Defect
THE IGNITION SWITCH COULD EXPERIENCE AN INTERNAL SHORT CIRCUIT.
Consequence
THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE OVERHEATING, SMOKE, AND POSSIBLY FIRE IN THE STEERING COLUMN AREA OF THE VEHICLE.
Remedy
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH.
1991 Ford Tempo Recalls
Recalls on record Updated July 2026
The 1991 Ford Tempo has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 7,900,000 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 143 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine and engine cooling. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
Complaints by component
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
2fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
1fires
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
1crashes
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
1crashes1injuries
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
3crashes3injuries
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
1fires
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
2crashes1injuries
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
1fires
Total complaints143
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“Shoulder harness for both front occupants fails to lock when vehicle makes a drastic stop. Ford shows no recall. I had to modify the locking harness to make it a full time restraint”
“1991 ford tempo started smoking and then debris flew off and hit the vehicle behind her. *kb the consumer stated the vehicle stalled as she attempted to pull over to the side of the road. The consumer exited the vehicle and looked under it and discovered oil was leaking and piece of from the…”
“Dt: the caller took vehicle to a repair shop for brakes, rotors, pads and calipers repairs. The vehicle came back in worse shape than it was before the repairs. The car was much harder to handle, and shook violently. When applying brakes the steering wheel shook violently and steered to the left.…”
“Dt: the caller took vehicle to a repair shop for brakes, rotors, pads and calipers repairs. The vehicle came back in worse shape than it was before the repairs. The car was much harder to handle, and shook violently. When applying brakes the steering wheel shook violently and steered to the left.…”
“Dt: the caller took vehicle to a repair shop for brakes, rotors, pads and calipers repairs. The vehicle came back in worse shape than it was before the repairs. The car was much harder to handle, and shook violently. When applying brakes the steering wheel shook violently and steered to the left.…”
“Dt: the caller took vehicle to a repair shop for brakes, rotors, pads and calipers repairs. The vehicle came back in worse shape than it was before the repairs. The car was much harder to handle, and shook violently. When applying brakes the steering wheel shook violently and steered to the left.…”
“Dt: the caller took vehicle to a repair shop for brakes, rotors, pads and calipers repairs. The vehicle came back in worse shape than it was before the repairs. The car was much harder to handle, and shook violently. When applying brakes the steering wheel shook violently and steered to the left.…”
“Dt: the caller took vehicle to a repair shop for brakes, rotors, pads and calipers repairs. The vehicle came back in worse shape than it was before the repairs. The car was much harder to handle, and shook violently. When applying brakes the steering wheel shook violently and steered to the left.…”
Defect investigations
Investigation DP96002 Opened 1996-01-11 · closed 1996-01-19
REAR BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE
There is no summary currently available
Investigation EA96024 Opened 1996-09-30 · closed 1997-04-15
ENGINE COOLING FAN FIRES
There is no summary currently available
Investigation PE96005 Opened 1996-01-19 · closed 1996-05-28
REAR BRK ADJUSTER FAILURE
1984 - 1991 FORD TEMPO/MERCURY TOPAZ
Investigation PE96033 Opened 1996-05-02 · closed 1996-09-30
ENGINE COOLING FAN FIRES
IN DECEMBER 1995, FORD RECALLED 119,313 VEHICLES IN CANADA TO REMEDY THE SUBJECT CONDITION IN CERTAIN 1992-95 TAURUS, SABLE, TEMPO, TOPAZ AND CONTINENTAL VEHICLES.FORD IS AWARE OF SIMILAR INCIDENTS OCCURRING IN NORTHERN REGIONS OF THE UNITED STATES, BUT MAINTAINS THAT THE FREQUENCIES DO NOT WARRANT A FINDING OF AN…
Sources & methodology
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1991 Ford Tempo as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.