1990 Mercury Topaz

Routine

Owners filed 48 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the electrical system › ignition › switch. It has been recalled 2 times.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Electrical System › Ignition › Switch6
050
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline5
020
Electrical System › Alternator/Generator/Regulator5
010
Electrical System › Ignition4
000
Vehicle Speed Control3
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components3
000
Vehicle Speed Control › Accelerator Pedal2
000
Exterior Lighting › Headlights2
000
Wheels › Lugs/Nuts/Bolts/Studs1
100
Vehicle Speed Control › Linkages1
000

2 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Electrical System › Ignition96V071000
Filed Apr 25, 19967,900,000 vehiclesFord Motor Company

Defect. THE IGNITION SWITCH COULD EXPERIENCE AN INTERNAL SHORT CIRCUIT.

Risk. THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE OVERHEATING, SMOKE, AND POSSIBLY FIRE IN THE STEERING COLUMN AREA OF THE VEHICLE.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH.

Air Bags › Frontal90E043001
Filed Oct 30, 1990172,000 vehiclesFord Motor Company

Defect. THREADED INFLATOR COMPONENTS MAY HAVE BEEN DAMAGED DURING ASSEMBLY WHICH MAY ALLOW COMPONENTS TO SEPARATE WHEN INFLATOR RECEIVES A SIGNAL TO DEPLOY THE AIR BAG.

Risk. INFLATOR COMPONENT SEPARATION ALLOWS HOT COMBUSTION GASES TO ESCAPE INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT WHICH COULD RESULT IN INJURIES TO VEHICLE OCCUPANTS.

Remedy. REPLACE AIR BAG MODULES CONTAINING POTENTIALLY DEFECTIVE INFLATORS.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Electrical System › Ignition
Filed Aug 21, 2002NH

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

Exterior Lighting › Headlights
Filed Apr 4, 2002TX

HEADLIGHT COVERS MADE OF PLASTIC BECAME YELLOW, AND MAKES NIGHT DRIVING DIFFICULT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

Electrical System › Ignition › Module
Filed Mar 16, 2001NY

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

Electrical System › Ignition
Filed Oct 17, 2000WI

WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE WILL CUT OFF WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE. THEN, IT TAKES A MINUTE OR TWO TO START IT OVER. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM.*AK

Electrical System › Ignition › SwitchFire
Filed Jun 5, 2000NV

VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. FIRE STARTED IN THE STEERING COLUMN. VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM AS MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 7774/IGNITION SWITCH. FORD ADVISED CONSUMER THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › GasolineFire
Filed Sep 15, 1999MD

COPIES OF FORM O.M.B. NO. 2127-0008 SENT VIA US MAIL, AND E-MAIL TO: HTTP://WWW.NHTSA.DOT.GOV

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › GasolineFire
Filed Aug 2, 1999MD

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

Exterior Lighting › Headlights
Filed Apr 28, 1999MS

RIGHT HEADLIGHT LENSE COVER CAME OFF WHILE DRIVING. NM

Electrical System › 12v/24v/48v Battery
Filed Apr 5, 1999FL

ALTERNATOR LEAD TO THE BATTERY MELTED.

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Dec 28, 1998MN

IDLES TO FAST ,BEYOND HIGH IDLE ,UNCONTROLABLE SPEED WHILE DRIVING

Electrical System › Alternator/Generator/Regulator
Filed Nov 3, 1998IL

THE ALTENATOR CONNECTING WIRES GET HOT, AND THEY HAVE A TENDENCY TO MELT AND CATCH ON FIRE. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED.*AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Filed Jun 13, 1998NM

THE SMELL OF BURNED OIL AND SMOKE VISIBLE FROM THE FRONT GRILLE WAS CAUSED BY AN OIL LEAK. THE OIL PAN AND VALVE COVER NEED TO BE REPLACED BEFORE THE LEAK LEADS TO A FIRE.

Vehicle Speed Control › Accelerator Pedal
Filed Apr 24, 1998UT

WHENEVER ENGINE IS COLD ACCELERATOR PEDAL GETS STUCK. NEEDS TO PRESS VERY HARD IN ORDER FOR IT TO CATCH. TOOK TO DEALER & MECHANIC COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM WHICH OCCURS FREQUENTLY, BUT INTERMITTENTLY. *AK

Vehicle Speed Control › Accelerator Pedal
Filed Apr 24, 1998UT

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

Electrical System › Alternator/Generator/RegulatorFire
Filed Mar 10, 1998UT

ALTERNATOR SOCKET FAILED CAUSING VEHICLE FIRE.

Electrical System › Wiring
Filed Oct 23, 1997NJ

ALTERNATOR HAS BEEN REPLACED 6 TIMES DUE TO BURNT WIRING.

Electrical System › Alternator/Generator/Regulator
Filed Oct 23, 1997NJ

ALTERNATOR HAS FAILED ON SIX OCCASIONS RESULTING IN BURNT WIRING AND DAMAGE TO OTHER COMPONENTS.

Seat BeltsCrash
Filed May 14, 1997CA

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

Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Tank Assembly
Filed Apr 24, 1997MI

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

Electrical System › Alternator/Generator/Regulator
Filed Mar 18, 1997NY

AN ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE ALTERNATOR, CAUSING THE WIRING TO THE ALTERNATOR TO BURN OUT. *AK

20 of 48 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1993
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
19981000Routine
19951000Routine
199463111Fatalities reported
199371240Routine
199262260Routine
199140190Routine
1990 — this page482110Routine

Compare every Topaz year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Apr 25, 1996. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.