaks oil.

I've had to put two new axles in.

The check engine light comes on every time I stop and stays on.

General Comments:

The car is very tempermental. Some days it runs like it came off the factory floor and some days it runs like its next stop is the junkyard.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 20th January, 2002

1990 Ford Tempo GL 1.7 from North America

Year of manufacture	1990
First year of ownership	2000
Most recent year of ownership	2002
Engine and transmission	1.7 Don't Know
Running Costs (higher is cheaper)	5 / 10
Overall marks (average of all marks)	5.0 / 10
Distance when acquired	130000 miles
Most recent distance	134000 miles

Summary:

Not dependable, and it's costly!

Faults:

PVC joint broke when I got the car.

Very ugly dashboard.

Paid $1800 and have already spent $1000.

Runs well, but never know when it will break down.

Alternator belt snapped while I was in the middle of a Minnesota winter blizzard.

Put on a new muffler.

Changed the brake.

General Comments:

Is very comfortable and easy to drive, but there is always a weird noise coming from the back and the engine.

I always get nervous when I take it for a long ride.

Very poor performance and will never buy another Ford!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 17th January, 2002

19th Jun 2003, 21:14

I beg to differ. My Tempo has nearly 200000 miles without any major failures. Alternator belts that snap at unfortunate times and CV-joints that need to be replaced mean you haven't been taking care of your car properly!

I've had both of the above problems. I was dumb enough to let my alternator belt wear out, and it snapped and got caught in the serpentine belt. That was a royal pain to replace (on the side of the road in the heat of summer, no less) but I didn't blame it on the car because I should've replaced that alternator belt sooner.

I've also had to have CV-joints replaced on mine too, but only because I didn't notice that the CV boots (the covers for the joints) had cracked and the grease had all leaked out. That happens sometimes and it's hardly the car's fault. Most people never, ever look underneath their cars, and getting down on your hands and knees every few weeks when you check your tire pressure (you do that too, right?) will save you hundreds of dollars of repair costs. When was the last time you even paid attention to the parking space you're backing out of to see if your car is dripping fluids? Another simple thing that can save much, much money!

Many people have reported problems with their Tempos, but when someone says something like "it makes an odd noise from the back of the engine" my natural response is to ask "well, when was the last time you took it in to be looked at?" If your mechanic can't fix an odd noise or you keep having problems, maybe it isn't the car but the mechanic!

-Mo.

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