1989 Ford Tempo L review from North America

Troubles were frequent and inconvenient.

Countless alternators! (each time leaving me stranded when the car died).

Brakes always wore prematurely.

As did tires.

Alignments were required almost with the same frequency as oil changes.

Vents worked only on def. regardless of the position you select.

A/C went early, but I never bothered.

Lots of front end problems (CV joints, ball joints, tie rod ends, etc...)

Starter motor went out twice (again, leaving me stranded both times).

Driver's side chair broke on one side, forcing me to always be leaning to one side.

Cooling system and water pump troubles (more adventures in being stranded).

Oil leaks.

Towards the end, the transmission would make scary banging noises in reverse.

I liked the way this car looked and drove when I bought it new, but this quickly turned into loathing as I found myself trapped in a nightmare of mechanical breakdowns.

If you think that the preceeding is a long list of problems, keep in mind that the majority of these problems happened several times over!

Fuel economy was subpar, especially considering the car's lackluster performance with the 3 speed automatic.

I would definitely never ever recommend a Tempo to anyone. I realise that they can be obtained rather cheap these days, but they're no bargain at ANY price (I gave mine away for free and felt sorry for the guy who took it!).

If you're ever in the market for a used car and see a Tempo, run away and never turn back!