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1990 Mercury TopazProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 48 owner complaints about the 1990 Mercury Topaz, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 1 safety recall.

51
CarFlaw IndexSolid year4% below the Topaz median · #4 of 9 years by complaints
Safety recalls1Free fix at dealersOwner complaints4815 with a crash, fire or injuryTop problem21Electrical system

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through August 21, 2002. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1990 Mercury Topaz has problems

48 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 system217
Service brakes, hydraulic60
Vehicle speed control60
Engine and engine cooling62
Steering41
Seat belts31
Exterior lighting30
Suspension20
Fuel system, gasoline21
6 other systems62

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

1 recall

1990 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

1990 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 1990 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.

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
Complaint 8016872 · Aug 21, 2002
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
Complaint 873179 · Oct 17, 2000
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
Complaint 863031 · Jun 5, 2000

Own a 1990 Topaz?

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