Menu

1985 Mercury TopazProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 5 owner complaints about the 1985 Mercury Topaz, most often about the service brakes, hydraulic. It is covered by 3 safety recalls.

–
CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls3Free fix at dealersOwner complaints51 with a crash, fire or injuryTop problem3Service brakes, hydraulic

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through July 16, 1996. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1985 Mercury Topaz has problems

5 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Service brakes, hydraulic30
Electrical system11
Vehicle speed control10

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

3 recalls

1985 Mercury Topaz recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Mercury.

Best & worst years

1985 vs. every other Topaz year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Topaz median. How we score

'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'98
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
6 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1985 Mercury Topaz, and the recalls they led to.

  1. REAR BRAKE SYSTEM FAILUREDP96002 · closed Jan 19, 1996
    No recall
  2. SEATBACK FAILUREEA86010 · closed Jul 28, 1989
    Led to recall 86V-082
  3. STALLINGPE87028 · closed Jan 21, 1988
    No recall
  4. HALFSHAFT FAILUREPE88034 · closed Sep 19, 1988
    No recall
  5. SPEED CONTROL MALFUNCTIONPE89118 · closed Sep 6, 1989
    No recall
  6. REAR BRK ADJUSTER FAILUREPE96005 · closed May 28, 1996
    No recall
In owners' words

What Topaz owners report

Recent service brakes, hydraulic complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

PE96-005, REAR BRAKE ADJUSTING PIN FAILURE, CAUSING THE BRAKE NOT TO ADJUST PROPERLY. *AK CONSUMER STATES REAR BRAKES DO NOT AUTOMATICALLY ADJUST, BRAKES HAVE TO BE MANUALLY ADJUSTED EVERY COUPLE OF MONTHS.*JB
Complaint 984236 · May 8, 1996

Own a 1985 Topaz?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.