The alternator terminals melted 4 or 5 times since 1989.
Leaks a little bit of oil.
The A/C died at 90,000.
This car is the best car ever made.
The only reason people think of the Tempo/Topaz as a lemon is because so many people own them.
This car has gotten me from point A to point B thousands of times, and will continue to do so for many years.
My recommendation is, if you can get one of these cars with under 100,000 miles on it, buy that car right now, and sell it to me. The only car I plan on driving for the rest of my life will be the 1989 Ford Tempo.
This car is a seriously, and extremely reliable car.
I have 1989 Ford Tempo GL with 105,000 miles, runs like a beast and purrs like a kitten i'll sell it for best offer.
I have a 1989 Ford Tempo GL with 49,566 miles on it. I want $1,000 for it.
How do you really know how many miles are on it? The odometer only goes up to 99,999 miles. My car says it has 63,000 miles. I think it has already been driven at least 100k. Does anyone know how to tell?
My '90 Tempo has just turned over 300,000 kms and is driven very hard through lots of Canadian winters. The car has been excellent with no transmission or engine work and on top of that smaller parts like starters and alternators last a long time. Overall very reliable, owners of '88 through '91 Tempos know they almost never need to be fixed.
Try purchasing a CARFAX report for your car. It generally will give you a paper trail for the odometer as well as number of owners.
I just bought an 1989 tempo with 34,000 original miles on it and seems to run just fine.
We bought our Ford Tempo 1989 with 34,000 miles on it. The lady who owned it only drove it to the store. Now it has 89,000 miles on it and still runs well. It's a great second car... our "work horse".
We have a "Jag" as our main car, we only drive it on weekends... but we rely mainly on our Ford Tempo.
The secret to stretching the life expectancy of this car... or any car, is maintenance, preferably at a Ford service center. They do a great job in helping you preserve your Tempo. It's worth taking care of the occasional car repairs on it, rather than go out and buy another car. It doesn't make sense to discard good American cars like the Ford Tempo before getting your money's worth. It's better to spend $1,000 in some repair a year... or every two years than going out and buying a new car for $25,000.-+
As I said before... the Tempo is a great second car... just take good care of it and it will last you for a long time. Ours will be 20 years old next year.
WHY did Ford Motor stop making Ford Tempos? What a mistake!
The Contours just didn't stack up next to a Tempo.
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