1990 Mercury Topaz Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1990 Mercury Topaz, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Electrical2135.0%
- Engine711.7%
- Brakes610.0%
- Driver assistance610.0%
- Steering46.7%
- Exterior lighting35.0%
- Seat belts35.0%
- Suspension23.3%
- Fuel system23.3%
- Interior & seats23.3%
- Tires & wheels11.7%
- Heating & air conditioning11.7%
- Other / unspecified11.7%
- Transmission11.7%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
VEHICLE STALLED 7 TIMES AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER 5 TIMES, IGNITION MODULE WAS REPLACED TWICE, MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH ONCE ,AND STARTER ONCE.*AK
THE VEHICLE'S TPI MODULE IS DEFECTIVE AND IS CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL INTERMITTENTLY, CONSUMER REQUEST THAT THE MANUFACTURER REPLACE THIS COMPONENT AT THEIR EXPENSE. NLM
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
COPIES OF FORM O.M.B. NO. 2127-0008 SENT VIA US MAIL, AND E-MAIL TO: HTTP://WWW.NHTSA.DOT.GOV
BROTHER HAD DRIVEN THE CAR TO GET IT WASHED. THEN DROVE TO A RESTUARANT, AND THE CAR STARTED SMOKING AND CAUGHT ON FIRE. CALLED FIRE DEPARTMENT TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
BRAKE PEDAL GOES COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR BEFORE STOPPING DUE TO REAR BRAKE ASSEMBLY ADJUSTOR. *AK
INTERMITTENT STALLING. *SD
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
IDLES TO FAST ,BEYOND HIGH IDLE ,UNCONTROLABLE SPEED WHILE DRIVING
WHENEVER ENGINE I S COLD, TE ACCELERATOR PEDAL GETS STUCK. NEEDS TO PRESS VERY HARD TO GET IT TO CATCH. TOOK TO DEALER & MECHANIC COULD NOT LOCATE PROBLEM. AT BEST IT'S FREQUENT AND INTERMITTENT. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
ARRIVING HOME, WAS PULLING INTO DRIVEWAY STEERING WHEEL FELT FUNNY, THE ENTIRE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL FELL OVER, TOOK TO DEALER, INFORMED TIE ROD BROKE, WAS REPAIRED, BUT PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK
VEHICLE STEERING COLUMN CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE DRIVING.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
VEHICLE STALLED 7 TIMES AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER 5 TIMES, IGNITION MODULE WAS REPLACED TWICE, MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH ONCE ,AND STARTER ONCE.*AK
HEADLIGHT COVERS MADE OF PLASTIC BECAME YELLOW, AND MAKES NIGHT DRIVING DIFFICULT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
OWNER STATES THAT SHE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH WHILE TRAVELING AT 15-25MPH AND FRONT AUTOMATIC SEAT BELTS DID NOT HOLD/LATCH. ALSO, DEALER STATED THAT SAFETY CATCH WAS DEFECTIVE. *AK
NINE MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE, ENTIRE EXHAUST SYSTEM FELL OFF, REPLACED EXTENSION PIPE, MUFFLER,TAIL PIPE, CLAMP.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
LOWER LEFT CONTROL ARM HAS GONE OUT OF VEHICLE. *AK
OIL LEAK.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
FUEL TANK: THE FUEL TANK HAS CORRODED AND GAS IS LEAKING. TOOK VEHICLE IN FOR REPAIRS. FORDSTATED THAT THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING BECAUSE THERE IS NO RECALL ON THE GAS TANK. *AK
AFTER PARKED 30-40 MINUTES, VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE W/CAUSE UNKNOWN BY FIRE DEPT PORTAGE COUNTY IN KENT WA., PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
NINE MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE, ENTIRE EXHAUST SYSTEM FELL OFF, REPLACED EXTENSION PIPE, MUFFLER,TAIL PIPE, CLAMP.
UPON REAR END COLLISION, RIGHT PASSENGER SEAT BACK COLLAPSED DUE TO SEAT LEVER FAILING. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
NINE MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE, ENTIRE EXHAUST SYSTEM FELL OFF, REPLACED EXTENSION PIPE, MUFFLER,TAIL PIPE, CLAMP.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Heating & air conditioning
Reports naming the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system.
From owner reports, verbatim
OIL LEAK.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER'S LUGS/NUTS CAME OFF, CAUSING A CRASH. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
NINE MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE, ENTIRE EXHAUST SYSTEM FELL OFF, REPLACED EXTENSION PIPE, MUFFLER,TAIL PIPE, CLAMP.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .