FaultScore

Worst years for a Mercury Topaz

Owners have filed 581 complaints about the Mercury Topaz with NHTSA across model years 1983 to 1998. More of them are about the electrical system than anything else.

Avoid

1994 Mercury Topaz

106 complaints — the highest FaultScore of any year, mostly engine & cooling.

Cleanest on record

1995 Mercury Topaz

13 complaints — the lowest FaultScore of the graded years.

Every Mercury Topaz year, graded

The grade compares each year against the rest of this model's own run — never against another car. Click any bar or row to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded
Year Grade Complaints Crashes Fires Median miles Most reported
1998 1 0 0 Fuel & Propulsion
1995 A 13 0 0 Engine & Cooling
1994 D 106 7 1 Engine & Cooling
1993 D 98 10 4 116,252 Seat Belts
1992 92 3 7 Seat Belts
1991 59 0 10 Electrical System
1990 67 3 11 Electrical System
1989 57 2 5 Electrical System
1988 28 1 5 214,000 Electrical System
1987 28 0 5 110,000 Electrical System
1986 13 0 4 Engine & Cooling
1985 5 1 0 Brakes
1984 13 0 6 Electrical System
1983 1 0 1 Electrical System

What breaks on a Mercury Topaz

Across every model year on file. Follow a row for that part's complaints and the year it was worst.

Electrical System 113 19.4%

Worst in 1990

Engine & Cooling 99 17.0%

Worst in 1992

Seat Belts 77 13.3%

Worst in 1992

Brakes 59 10.2%

Worst in 1993

Worst in 1994

Worst in 1991

Worst in 1994

Steering 20 3.4%

Worst in 1990

Windows, Mirrors & Wipers 19 3.3%

Worst in 1992

Lights 18 3.1%

Worst in 1990

Suspension 16 2.8%

Worst in 1993

Seats 13 2.2%

Worst in 1994

Equipment & Accessories 12 2.1%

Worst in 1993

Body & Structure 9 1.5%

Worst in 1987

Exactly what failed on a Mercury Topaz

The named sub-assemblies behind those complaints, across every model year.

Gasoline 43 19.6%
Ignition 33 15.1%
Switch 32 14.6%
Engine 23 10.5%
Automatic Transmission 21 9.6%
Drum 17 7.8%
Headlights 15 6.8%
Accelerator Pedal 13 5.9%
Foundation Components 12 5.5%
Alternator/Generator/Regulator 10 4.6%

Complaints filed over time

Every complaint about every Mercury Topaz, by the month it reached NHTSA.

Jan 1995 peak 28 Sep 2017

Mercury Topaz problems by state

Where owners filed from. Heavier states are usually just bigger markets, but a part that fails in heat or salt shows up here first.

Compare the Mercury Topaz

Side by side on complaint history. Remember that raw totals track how many were sold as much as how good they were.