Owners filed 40 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the electrical system. It has been recalled 1 time.
Not among the Mercury Topaz years to avoid. Which Mercury Topaz years to avoid →
10 of the 40 complaints (25%) are about the electrical system.
| Component | Reports | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Drum · brakes | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Electrical System › Ignition › Switch | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| Vehicle Speed Control › Accelerator Pedal · throttle and acceleration | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline · engine | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Electrical System › Ignition | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery › Fuel Pump · fuel system | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Fuel System, Gasoline · fuel system | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System › Radiator Assembly · engine | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Vehicle Speed Control › Cables · throttle and acceleration | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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.
All 1 campaign on file, newest first.
LOTS OF PEELING ON THE PAINT. ALSO THE ALTERNATOR WENT OUT THE FIRST YEAR OF OWNERSHIP. I\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'VE HAD SO MUCH FIXED ON THIS CAR ALREADY AND SPENT LOTS OF MONEY. PLEASE ADVISE.
I TOOK MY CAR TO HAVE IT SERVICED ON FRIDAY AND THEY SAID I HAD A GAS LEAK WHICH I HADN'T NOTICED. I HAD EVEN SMOKED IN MY CAR ON THE WAY TO THE STATION. WHEN THEY WAS EMPTYING THE GAS TANK SOMETHING SPARKED AND CAUGHT THE CAR ON FIRE WHICH ENDED UP DESTROYING MY CAR AND 3 OTHERS PLUS THE STATION. MY CAR WAS A 1991 MERCURY TOPAZ. HAS THERE BEEN ANY SIMILAR SITUATIONS INVOLVING THE FUEL TANK OR SYSTEM ON THESE CARS? *NLM
OIL LEAKS OUT OF THE TOP OF THE ENGINE WHEN FIRST DRIVEN, CAUSING VEHICLE TO SMOKE UNTIL OIL IS BURNED OUT. VEHICLE ALSO DIES UNEXPECTEDLY WHEN DRIVING IN HOT WEATHER. THE IGNITION HAS BEEN REPLACED THREE(3) TIMES BY CONSUMER USING REBUILT, NEW AND MANUFACTURED PARTS. *JG
THE ENGINE STALLS AT GEAR ENGAGEMENT DUE TO COOLANT THERMOSTAT, THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE. NLM
VEHICLE WOULD STALL IN TRAFFIC AFTER STOPPING. NORMALLY IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION. THERMOSTAT WAS BINDING, CAUSING IT TO STALL. DEALER'S DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE WASN'T READING WHAT PROBLEM COULD HAVE BEEN. *AK *SLC
WHEN RIDING IN TRAFFIC VEHICLE STALLS AFTER A PERIOD OF SITTING AND TRYING TO ACCELERATE. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PROBLEM WAS SUPPOSE TO BE FIXED, BUT VEHICLE IS STILL STALLING. *AK
FRONT SEAT BELT FAILED TO RETRACT, BACK INTO PLACE AFTER USE. WOULD GET TRAPPED INTO THE SEAT CUSHION. TAKING VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP. *AK
VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE DUE TO DEFECTIVE IGNITION SWITCH. A RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED ON THE VEHICLE'S MAKE/MODEL. HOWEVER, THE CONSUMER WAS NOT NOTIFIED PRIOR TO THE FIRE. DEALER HAS REFUSED TO REIMBURSE FOR OR REPLACE CAR. *AK *ML
THE LAP SHOULDER BELT DOES NOT FIT PROPERLY FOR CONSUMERS CHILD, THE SHOULDER BELT RUBS THE NECK AREA. *MJS
WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE UP AND APPLYING THE ACCELERATOR, THE THROTTLE KEEPS GETTING STUCK. *AK
FRONT PASSENGER'S RESTRAINT WOULD NOT RETRACT. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK *ML
SEAT BELT LATCH WOULD GET STUCK IN THE BUCKLE, ONCE RELEASED, THE BELTS MAY OR MAYNOT RECONNECT. AFTER AWHILE THE BELTS DO NOT CONNECT AT ALL/ BECOME INOPERATIVE. *AK
WHENEVER DRIVING FRONT OF THE VEHICLE IS PULLING TO THE LEFT.CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE IN THE SHOP TWICE, AND DEALER CAN'T DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *AK
ACCELERATOR PEDAL STICKS, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO RACE AND BRAKES TO FAIL. *AK
HAD JUST STARTED VEHICLE & LEFT IT PARKED & RUNNING. LEFT FOR A MOMENT. AFTER RETURNING, NOTICED FLAMES AROUND THE EDGES OF THE HOOD. CALLED FIRE DEPARTMENT. THEY PUT FLAMES OUT & INFORMED OWNER IT WAS ELECTRICAL WIRING & HARNESS. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK
VEHICLE STALLS OUT WITHOUT ANY WARNING, ALMOST RESULTING IN A CRASH, DEALER SAYS THERE IS NO PROBLEM.
