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1991 Mercury TopazProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 40 owner complaints about the 1991 Mercury Topaz, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 1 safety recall.

58
CarFlaw IndexSolid year28% below the Topaz median · #6 of 9 years by complaints
Safety recalls1Free fix at dealersOwner complaints409 with a crash, fire or injuryTop problem12Electrical system

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through January 15, 2004. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1991 Mercury Topaz has problems

40 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 system127
Seat belts80
Service brakes, hydraulic80
Engine and engine cooling60
Fuel system, gasoline52
Vehicle speed control40
Structure10
Suspension10
Visibility10
5 other systems50

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

1 recall

1991 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

1991 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 1991 Mercury Topaz, and the recalls they led to.

  1. REAR BRAKE SYSTEM FAILUREDP96002 · closed Jan 19, 1996
    No recall
  2. REAR BRK ADJUSTER FAILUREPE96005 · closed May 28, 1996
    No recall
  3. ENGINE COOLING FAN FIRESPE96033 · closed Sep 30, 1996
    Led to recall 97V-019
In owners' words

What Topaz owners report

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

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
Complaint 8009258 · May 6, 2002
ALTERNATOR REPLACED 4 TIMES WITHIN 2 YEARS; LIGHT COMES ON DASH; ALTERNATOR MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING LOSS ALL VEHICLE POWER. TT
Complaint 969526 · Jul 28, 1995
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
Complaint 880429 · Feb 13, 2001

Own a 1991 Topaz?

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