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#BS-1988-FORTEM-48C2

1988 Ford Tempo

Based on reports from 176 owners and 2 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
176
Crashes
4
Fires
43
Recalls
2
TSBs
34
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 176 complaints, 4 crashes, 43 fires, and 2 recalls. Complaint rate is 4.7x the class average.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the Electrical System:ignition:switchHIGH

21 owners reported electrical system:ignition:switch issues — failures commonly reported around 49K miles.

!Inspect the Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasolineMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Electrical System:ignition:switch (21 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Electrical System:ignition:switch21 (12%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline17 (10%)
Electrical System:alternator/generator/regulator13 (7%)
Electrical System:ignition12 (7%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine7 (4%)
Electrical System:wiring:front Underhood6 (3%)
Seat Belts6 (3%)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:drum5 (3%)

1988 Ford Tempo: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Electrical System:ignition:switch Issues

Electrical System:ignition:switch complaints account for 12% of all reports filed for the 1988 Ford Tempo, with 21 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 49,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 49K-mile mark.

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline Issues

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline complaints account for 10% of all reports filed for the 1988 Ford Tempo, with 17 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Electrical System:alternator/generator/regulator Issues

Electrical System:alternator/generator/regulator complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 1988 Ford Tempo, with 13 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical system:alternator/generator/regulator-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Electrical System:ignition Issues

Electrical System:ignition complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 1988 Ford Tempo, with 12 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical system:ignition-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

9
00
20
01
4
02
5
03
1
04
3
05
2
15

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 1988 Ford Tempo. Recent trend: decreasing.

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Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (2 recalls)

88V024000Mar 1988

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

TWO ATTACHMENT SCREWS FOR THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSORS COULD LOOSEN AND BACK OUT.

96V071000Jun 1996

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

THE IGNITION SWITCH COULD EXPERIENCE AN INTERNAL SHORT CIRCUIT.

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Ford Tempo is the 1993 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.

1988 Ford Tempo vs. Class Average (Compact Cars)

This vehicle

176

Class avg

37

4.7x the class average — significantly more complaints than typical compact cars vehicles.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 176 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 2 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Ford Tempo Model Years

2000199919981997199619951994199319921991199019891988198719861985198419831981
View all Ford Tempo years →

1988 Ford Tempo: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 1988 Ford Tempo?
The most commonly reported issue with the 1988 Ford Tempo is related to the electrical system:ignition:switch, with 21 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 1988 Ford Tempo reliable?
The 1988 Ford Tempo has 176 complaints, 4 crash reports, and 43 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is 4.7x the class average — higher than typical for its segment.
How much does it cost to fix 1988 Ford Tempo problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 1988 Ford Tempo have any recalls?
Yes, the 1988 Ford Tempo has 2 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Ford Tempo problems start?
Based on 4 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 49,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 30–60K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 176 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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