Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1989 Mercury Topaz submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 13 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
I SAW ON SCHUCKS.COM THAT MY CAR WAS PART OF A RECALL FOR AN INTERNAL IGNITION SHORT CIRCUIT AND MY CAR HAS HAD THE SAME SYMPTOMS SUCH AS SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE ENGINE AND MY CAR IS FINE IT ONLY HAS 65,000+ MILES ON IT AND IT TURNS OFF 2-3 SECS AFTER TURNING IT ON THE ONLY WAY TO KEEP IT ON IS IF I GIVE IT GAS. *TR
CAR KEEPS STALLING WHEN IN AN IDLE POSITION (LIKE AT A STOP LIGHT).TAKES ABOUT 10 TRIES TO GET IT TO START,AND KEEP RUNNING.WILL IDLE HIGH THEN IDLE LOW THEN IDLE HIGH AGAIN THEN DIE...
ALTERNATOR HAD THREE SETS OF WIRES REPLACED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE & NOTICED AN ODOR INSIDE VEHICLE. THE BATTERY LIGHT FLASHED ON. AT HOME CHECKED UNDER HOOD. NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM WIRE HARNESS NEAR THE ALTERNATOR. THE PLASTIC WIRE HARNESS HAD MELTED DOWN. WAS ABLE TO DRIVE VEHICLE TO REPAIR SHOP. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE WIRE HARNESS & THE ALTERNATOR DUE TO BEING SHORTED OUT. *AK
15-20 MINUTES AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. UNDER INVESTIGATIONS AT THIS TIME. *AK
DEFECTIVE IGNITION SWITCH, CAUSING VEHICLE TO STALL WHEN STOPPED AT A LIGHT/ACCELERATING FROM A STOP.
RECEIVED LETTER FROM MANUFACTURER FOR IGNITION SWITCH SEPT.1996. HAD RECALL WORK DONE, HAD ALTERNATOR AND WIRING HARNESS PUT IN DEC. 1996. INSIDE WAS A WARNING LABEL STATING THAT ALTERNATOR COULD CAUSE FIRE. *AK
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE SMOKE CAME FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND THE WIRING TO THE ALTERNATOR BURNED UP. THE ALTERNATOR HAS BEEN REPLACED (5) TIMES. NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AGAIN.
THE DEALERSHIP WILL NOT FIX THE CRUISE CONTROL THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH BURNED OUT, ALSO THE RADIO LIGHT. *AK
CAR WAS PARKED AND IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. PLEASE DESCRIBE .
THE CAR STARTED TO CUT OFF AND WAS PARKED IN A LOT. WHEN IT WAS RETRIEVED THE CAR WAS TOWED BECAUSE IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
INTERMITTENT STALLING/HESITATION. *AK
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .