1992 MERCURY TOPAZ

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1992 MERCURY TOPAZ. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 25-30 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD. IT ONLY ROLLED BACKWARDS INTO TRAFFIC. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY WITH A MECHANIC. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30.

Mileage: 30

THE IGNITION SWITCH FELL APART 3 TIMES ON THE TOPAZ SINCE 1995, THE SWITCHES I BOUGHT AT FORD DEALERSHIP WAS THE EXACT SAME ONE THAT FELL APART. FIRST THE ACCESSORIES STOP WORKED ONE AT A TIME, A/C, TURN SIGNALS, RADIO, AIR CONDITIONING. THEN I PULL IT OUT AND REPLACED THE SWITCH, I CARRY AN EXTRA ONE IN T CAR AND HAVE THE REPLACEMENT DOWN TO 45 MINUTES. I REPLACED THE SWITCH NOW WHEN THE SECOND SIGN OF FAILURE OCCURRED. I HAVE A SMALL POUCH WITH ALL THE TOOLS. I NEED TO CHANGE THE PART AND HAVE THE BOLTS AND SCREWS MARKED THAT I HAVE TO TAKE OUT. I EVEN WRITE THE DATE AND MILEAGE I CHANGE IT IN MY SERVICE MANUAL SO I ALMOST CAN TELL WHEN THE NEST FAILURE WILL OCCUR. I KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE REPLACEMENT SWITCHES WHEN I CAN BUY THEM AT A DEALERSHIP FOR ANY WHERE FROM $9 FOR FIRST TO $16 THIS LAST TIME. THE LAST THING I BOUGHT THAT CHEAP WAS A PAIR OF WINDSHIELD WIPERS AT A DEALERSHIP.*AK

Mileage: 76,000

TO WHOM THIS MAY CONCERN; I BROUGHT MY DAUGHTER'S CAR IN FOR SEATBELT REPAIR. THERE WAS FAILURE OF THE SHOULDER STRAP TO OPEN WHEN GETTING INTO THE CAR. MY COMPLAINT IS WITH THE DEALERSHIP HAMMONTON AUTO GROUP WHITE HORSE PIKE HAMMONTON NJ. ON 6/25 THE CAR WAS BROUGHT IN- CHARGING $80 TO DIAGNOSE THAT THE SWITCH ON THE PASSENGER SIDE NEEDED REPLACING. THE PART COST $10 THE JOB WAS TO COST $260 - WHICH I FEEL WAS A CUSTOMER RIPOFF. WE DECIDED TO GET THE JOB DONE DESPITE THE OUTRAGEOUS COST. ON 6/26 WHEN WE ARRIVED TO PICK UP THE CAR-THIS SERVICE DEPT FIXED THE DRIVER SIDE WHICH WAS NEVER BROKEN IN THE FIRST PLACE. THEY DID NOT NOTICE THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE DIDN'T WORK AFTER AN $80 DIAGNOSTICS FEE. I AM NEVER GOING TO THIS PARTICULAR DEALERSHIP AGAIN. I AM ALSO REPORTING THIS TO THE BBB AND TO WHOEVER ELSE I CAN COMPLAIN TO. THIS IS WHY SO MANY AMERICANS ARE NOT BUYING FROM FORD ANYMORE.

Mileage: 20,000

VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE FROM THE STEERING WHEEL.*MR WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED FLAMES BURST OUT FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS RECALLED (96V-071000) BUT THE CONSUMER NEVER RECEIVED THE NOTICE. THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. *TS *NLM

Mileage: 46,000

THIS VEHICLE IS NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL# 96V071000 CONCERNING ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: IGNITION SWITCH. IGNITION SWITCH MUST BE MANEUVERED FOR SOME ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PARTS TO FUNCTION. FOR INSTANCE, AIR CONDITIONER WILL COME ON BY MANEUVERING THE IGNITION SWITCH. ALSO, ELECTRIC SEAT BELTS/POWER WINDOWS/ TURN SIGNALS, AND BRAKE LIGHTS DON'T OPERATE. *AK

THIS VEHICLE IS NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL# 96V071000 CONCERNING ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: IGNITION SWITCH. IGNITION SWITCH MUST BE MANEUVERED FOR SOME ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PARTS TO FUNCTION. FOR INSTANCE, AIR CONDITIONER WILL COME ON BY MANEUVERING THE IGNITION SWITCH. ALSO, ELECTRIC SEAT BELTS/POWER WINDOWS/ TURN SIGNALS, AND BRAKE LIGHTS DON'T OPERATE. *AK

