FORD TOPAZ · model year

1989 FORD TOPAZ

2 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1989FORDTOPAZ carries 2 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1989 TOPAZ is seat belts with 1 filings, followed by tires (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 1989 TOPAZ. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

2
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

2 filings

Crashes Reported

1 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
SEAT BELTS1
TIRES1

Recent Complaints

20040107CrashTIRES

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED LEFT FRONT TIRE BLOW OUT. *MR WHILE DRIVING THE LEFT FRONT TIRE BLEWOUT AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO RUN INTO THE CONCRETE WALL. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT). *NM

19990914SEAT BELTS

MOTORIZED SEAT BELT BURNT OUT TRACK, CAUSING SEAT BELT TO BECOME INOPERATIVE. DEALER NOTIFIED AND REFUSED TO REPAIR UNLESS COST GOES TO CONSUMER. SEEKING HELP FROM NHTSA IN THIS MATTER OR PROVIDE ADDTIONAL INFORMATION. *AK

Compare 1989FORDTOPAZ to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1989 FORD TOPAZ have?
The 1989 FORD TOPAZ has 2 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1989 FORD TOPAZ?
The most-complained component for the 1989 FORD TOPAZ is SEAT BELTS with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include TIRES.
Is the 1989 FORD TOPAZ safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.