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1989 Mercury TopazProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 46 owner complaints about the 1989 Mercury Topaz, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 1 safety recall.

57
CarFlaw IndexSolid year23% below the Topaz median · #5 of 9 years by complaints
Safety recalls1Free fix at dealersOwner complaints468 with a crash, fire or injuryTop problem13Electrical system

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through March 16, 2008. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1989 Mercury Topaz has problems

46 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
Electrical system133
Engine and engine cooling102
Seat belts71
Vehicle speed control60
Power train40
Fuel system, gasoline40
Service brakes, hydraulic30
Exterior lighting20
Steering20
2 other systems31

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

1 recall

1989 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.

–no report yet

Electrical system: ignition

Recall 96V-071 · Apr 25, 1996 · 7,900,000 vehicles

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

Problem, fix and repair progress →

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

1989 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
3 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1989 Mercury Topaz, and the recalls they led to.

  1. REAR BRAKE SYSTEM FAILUREDP96002 · closed Jan 19, 1996
    No recall
  2. FAILED PASSIVE RESTRAINTEA90008 · closed Dec 31, 1991
    No recall
  3. REAR BRK ADJUSTER FAILUREPE96005 · closed May 28, 1996
    No recall
In owners' words

What Topaz owners report

Recent electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

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…
Complaint 10221339 · Mar 16, 2008
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
Complaint 979185 · Feb 14, 1996
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 &…
Complaint 855237 · Feb 11, 2000

Own a 1989 Topaz?

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