1981 Ford Tempo Recalls
No NHTSA recalls on record for the 1981 Ford Tempo. That means NHTSA has no open safety campaign for this vehicle — it does not guarantee the absence of problems. Owners have filed 2 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the electrical system. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Complaints by component
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“When starting vehicle it will make a loud squealing noise. Then when driving for a while vehicle will automatically shutdown. Contacted an independent mechanic, and they noted that it could be defective ignition switch. *ak”
“Inner and outer tied rod ends failed, similar failures experiened in topaz, escort and lynx. *ak”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1981 Ford Tempo as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.