FaultScore

1992 Ford Tempo acceleration problems

16 of the 264 complaints about the 1992 Ford Tempo are about the throttle and cruise control — 6% of everything reported for this model year.

B

16

Complaints

1

Crashes

0

Fires

0

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Vehicle Speed Control 10 62.5%
Cruise Control 5 31.3%
Accelerator Pedal 1 6.3%

Acceleration & Cruise Control across every Ford Tempo year

1992 16 42.1%
1993 12 31.6%
1994 10 26.3%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

Glendive, MT

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

REGARDING THE DRIVER SEAT BELT WHEN OPENING THE CAR DOOR, THE MOTOR BELT RUNS BUT THE SEAT BELT STAYS IN PLACE INSTEAD OF RETRACTING TO ALLOW ME IN THE CAR SEAT. ONCE THE LAP BELT IS ATTACHED, THE PANEL LIGHT FLASHES CONSTANTLY THAT THE SEATBELT IS NOT WORKING. THE RETRACTOR ONLY GOES AS FAR AS THE UPPER LEFT CORNER OF THE DOOR. THE MOTOR RUNS BUT IT WILL NOT ALLOW THE RETRACTOR TO COMPLETE ITS FULL ASCENDING AND DESCENDING POSITION. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR TO AMERICAN FORD IN GLENDIVE, MT - I WAS TOLD THE PART AND LABOR WOULD BE IN EXCESS OF $300. THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT IS A LAW TO WEAR A SEATBELT, BUT HOW DO YOU DO THAT WHEN THE PART IS DEFECTIVE. LUCKILY, THERE IS STILL THE LAP SEATBELT. REGARDING THE CRUISE CONTROL - WE HAVE BEEN AT SPEEDS OF 70-75 MPH AND THEN THE CRUISE CONTROL STICKS. ONCE YOU TURN OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL - THE CAR WILL CONTINUE TO GO SPEEDS OF 55-60 MPH WITHOUT HAVING TO PRESS ON THE GAS PEDAL. WE HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN SEVERAL TIMES (4 TIMES COMING DOWN A MOUNTAIN PASS - NOT A PRETTY PICTURE). WE NO LONGER USE THE CRUISE CONTROL. DT

NHTSA complaint #769198 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Lake Havasu, AZ Crash

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

WHILE PULLING OUT OF A PARKING LOT IN A SHOPPING CENTER VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND HIT VEHICLE WHICH KEPT IDLING.DRIVER HAD TO TURN OFF VEHICLE.

NHTSA complaint #877925 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Valley Center, KS

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL

THROTTLE STICKS CAUSING LATE SHIFTING OF AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. SAME PROBLEM CAUSES EARLY AND ROUGH DOWNSHIFTING. WHILE EARLY DOWNSHIFTING IS MERELY UNCOMFORTABLE NOW, THIS COULD BE A SEVERE SAFTY HAZARD ON ICE AND SNOW. ALSO THE STICKING THROTTLE HAS REQUIRED EXTRA BRAKING EFFORT TO KEEP THE VEHICLE FROM RUNNING AWAY. YOUR WEBSITE LISTS ELEVEN DIFFERENT SERVICE BULLETINS RELATING TO THIS PROBLEM, AND SEVERAL PREVIOUS COMPLAINTS. I HAVE CONTACTED FORD MOTOR CO ABOUT THIS MATTER, AND THEY HAVE REPLIED THAT FIXING THEIR DEFECT IS MY PROBLEM. IN LIGHT OF THE NUMEROUS BULLETINS AND COMPLAINTS, THE POTENTIAL SAFETY PROBLEMS(I.E. LOSS OF CONTROL ON ICE AND SNOW AND RUNNING AWAY), I FEEL THAT AN INVESTIGATION OF THIS DEFECT SHOULD BE MADE AND A RECALL INSTITUTED.

NHTSA complaint #736236 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

West Boylston, MA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

VEHICLE ACCELERATED SUDDENLY.

NHTSA complaint #516349 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Rochester, NY

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL

FAST IDLE.

NHTSA complaint #516314 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

West Boylston, MA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

SUDDEN ACCELERATION DURING COLD WEATHER CONDITIONS.

NHTSA complaint #512207 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Beverly Hill, CA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE ON HIGHWAY IDLE CONROL VALVE FAILED, CAUSING INCREASE IN VEHICLE SPEED, RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL.

NHTSA complaint #804995 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Saraland, AL

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL

THE BYPASS VALVE CONTINUOUSLY MALFUNCTIONS AFFECTING THE IDLE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE. THE MALFUNCTION ALLOWS THE VEHICLE TO EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF FUEL IN ANY GEAR INCLUDING PARK.

NHTSA complaint #508260 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Wilmington, DE

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

THE GAS PEDAL STICKS, CAUSING SUDDEN ACCELERATION. PLEASE DESCRIBE.

NHTSA complaint #801257 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Neosho, WI

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

VEHICLE SURGED THREE TIMES.

NHTSA complaint #504889 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Aibonito, PR

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

HIGH IDLING.

NHTSA complaint #488358 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Springfield, VA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL

ENGINE WILL NOT RETURN TO IDLE WHEN THE FOOT IS TAKEN OFF THE GAS, REPLACED THROTTLE BODY, WIRING HARNESS, 3 COMPUTERS AND SEVERAL SENSORS, TO NO AVAIL. TT

NHTSA complaint #978913 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Saraland, AL

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL

VEHICLE IDLING MEHCANISM STUCK, CAUSING A CONTINUOUS IDLING PROBLEM, EVEN WHEN VEHICLE IS IN A STOPPED POSITION.

NHTSA complaint #484086 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Jamaica, NY

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

HORN HAS BEEN REPLACED FOUR TIMES BECAUSE OF FAILURE. TT CONSUMERALSO STATES TRUNK RELEASE WAS NOT WORKING, CRUISE CONTROL AND CIGARETTE LIGHTER.

NHTSA complaint #977958 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EL Cajon, CA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

WHILE DRIVING THE GAS PEDAL POPS UP AND IS REALLY HARD FOR THE DRIVER TO GET IT DOWN AGAIN. TT CONSUMER WAS TOLD A SLIGHT STICKING WAS NORMAL FOR THIS KIND OF TRANSMISSIOIN, CONSUMER STATES THE STICKING IS NOT SLIGHT. *SLC

NHTSA complaint #975670 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Niagara Fall, NY

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

CRUISE CONTROL GOT STUCK, ENGINE ROAR AT HIGH IDLE. TT

NHTSA complaint #967227 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 1992 Ford Tempo problems

← Full 1992 Ford Tempo report