1989 Mercury Topaz problems & reliability
46 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1989 Mercury Topaz. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
1 complaint report injuries (2 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System → | 13 | 28% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 10 | 22% |
| Seat Belts | 7 | 15% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 6 | 13% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 4 | 9% |
| Power Train | 4 | 9% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 7% |
| Equipment | 2 | 4% |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 4% |
| Steering | 2 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 12 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“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. *tr”
Electrical System · filed Mar 16, 2008
“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...”
Unknown OR Other · filed Apr 22, 2004
“Vehicle stalls daily only at a stop stand still postion. Consumer has been to several dealers, they could not find a remedy.*ak consumer states this failure has almost caused several accidents. *slc”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Apr 17, 2001
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- REAR BRK ADJUSTER FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE96005 · opened Jan 19, 1996 · closed May 28, 1996
- REAR BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE
Defect Petition DP96002 · opened Jan 11, 1996 · closed Jan 19, 1996
- FAILED PASSIVE RESTRAINT
Engineering Analysis EA90008 · opened Dec 27, 1989 · closed Dec 31, 1991
Technical service bulletins
34 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1989 Mercury Topaz. The 10 most recent:
Information regarding transmission fluid usage charts. *slc
01157 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 2001
Some vehicles may exhibit heater core leaks. *slc
01156 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 2001
Information regarding the new transmission cooler flusher- service tip. *mjs
0015 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 10, 2000
Subject on a wire harness terminal repair kit available for repairing electrical wiring harnesses. *tt
99222 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 18, 1999
Information on identifying non-approved / alternate refrigerants which could cause safety, and performance concerns if installed in ford a/c systems. *tt
99196 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 20, 1999
Information on the new flush and fill tool available through rotunda. *tt
99152 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 26, 1999
Ford motor company now recommends sae 5w-30 viscosity grade for servicing any ford gasoline-powered vehicle regardless of model year. *tt
99816 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 3, 1999
Ford motor company has released a new electrical grease ( f8az - 19g208-aa ) to reduce the possibility of moisture corrosion at the terminals. *yc
98246 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 7, 1998
A new silicone gasket and sealant. *yc
9874 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 13, 1998
Information on tire company telephone numbers for customer assistance. *yc
9852 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 13, 1998
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1989 Mercury Topaz in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1989 Mercury Topaz?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.