THIS VEHICLE IS NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL# 96V071000 CONCERNING ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: IGNITION SWITCH. IGNITION SWITCH MUST BE MANEUVERED FOR SOME ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PARTS TO FUNCTION. FOR INSTANCE, AIR CONDITIONER WILL COME ON BY MANEUVERING THE IGNITION SWITCH. ALSO, ELECTRIC SEAT BELTS/POWER WINDOWS/ TURN SIGNALS, AND BRAKE LIGHTS DON'T OPERATE. *AK

THIS VEHICLE IS NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL# 96V071000 CONCERNING ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: IGNITION SWITCH. IGNITION SWITCH MUST BE MANEUVERED FOR SOME ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PARTS TO FUNCTION. FOR INSTANCE, AIR CONDITIONER WILL COME ON BY MANEUVERING THE IGNITION SWITCH. ALSO, ELECTRIC SEAT BELTS/POWER WINDOWS/ TURN SIGNALS, AND BRAKE LIGHTS DON'T OPERATE. *AK

THIS VEHICLE IS NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL# 96V071000 CONCERNING ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: IGNITION SWITCH. IGNITION SWITCH MUST BE MANEUVERED FOR SOME ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PARTS TO FUNCTION. FOR INSTANCE, AIR CONDITIONER WILL COME ON BY MANEUVERING THE IGNITION SWITCH. ALSO, ELECTRIC SEAT BELTS/POWER WINDOWS/ TURN SIGNALS, AND BRAKE LIGHTS DON'T OPERATE. *AK

THIS VEHICLE IS NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL# 96V071000 CONCERNING ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: IGNITION SWITCH. IGNITION SWITCH MUST BE MANEUVERED FOR SOME ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PARTS TO FUNCTION. FOR INSTANCE, AIR CONDITIONER WILL COME ON BY MANEUVERING THE IGNITION SWITCH. ALSO, ELECTRIC SEAT BELTS/POWER WINDOWS/ TURN SIGNALS, AND BRAKE LIGHTS DON'T OPERATE. *AK

CONSUMER HAS HAD PAST PROBLEMS WITH FRONT AUTOMATIC SEAT BELTS ON BOTH SIDES. AUTOMATIC SEAT BELTS WILL NOT RETRACT BACK. BELT HAS TO BE TUGGED ON TO RETRACT. MOTOR MAKES A GRINDING AND RATTLING NOISE.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND COMING UP TO A STOP LIGHT/SIGN VEHICLE WOULD STALL OUT. HAD NO PRIOR WARNING. HAD NOT BEEN TO A DEALERSHIP TO INVESTIGATE PROBLEM.*AK

VEHICLE STALLS AT SLOW SPEEDS, 35 MPH AND WHEN COMING TO A STOP. *AK

STALLING AT HIGH TEMPERATURES, WON'T START AGAIN FOR 15-30 MINITUES. POSSIBLY A BAD IGNITION MODULE. *AK

HORN QUIT WORKING. *CJ

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION CABLE LINKAGE WAS REPAIRED. THERE ARE NUMEROUS SERVICE BULLETINS THAT REFER TO THIS PROBLEM *CJ

THE DRIVER'S SIDE PASSIVE RESTRAINT SYSTEM(SHOULDER BELT) LOCKED UP AND BECAME NON-OPERATIONAL. WHENEVER THE VEHICLE IS STARTED THERE IS A HORRIBLE NOISE THAT IS EMITTED FROM THE SHOULDER BELT ASSEMBLY UNIT. THE SAME IDENTICAL PROBLEM OCCURED WITH THE SHOULDER BELT ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE. *CJ

HORN QUIT WORKING. *CJ

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION CABLE LINKAGE WAS REPAIRED. THERE ARE NUMEROUS SERVICE BULLETINS THAT REFER TO THIS PROBLEM *CJ

THE DRIVER'S SIDE PASSIVE RESTRAINT SYSTEM(SHOULDER BELT) LOCKED UP AND BECAME NON-OPERATIONAL. WHENEVER THE VEHICLE IS STARTED THERE IS A HORRIBLE NOSIE THAT IS EMITTED FROM THE SHOULDER BELT ASSEMBLY UNIT. THE SAME IDENTICAL PROBLEM OCCURED WITH THE SHOULDER BELT ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE. *CJ