Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full
Data refreshed
Our database holds 21 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1988 Mercury Topaz. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Showing 1–21 of 21
MY AIR CONDITIONING WON'T WORK, MY STEERING IS A PROBLEM, WHEN I HIT THE GAS PEDAL ONCE AND THEN LET GO OF IT, MY STEERING WHEEL MOVES BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL POSITON. MY VALVE COVER GASKET LEAKS SO BAD THAT IT SMOKES. I PUT 3 QUARTS IN IT TO GO ABOUT 20 MILES AND THAT REALLY SUCKS.
I FILED A COMPLAIN WITH FORD RELATIVE THE TFI MODULE WITH COPIES OF THE BILL. I WAS REIMBURSED FOR MUCH OF THE EXPENSE LESS $70. I CALLED, FORD COULD NOT DISCUSS ON PHONE, WAS TOLD TO WRITE COMPLAIN TO A FORD GROUP IN CA. THIS WAS 3 WEEKS AGO, STILL NO RESPONSE FROM FORD. THE CHECK, DATED 4/4/2003 WAS FOR THE SUM OF $482.84, MY TOTAL COST FOR THE TOWING AND REPAIRS WAS $559.47. THERE IS NO-ONE THAT I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REACH AT FORD WHO WILL EVEN ANSWER QUESTIONS RELATIVE THIS SETTLEMENT! *NLM
IN THE CASE OF THE DEFECTIVE FORD IGNITION MODULES( HOWARD VS FORD), ALL THE CLAIMS THAT I SENT IN WERE REJECTED BY FORD. THEY SEEM TO BE USING THE "JUMP THROUGH THE HOOP TACTIC" IS THIS HOW ONE OF THE MOST DEFECTIVE AUTOMOTIVE PART RECALL BE HANDLED? IN MY CASE THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A FATAL CRASH DUE TO THE IGNITION MODULE FAILING WHILE DRIVING. *NLM
VEHICLE STALLS WHEN I TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE GAS
VEHICLE STALLED SEVERAL TIMES, CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THE TFI MODULE WAS DEFECTIVE, CONSUMER FEELS THAT SHE SHOULD BE REIMBURSED SINCE THERE WAS A CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT AGAINST FORD IN CA REGARDING THIS EXACT PROBLEM. *SLC
VEHICLE STALLS WHEN APPLYING GAS PEDAL INTERMITTENTLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. IT IS WORSE IN WINTER. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
WAS BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY VEHICLE STARTED TO JERK & WOBBLE IN REAR. TOOK VEHICLE TO REPAIR SHOP & WAS INFORMED THAT MOTOR MOUNTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK
INTERMITTENTLY THE VEHICLE WILL NOT GO ABOVE 20 MPH.
HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY LENS DETERIORATED, DIRTY/CONTAMINDATED, IMPAIRS DRIVERS VISION WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, ACCORDING TO DEALER THE ENTIRE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY NEEDED REPLACING. *AK *JB
THE RESTRAINT RELEASE ON THE VEHICLE DOES NOT RELEASE THE BELT WHEN PUSHED . THE OWNER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A INDEPENDENT DEALER, AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE FRAME OF THE RESTRAINT SYSTEM IS BENT. THE DEALER TOLD OWNER THAT AFTER THREE YEARS THERE WAS NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE WITHOUT CHARGING THE OWNER. *AK
POWER STEERING FAILED, CAUSING ACCIDENT/DEATH.
SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILS TO STAY LATCHED.
BRAKES WEAR OUT AT 12,000 TO 15,000. PLEASE DESCRIBE . *AK
IGNITION SWITCH SHORTED, CAUSING FIRE. *DH
VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN DRIVEWAY,IGNITION SWITCH CAUGHT AND STEERING COLUMN. *AK
PLASTIC HEAD LAMP LENSES BECOME OPAGUE DUE TO SUNLIGHT, CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY. *SD
THE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER SEAT BELT BROKE AND HAS TO BE REPLACED A SECOND TIME. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
WIRING HARNESS UNDER HOOD SHORTED, CAUSING FIRE. *DH
DRIVERS SIDE LAP/SHOULDER BELT WILL NOT RETRACT. TT
WHILE DRIVING IN DRIVE GEAR, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION JUMP IN REVERSE GEAR, ADJUST SHIFT MODULE. TT
PROBLEM WITH POWER SEAT CONTROL SWITCH CAUSED INJURY DURING ACCIDENT. *AW
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Data on this page last refreshed .