Total Complaints
28 filings
MERCURY TOPAZ · model year
1987 MERCURY TOPAZ
28 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1987MERCURYTOPAZ carries 28 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 5 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 1987 TOPAZ is electrical system:ignition:switch with 3 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (3) and electrical system:ignition (2). 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 22 investigation files overlapping the 1987 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.
28
Complaints
0
Crashes
5
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH | 3 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 3 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 2 |
| STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS | 2 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| TIRES | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM | 1 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 |
| STRUCTURE | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20040422ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
HAD VARY PROBLEMS WITH CAR YOU NAME IT IT HAS BROKE ON IT , I BROUGHT IT USED AND NEVER KNEW UNTIL I STARTED TO FIX CAR THAT THE TOPAZ HAS SO MANY PROBLEMS, BUT GOT TO HAVE SOME THING TO DRIVE, THIS CAR GOT MORE PROBLEMS AND SOME
Mileage: 110,000
20040422STRUCTURE
HAD VARY PROBLEMS WITH CAR YOU NAME IT IT HAS BROKE ON IT , I BROUGHT IT USED AND NEVER KNEW UNTIL I STARTED TO FIX CAR THAT THE TOPAZ HAS SO MANY PROBLEMS, BUT GOT TO HAVE SOME THING TO DRIVE, THIS CAR GOT MORE PROBLEMS AND SOME
Mileage: 110,000
20040422UNKNOWN OR OTHER
HAD VARY PROBLEMS WITH CAR YOU NAME IT IT HAS BROKE ON IT , I BROUGHT IT USED AND NEVER KNEW UNTIL I STARTED TO FIX CAR THAT THE TOPAZ HAS SO MANY PROBLEMS, BUT GOT TO HAVE SOME THING TO DRIVE, THIS CAR GOT MORE PROBLEMS AND SOME
Mileage: 110,000
20040422POWER TRAIN
HAD VARY PROBLEMS WITH CAR YOU NAME IT IT HAS BROKE ON IT , I BROUGHT IT USED AND NEVER KNEW UNTIL I STARTED TO FIX CAR THAT THE TOPAZ HAS SO MANY PROBLEMS, BUT GOT TO HAVE SOME THING TO DRIVE, THIS CAR GOT MORE PROBLEMS AND SOME
Mileage: 110,000
20040422SUSPENSION
HAD VARY PROBLEMS WITH CAR YOU NAME IT IT HAS BROKE ON IT , I BROUGHT IT USED AND NEVER KNEW UNTIL I STARTED TO FIX CAR THAT THE TOPAZ HAS SO MANY PROBLEMS, BUT GOT TO HAVE SOME THING TO DRIVE, THIS CAR GOT MORE PROBLEMS AND SOME
Mileage: 110,000
20040422STEERING
HAD VARY PROBLEMS WITH CAR YOU NAME IT IT HAS BROKE ON IT , I BROUGHT IT USED AND NEVER KNEW UNTIL I STARTED TO FIX CAR THAT THE TOPAZ HAS SO MANY PROBLEMS, BUT GOT TO HAVE SOME THING TO DRIVE, THIS CAR GOT MORE PROBLEMS AND SOME
Mileage: 110,000
20040422FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
HAD VARY PROBLEMS WITH CAR YOU NAME IT IT HAS BROKE ON IT , I BROUGHT IT USED AND NEVER KNEW UNTIL I STARTED TO FIX CAR THAT THE TOPAZ HAS SO MANY PROBLEMS, BUT GOT TO HAVE SOME THING TO DRIVE, THIS CAR GOT MORE PROBLEMS AND SOME
Mileage: 110,000
20040422ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
HAD VARY PROBLEMS WITH CAR YOU NAME IT IT HAS BROKE ON IT , I BROUGHT IT USED AND NEVER KNEW UNTIL I STARTED TO FIX CAR THAT THE TOPAZ HAS SO MANY PROBLEMS, BUT GOT TO HAVE SOME THING TO DRIVE, THIS CAR GOT MORE PROBLEMS AND SOME
Mileage: 110,000
20040422SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
HAD VARY PROBLEMS WITH CAR YOU NAME IT IT HAS BROKE ON IT , I BROUGHT IT USED AND NEVER KNEW UNTIL I STARTED TO FIX CAR THAT THE TOPAZ HAS SO MANY PROBLEMS, BUT GOT TO HAVE SOME THING TO DRIVE, THIS CAR GOT MORE PROBLEMS AND SOME
Mileage: 110,000
20010309ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
INTERMITTENTLY ENGINE WILL STALL OUT AND DIE WITHOUT WARNING. DEALER HAS REPLACED FUEL PUMP/ STEPPER MOTOR, AND PROBLEM STILL EXISTS.*AK
20010309FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
INTERMITTENTLY ENGINE WILL STALL OUT AND DIE WITHOUT WARNING. DEALER HAS REPLACED FUEL PUMP/ STEPPER MOTOR, AND PROBLEM STILL EXISTS.*AK
20001002ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
WHILE DRIVING ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON. THEN ENGINE DIED OUT. WATER PUMP FAILED OR STOPPED WORKING. ENGINE DID NOT OVERHEAT & FAILED TO RESTART.*AK
20001002UNKNOWN OR OTHER
WHILE DRIVING ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON. THEN ENGINE DIED OUT. WATER PUMP FAILED OR STOPPED WORKING. ENGINE DID NOT OVERHEAT & FAILED TO RESTART.*AK
20001002ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
WHILE DRIVING ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON. THEN ENGINE DIED OUT. WATER PUMP FAILED OR STOPPED WORKING. ENGINE DID NOT OVERHEAT & FAILED TO RESTART.*AK
20000508STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
GRILL FELL OFF WHILE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING ON TWO OCCASIONS. YH
19990217FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS
VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND FIRE STARTED. POLICE SAW FLAMES AND PUT THEM OUT WITH FIRE EXTINGUISHER, FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME TO PUT FIRE OUT. FIRE MARSHALL STATED FIRE STARTED WITH THE HEADLIGHTS. BURNED THE RUBBER BUMPER/ BACK TO THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRES, AND UNDER THE HOOD. DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK
19990127EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
HEADLIGHTS WITH PLASTIC COVER; THE ULTRA VOILET HAS HAZED THE COVER AS IF THERE WERE CATERACTS ON THE COVER. DEALER CONTACTED AND CANNOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. MANUFACTURER AWARE, BUT NO WARRANTY. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
19970415SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM
WHEN RUBBER BUSHING GETS WORN FRONT SUSPENSION CONTROL ARM SEPARATES FROM STABLIZER BAR, CAUSING VEHICLE TO BECOME INOPERATIVE; MAKES WHEEL FOLD. *AK
19961231FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
ALTERNATOR FIRE.
19960619ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
INTERMITTENT STALLING. *SD
Compare 1987MERCURYTOPAZ to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1987 MERCURY TOPAZ have?▼
The 1987 MERCURY TOPAZ has 28 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 5 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1987 MERCURY TOPAZ?▼
The most-complained component for the 1987 MERCURY TOPAZ is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION.
Is the 1987 MERCURY 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.