BRAKE SHOE ADJUSTER FELL OFF AT 50 MPH CAUSING DAMAGE TO DRUM.
FAILURE OF THE GAS PEDAL, IN COLD WEATHER CONDITIONS THE GAS PEDAL STICKS TO THE FLOOR. *AK
INTERMITTENT STALLING.
ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE IGNITION SWITCH, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CATCH FIRE IN THE STEERING COLUMN.*AK
BRAKE PEDAL GRADUALLY KEPT GOING CLOSER TO FLOOR BOARD WHEN APPLYING BRAKES, REAR BRAKE ADJUSTERS ARE NOT FUNCTIONING AS DESIGNED, SHOULD AUTOMATICALLY ADJUST FOR WEAR, NO ACCIDENTS..*AK *JB
WHILE DRIVING, EXPERIENCED REAR BRAKE ADJUSTER FAILURE WHEN SUDDENLY AT 35MPH LEFT REAR BRAKES LOCKED, NO WARNING. *AK *JB
FAILURE OF THE REAR BRAKE ADJUSTER, THE REAR BRAKE ADJUSTERS FELL OUT OF POSITION, RESULTING IN REAR BRAKE FAILURE, PE96-005. *AK
REAR BRAKE ADJUSTER CAME APART, PART GOT IN THE BRAKE LINER AND DRUM, CAUSING BRAKE FAILURE, REPLACED BRAKE. *AK
CAR WAS PARKED, TURNED OFF AND IT CAUSED A FIRE. PLEASE DESCRIBE .
IGNITION CABLE ASSEMBLY SHORTED, CAUSING FIRE IN STEERING COLUMN/MELTING WIRING IN DASH. *DSH
FUEL PUMP FAILED. *DSH
REAR BRAKE; REAR BRAKE FAILURE ADJUSTER FELL OUT OF POSITION, RESULTING IN REAR BRAKE FAILURE PE96-005. *AK
GAS ODOR IN VEHICLE. *SD
AN ELECTRICAL FIRE CAUSED BY THE WIRING IN THE IGNITION. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
WHILE PARKED OVER NIGHT, QUOTED BY FIRE MARSHALL "VEHICLE STARTED" THEN BEGAN SMOKING UNTIL FIRE IGNITED. NOW CLASSIFIED AS TOTALED. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS.
DRIVERS POWER SEATBELT MOTOR BURNED OUT.
REPLACED MASTER CYLINDER.
ALTERNATOR REPLACED 4 TIMES WITHIN 2 YEARS; LIGHT COMES ON DASH; ALTERNATOR MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING LOSS ALL VEHICLE POWER. TT
FUEL PUMP FAILED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO STALL.
DRIVING ALONG WHEN POWER SEAT ADJUSTER BROKE, CAUSING SEAT TO FALL BACKWARD. *AK
THE CAR CUTS OFF ON YOU PARTICULARLY WHEN BRAKE IS APPLIED. TT
VEHICLE THROTTLE CABLE BROKE IN HALF WHILE DRIVING. TT
FAULTY HEADLIGHT WIRING RESULTED IN A FIRE.
PASSENGER SIDE AUTO SEAT BELT GET STUCK IN A HALF WAY POSITION WHEN TRYING TO USE. TT
All 40 complaints, reproduced as filed.
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.