Total Complaints
67 filings
MERCURY TOPAZ · model year
1990 MERCURY TOPAZ
67 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1990MERCURYTOPAZ carries 67 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 11 fires, 2 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 1990 TOPAZ is electrical system:ignition:switch with 7 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (5) and electrical system:alternator/generator/regulator (5). 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 1990 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.
67
Complaints
3
Crashes
11
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
3 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 | 7 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 5 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | 5 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 4 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 4 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 3 |
| STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY | 2 |
| STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM | 2 |
| EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM | 2 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL | 2 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS | 2 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES | 1 |
| STEERING:LINKAGES | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20020821ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
VEHICLE STALLED 7 TIMES AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER 5 TIMES, IGNITION MODULE WAS REPLACED TWICE, MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH ONCE ,AND STARTER ONCE.*AK
20020821EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL:SWITCH
VEHICLE STALLED 7 TIMES AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER 5 TIMES, IGNITION MODULE WAS REPLACED TWICE, MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH ONCE ,AND STARTER ONCE.*AK
20020821ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY
VEHICLE STALLED 7 TIMES AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER 5 TIMES, IGNITION MODULE WAS REPLACED TWICE, MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH ONCE ,AND STARTER ONCE.*AK
20020404EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
HEADLIGHT COVERS MADE OF PLASTIC BECAME YELLOW, AND MAKES NIGHT DRIVING DIFFICULT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
20010425ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE
THE VEHICLE'S TPI MODULE IS DEFECTIVE AND IS CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL INTERMITTENTLY, CONSUMER REQUEST THAT THE MANUFACTURER REPLACE THIS COMPONENT AT THEIR EXPENSE. NLM
20001017ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE WILL CUT OFF WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE. THEN, IT TAKES A MINUTE OR TWO TO START IT OVER. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM.*AK
20000605FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. FIRE STARTED IN THE STEERING COLUMN. VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM AS MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 7774/IGNITION SWITCH. FORD ADVISED CONSUMER THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. *AK
19991228VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
IDLES TO FAST ,BEYOND HIGH IDLE ,UNCONTROLABLE SPEED WHILE DRIVING
19990915FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
COPIES OF FORM O.M.B. NO. 2127-0008 SENT VIA US MAIL, AND E-MAIL TO: HTTP://WWW.NHTSA.DOT.GOV
19990802FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
BROTHER HAD DRIVEN THE CAR TO GET IT WASHED. THEN DROVE TO A RESTUARANT, AND THE CAR STARTED SMOKING AND CAUGHT ON FIRE. CALLED FIRE DEPARTMENT TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. *AK
19990504EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
RIGHT HEADLIGHT LENSE COVER CAME OFF WHILE DRIVING. NM
19990419ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
ALTERNATOR LEAD TO THE BATTERY MELTED.
19990204ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
ALTERNATOR HAS FAILED ON SIX OCCASIONS RESULTING IN BURNT WIRING AND DAMAGE TO OTHER COMPONENTS.
19990204ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
ALTERNATOR HAS FAILED ON SIX OCCASIONS RESULTING IN BURNT WIRING AND DAMAGE TO OTHER COMPONENTS, RECALL NOTICE SENT IN REGARDS TO THE IGNITION SWITCH WHICH STATED POSSIBILITY OF FIRE AND BURNING, WHICH COULD HAVE POSSIBLY BEEN RELATED TO ALTERNATOR FAILURES, PRIOR TO NOTICE.
19981103ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
THE ALTENATOR CONNECTING WIRES GET HOT, AND THEY HAVE A TENDENCY TO MELT AND CATCH ON FIRE. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED.*AK
19981014ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM CONTINUES TO FAIL, CAUSING BURNING AND SMOKING AT THE HARNESS AREA RESULTING IN DAMAGING OTHER COMPONENTS.
19980613ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
THE SMELL OF BURNED OIL AND SMOKE VISIBLE FROM THE FRONT GRILLE WAS CAUSED BY AN OIL LEAK. THE OIL PAN AND VALVE COVER NEED TO BE REPLACED BEFORE THE LEAK LEADS TO A FIRE.
19980429ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
ALTERNATOR HAS BEEN REPLACED 6 TIMES DUE TO BURNT WIRING.
19980424VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
WHENEVER ENGINE IS COLD ACCELERATOR PEDAL GETS STUCK. NEEDS TO PRESS VERY HARD IN ORDER FOR IT TO CATCH. TOOK TO DEALER & MECHANIC COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM WHICH OCCURS FREQUENTLY, BUT INTERMITTENTLY. *AK
19980424VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
WHENEVER ENGINE I S COLD, TE ACCELERATOR PEDAL GETS STUCK. NEEDS TO PRESS VERY HARD TO GET IT TO CATCH. TOOK TO DEALER & MECHANIC COULD NOT LOCATE PROBLEM. AT BEST IT'S FREQUENT AND INTERMITTENT. *AK
Compare 1990MERCURYTOPAZ to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1990 MERCURY TOPAZ have?▼
The 1990 MERCURY TOPAZ has 67 NHTSA complaints, 3 crashes, 11 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1990 MERCURY TOPAZ?▼
The most-complained component for the 1990 MERCURY TOPAZ is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH with 7 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR.
Is the 1990 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.