Bulletins


BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE
987404/13/1998601343A new silicone gasket and sealant. *yc07/24/1998
9761003/17/199751990Blower motor- chirping or squeaking from blower motor at low speeds. *jd07/17/1997
BC314397022002/20/199751735Rear engine mount concerns. *tw06/27/1997
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE
9981605/03/1999606420Ford motor company now recommends sae 5w-30 viscosity grade for servicing any ford gasoline-powered vehicle regardless of model year. *tt08/19/1999
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM
986403/30/1998601312Information on a buzzing or rattle noise from the exhaust system. *tt07/21/1998
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE (EGR VALVE)
ONP95B7712/01/199546460Certain 1989 model tempo & topaz cars equipped w/ 2.3l hsc engines built from 5/31/89 at kansas city & 6/22/89 at oakville through the end of the 1989 model year and all 1990 through 1994 tempo & topaz cars equipped with 2.3l hsc engines t04/25/1996

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
12/10/20015515006/11/2001
 1.) rough idle, and oil light intermittently comes on when idling and only goes off when accelerating, but often stalls out, and doesn't want to re-start. (had oil changed twice to get excess gas out of it from trying to start it.) had to tow car three times. paid $1,000 to try to get it fixed, but on the way home it did the same thing. 2.) cooling fan quit working and car overheated and i paid to have the radiator replaced, as petcock was leaking. mechanic didn't notice that fan wasn't working, so it overheated on the way home with a new radiator. i figured that out. once the fan was replaced with a working fan, no more overheating. after-market radiator was bigger than the original, causing the at fluid line to get sawed off by the pulley 3 times, before someone just plugged the line and installed a separate at fluid mini radiator type cooler. 3.) transmission drags; car has just over 70,000 miles on it. has repeatable problem when starting out and shifting from first to second gear, usually jerking forward when it shifts. putting car into drive after starting it usually ends up in the car stalling, and the idle is different when it's in gear than when in park or neutral. 4.) i received a notice about a class action settlement regarding a defective tfi module, but every mechanic i spoke with said that wasn't the problem, but the notice said that a bad tfi module wouldn't necessarily always make the car stall when it's going bad, just sometimes. stalled in rush hour once. 5.) the driver side automatic seatbelt quit working, which caused the plastic guide for the belt to break, and when i went to ford to try to get the part, they couldn't figure out which one it was, and said that they weren't planning to have the parts available after 2002 anyway. often, i about got strangled, as did others who rode in my tempo, when we opened the door to get out of the car. 6.)from the car overheating, the finish on the hood is peeling and cracking. *nlm
02/28/199612/12/1989
 Engine oil leaks. *ak
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM
09/25/1997107/01/1997
 No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE
07/15/1994
 Motor mounts disintegrated, tie rod end busted, caused loss of steering control, no warning, speed 25 mph. no accident. *ak
07/01/19951
 Motor mounts replaced due to tearing. *dh
02/27/1995
 The driver side seat belt works on occasion, broke motor mounts, tie rods, etc. tt
01/29/19941
 Replaced oil pan gasket due to an oil leak. *ak
12/20/19941
 Replaced oil pan.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE
12/21/2001412/15/2001
 While driving 40mph and without warning, engine stalled, consumer applied brakes and vehicle did not stop resulting in a collision, which totaled vehicle. prior to the accident vehicle shut off 4 times, dealer replaced battery, alternator, plugs/wires, and starter but this did not correct the problem.
11/29/20010
 Vehicle cuts off without warning, but it will start back up again. also, consumer can hear it when it is getting ready to cut, which gives her time to apply brakes and pull to side out of traffic.*ak
06/09/20011
 Consumer states as she was driving, vehicle began to stall, she then pulled over and that is when she saw that the vehicle was on fire, possibly engine related.(ohio traffic crash report#10-90-330)*jb
05/05/2001106/20/1990
 While at a stop sign or stop light, vehicle stalls at take off. paint is peeling off of vehicle.*ak consumer also stated that the tfi ignition module was replaced after one incident where the vehicle would not start but did not help the problem, vehicle surges foward at times, it can move foward up an incline without pressing on the accelerator.*jb
09/25/1997107/01/1997
 No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak
04/30/20004
 While driving about 20 mph engine stalled without prior warning while making a left turn, and was side crashed by another vehicle from the upcoming traffic. currently, problem was coming back. 2 transmissions have been replaced on this vehicle. vehicle experiencing an oil leak. *ak *slc
601/01/1995
 The problem started in 7/99 and continues 9/00. at approx. 65 miles per hour with temperature at 85 degrees + the engine cuts out(stops). this means no power steering or power brakes. we are senior citizens and have almost been killed on the freeway 6 times. the last time an 18 wheeler almost lost control and just missed a school bus loaded with kids. we now do not leave hemet where we drive 45mph and get anywhere in 20 minutes. my family must visit us or come and pick us up. we have replaced the tfi module with a new ford part for $130 at pep boys a local repair chain. there are no tests to discover a failing component. please help before more people are stalled in the middle lane of the freeway that may not be as good a driver as my wife and i.*ak
09/09/1991
 While driivng 50-55 mph the car jumps like it is trying to cut off. at stop signs, if does not have foot on brake the vehicle will surge. when driving and coming to a slow down or stop driver has to keep foot on the gas pedal and brake pedal so the vehicle will not die. the dealer and manufacturer are aware of problem. problem not corrected. *ak
1
 Engine fire.
04/07/19902
 While driving stepped on the gas pedal and the gas pedal stuck. *ak consumer states he has had problems with vehicle since purchase, vehicle would turn off ,consumer contacted dealership and they inspected it, and it was determined that the detrateal sensor was bad, which was casuing vehicle to stall, consumer got the throttle fixed and later there was a recall and when consumer requested his money back deaker advised him they could not go that far back into computer.*jb
05/17/19967
 Engine fire. *dh
10/01/19941
 Driving low to high speeds w/o warning car stalls, causing loss of power steering/brakes. *sd
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS
06/01/1998
 While traveling on highway alternator belt snapped without prior warning, and vehicle shut down. dealership was aware of problem.*ak
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL
01/01/19981
 Also have 95 contour with same problem. exhaust manafold cracks and allows exhaust fumes into driving compartment