AI Damage1989 Mercury Topaz: common problems
Owners of the 1989 Mercury Topaz filed 46 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 46
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 28% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 22% of all complaints
- 3 Seat belts 15% of all complaints
- 4 Vehicle speed control 13% of all complaints
- 5 Fuel system 9% of all complaints
- 6 Powertrain 9% of all complaints
- 7 Service brakes 7% of all complaints
- 8 Equipment 4% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 13 complaints (28% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 10 complaints (22% of all).
- Seat belts: 7 complaints (15% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Vehicle speed control: 6 complaints (13% of all).
- Fuel system: 4 complaints (9% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.3 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- automatic, 3-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: FWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 46 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Other | 2 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
While driving at 35 mph, vehicle loss control causing consumer to run into a wall which resulted in no deployment of airbag system. Please provide further information.
The automatic retracting seatbelt did not restrain the driver in an accident. Please describe. Tt
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 I give it gas.
Car keeps stalling when in an idle position (like at a stop light).takes about 10 tries to get it to start,and keep running.will idle high then idle low then idle high again then die...
Vehicle stalls daily only at a stop stand still postion. Consumer has been to several dealers, they could not find a remedy. Consumer states this failure has almost caused several accidents.
The vehicle reported here was reacalled in 1997 and was taken in for repairs and when I got it back the steering was messed up. The dealer of reapirs was notified but did not contact me back! I have long since had tons of problems with this car!
Vehicle will not accelerate past five mph with application of gas pedal. Dealer stated vehcle needed new transmission. Please provide further information.
When driving down the road there was an accident up ahead, vehicle overheated and shut off. Ak
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 5,572 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 15% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Topaz has 28 complaints (14 years in the data). This year has 46, above average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1989 Mercury Topaz?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, engine and cooling, seat belts. Total complaints: 46. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: stalls while driving (24%), smoke, burning smell, fire (22%), seat belts (11%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1989 Mercury Topaz?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1989 Mercury Topaz from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1989 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.