1992 Ford Tempo Complaints

FRONT SEAT BELT AUTOMATIC RETRACTOR INOPERABLE.........VEHICLE NO LONGER HAS A THREE POINT RESTRAINT CAPABILITY.........UNSAFE!!!! THIS IS THE THIRD FAILURE FOR THE FRONT AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT RESTRAINT SYSTEM ON THREE DIFFERENT VEHICLES. I'M THE "DUTY" MECHANIC FOR OUR FAMILY AND HAVE BECOME QUITE ADEPT AT FIXING THESE RESTRAINTS. I'VE REPLACED THE NYLON "FEED BELT" IN THE AUTOMATIC RETRACTORS.........THIS IS THE "FAILING" PART. IN MY OBSERVATION, THIS IS A DESIGN FAILURE BY FORD. SPECIFICALLY, THE NYLON "FEED/DRIVE" BELT FAILS BECAUSE THE RESTRAINT DOES NOT HAVE A CLOSED LUBRICATION DESIGN WHICH RESULTS IN THE BELT BINDING IN THE MOTOR GEARS AND BEING DESTROYED AS A DIRECT RESULT OF DUST/DIRT ENTERING THE SEAT BELT TRACK UNDER NORMAL AND RESONABLE DRIVING CONDITIONS. IN MY OPINION, THIS IS A ******SAFETY****** ISSUE AND NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED. A QUICK GLANCE AT THE DATABASE INDICATES THAT THIS IS NOT AN UNUSUAL PROBLEM. I'M REQUESTING THAT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC...

THE HORN QUIT WORKING, THE COOLING FAN HAS QUIT TWICE AND HAD TO BE REPLACED , NOW THE FAN PROBLEN IS IN THE WIRING , HAVENT FIXED IT YET, THE FUEL PUMP HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE, THE RIGH HEADLIGHT HS BEEN REPLACED 7 TIMES IN 3 YEARS, THE DRIVERS SIDE SEATBELT NO LONGER WORKS , THE TRANSMISSION LEAKS AT THE DRIVERS SIDE CV AXLE AND THE DRIVERS SIDE CV ASLE HAS HAD TO BE REPLACED 3 TIMES IN THE LAST 3 YEARS , THE MAX FUEL ECONOMY IS 16 MPG (HIGHWAY), THE ENGINE IDLES UP AND DOWN AT STOP SIGNS , THE IGNITION SWITCH ON THE STEERING WHEEL HAS CAME UNPLUGGED WHILE DRIVING TWICE , THE A/C HAS QUIT WORKING , THE CLEAR COAT HAS JUST ABOUT ALL PEELED OFF , THE REAR BRAKES HAVE TO BE ADJUSTED MANUALLY ABOUT ONCE EVERY 2 MONTHS , THE ALTERNATOR SQUEELS , THE RACK-N-PINION STEERING SEAL BURSTED SO THE POWER STEERING NO LONGER WORKS , .

PEELING AND FADING PAINT

WHILE DRIVING MY CAR FROM BURDINES HIALEAH PARKING LOT, THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED SMOKING AND I PULLED INTO THE FIRST PARKING SPOT THAT I SAW. I TURNED THE CAR OFF, BUT THE SMOKE CONTINUED TO INCREASE AND FINALLY THE STEERING WHEEL CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE SECURITY GUARD IN THE PARKING LOT USED A FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO KILL THE FIRE AND THE HIALEAH FIRE DEPART. WAS ALSO CALLED AND CAME IN. WHEN I CALLED MY MECHANIC REGARDING THIS ISSUE, HE TOLD ME IT WAS WEIRD, BECAUSE HE NEVER HEARD OF A STEERING WHEEL CATCHING FIRE. I HAD THE CAR TOWED AT THE MECHANIC. ONCE I CAME HOME, I CHECKED THE INTERNET AND FOUND THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE IGNITION. I CALLED FORD THE NEXT DAY AND REPORTED WHAT HAPPENED, THEY AGREED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON MY VEHICLE. THEY TOLD ME NOT TO HAVE THE CAR FIXED UNTIL THEY TOOK A LOOK AT IT AND INVESTIGATE. IN THE MEANTIME, I HAD TO BORROW A CAR BECAUSE FORD REFUSED TO LEND ME A CAR TO GO TO WORK. IT TOOK THEM APPROXIMATELY 1 WEEK TO GET BACK TO ME AND THEY CALLED ME...

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 DO...