1986 Ford Tempo Recalls
No NHTSA recalls on record for the 1986 Ford Tempo. That means NHTSA has no open safety campaign for this vehicle — it does not guarantee the absence of problems. Owners have filed 42 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.
“Tl* the contact owns a 1986 ford tempo. The contact stated that the vehicle would not start. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where they advised him that the ignition module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. The…”
“Dt: the contact stated when exiting the vehicle she smelled an odd odor. Upon reentering and staring the vehicle white smoke came from under the hood. When checking under the hood she saw flames coming out. She immediately called 911. The fire went out on its own before the fire department…”
“Battery was defective. There were three batteries tested from pep boys. *ak”
“On the ignition problem, the car died on the state highway & I had to get towed to my mechanic. My car was laid up for 16 days. He finally found out it was the ignition that was malfunctioning after doing a troubleshooting start & stalling condition. It cost me 118.07 fo the repairs and…”
“While driving about any speed vehicle could accelerate, even when stepping on the brakes. *ak”
“Headlights are malfunctioning. Dealer says that it's the lens. But they are out of stock, and have no idea when they'll be in. Owner cannot pass the state safety inspection without it. *ak *ml”
“Consumer went to start up car and went back into the house. Consumer came back out and car was smoking'. Consumer shut off car. Went back inside, and when consumer returned, the entire car was on fire. Consumer has not contacted the dealer yet. *ak”
“Vehicle stalls intermittently, no matter what speed. *ak”
Defect investigations
REAR BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE
There is no summary currently available
SEATBACK FAILURE
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION FROM MANUFACTURER:FORD BELIEVES THAT THE AL-LEGED DEFECT ONLY OCCURS IN A SMALL NUMBER OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ANDRECALLED ABOUT 195,732 1984 TEMPO/TOPAZ VEHICLES IN JUNE 1986.ANALYSIS: VEHICLES POTENTIALLY INVOLVED INCLUDE TEMPO/TOPAZ, ESCORT/LYNX/EXP, MUSTANG/CAPRI, LTD/MARQUIS, AND…
SPEED CNTRL MALFUNCTION
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SEAT BELT SEPARATION
There is no summary currently available
STALLING
NO SAFETY DEFECT TREND HAS BEEN DETECTED.===
HALFSHAFT FAILURE
SUMMARY:THE SUBJECT VEHICLES MAY BE EQUIPPED WITH EITHER A 2.3 LITER4 CYLINDER ENGINE OR A 2.0 LITER DIESEL ENGINE.THE TRANSAXLE MAY BEEITHER A 5 SPEED MANUAL OR A 3 SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.THEHALFSHAFT ASSEMBLIES ARE IDENTICAL FOR AUTOMATIC AND MANUAL USE, BUT THERIGHT INTERCONNECTING SHAFT ON A DIESEL EQUIPPED…
SPEED CONTROL MALFUNCTION
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FUEL PUMP FAILURE
There is no summary currently available
SAFETY BELT CUT AT WEBBING
There is no summary currently available
REAR BRK ADJUSTER FAILURE
1984 - 1991 FORD TEMPO/MERCURY TOPAZ
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1986 Ford Tempo as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.