Auto Recall Watch
U.S. public vehicle records

Merkur SCORPIO problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

10 owner complaints analyzed

1 distinct recall campaigns

Not available median reported failure mileage

Scope: 1986 to 1989 model years. Data updated: . 0 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.

This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Electrical System:Ignition is the most frequently named component, appearing in 2 of 10 complaints (20.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
TopicMatching reportsShare of complaints
Braking behavior220.0%
Engine operation110.0%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Electrical System:Ignition
2
Vehicle Speed Control
2
Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers
1
Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery
1
Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings
1
Latches/Locks/Linkages:Hood:Latch
1
Power Train:Automatic Transmission
1
Power Train:Driveline:Driveshaft
1
Component breakdown data
CategoryCount
Electrical System:Ignition2
Vehicle Speed Control2
Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers1
Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery1
Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings1
Latches/Locks/Linkages:Hood:Latch1
Power Train:Automatic Transmission1
Power Train:Driveline:Driveshaft1

Electrical System:Ignition: 2; Vehicle Speed Control: 2; Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers: 1; Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery: 1; Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings: 1; Latches/Locks/Linkages:Hood:Latch: 1; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 1; Power Train:Driveline:Driveshaft: 1

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000
0
25,000 to 49,999
0
50,000 to 74,999
0
75,000 to 99,999
0
100,000 to 149,999
0
150,000 and above
0
Reported problems by failure mileage data
CategoryCount
Under 25,0000
25,000 to 49,9990
50,000 to 74,9990
75,000 to 99,9990
100,000 to 149,9990
150,000 and above0

Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0

No usable failure mileage is recorded. 10 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

1995
2
1996
1
1997
1
1998
1
1999
3
2001
1
2002
1
Complaints over time data
CategoryCount
19952
19961
19971
19981
19993
20011
20021

1995: 2; 1996: 1; 1997: 1; 1998: 1; 1999: 3; 2001: 1; 2002: 1

Pattern summary

Electrical System:Ignition leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 2 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 485619 · 1995-06-23 (June 23, 1995)

BRAKE FAILURE. *AW

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 485619 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 709918 · 1999-08-12 (August 12, 1999)

SLAMMED ON BRAKES AT 70MPH AND PEDAL WAS HARD TO MASH, AND ANTI-LOCK DIDN'T KICK IN. HAD SENSOR REPLACED 5 TIMES BUT STILL FAILED. HAD TO SWERVE OFF OF HIGHWAY TO AVOID ACCIDENT.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 709918 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 879890 · 2001-02-06 (February 6, 2001)

VEHICLE STALLS WHILE TURNING OR WARMING UP.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 879890 at NHTSA ↗

Compare model years

Recalls by model year

All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.

Recall campaigns

Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.

1986
0
1988
1
1989
0
Recall campaigns data
CategoryCount
19860
19881
19890

1986: 0; 1988: 1; 1989: 0

Year-by-year records

Merkur SCORPIO model-year comparison
Model yearComplaintsRecallsChange in recalls
198610Not available
198881Not available
198910-1
Explore the data

Vehicle analysis explorer

Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.

Data completeness

10 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.

0.0%Usable mileage0 / 10 records
80.0%Valid incident date8 / 10 records
100.0%Valid filing date10 / 10 records
80.0%Ordered incident and filing dates8 / 10 records

Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.

Problems by model year

Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.

Component complaint heatmap
Component198619881989
Electrical System:Ignition
00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

225.0%
ODI 705935

THIS FAILURE WAS WITH THE FORD REPLACEMENT PART. ONLY 1 YEAR AGO, LESS THAN 4,000 MILES AGO, THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT TFI MODULE FAILED, LEAVING ME STRANDED. THIS TIME, HOWEVER, IT WAS WORSE, LEAVING ME STRANDED ON A HIGHWAY EXIT. BEING AT NIGHT, IT WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS TFI PROBLEM, AFFECTING MILLIONS OF FORDS. SOMEONE WILL END UP GETTING HURT IF THIS DOES NOT GET FIXED, AND ALL FOR A ~$100 PART. *AK

Look up ODI 705935 at NHTSA ↗

00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

Vehicle Speed Control
00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

225.0%
ODI 807981

WHEN DRIVING WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ON THE CAR ACCELERATED AND THE RPMS DIDN'T READ RIGHT. *AK

Look up ODI 807981 at NHTSA ↗

00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers
00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

112.5%
ODI 762777

ADVISE MERKUR SCORPIO OWNERS TO IMMEDIATELY HAVE TAILIGHT FUSE REPLACED. *AK

Look up ODI 762777 at NHTSA ↗

00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery
00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

112.5%
ODI 709919

FUEL LEAKING FROM INJECTORS CAUSED SMALL UNDERHOOD FIRE. WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH, BUT COULD HAVE BEEN SEROIUS. FUEK WAS LEAKING ONTO HOT EXHAUST MANIFOLD. VERY, VERY POOR QUALITY, AND NO DEALER OR MANUFACTURER SUPPORT. THANKS FORD.

Look up ODI 709919 at NHTSA ↗

00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings
00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

1100.0%
ODI 978367

GAS LINE DISCONNECTED, SPEWED RAW GASOLINE ON FLOOR UNDER ENGINE; CAUSED LARGE EXPLOSION AND FIRE; VEHICLE PARKED IN GARAGE. TT

Look up ODI 978367 at NHTSA ↗

Latches/Locks/Linkages:Hood:Latch
1100.0%
ODI 535707

HOOD FLEW OPEN SMASHING WINDSHIELD AND SUNROOF.

Look up ODI 535707 at NHTSA ↗

00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

Power Train:Automatic Transmission
00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

112.5%
ODI 485619

BRAKE FAILURE. *AW

Look up ODI 485619 at NHTSA ↗

00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

Power Train:Driveline:Driveshaft
00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

112.5%
ODI 485619

BRAKE FAILURE. *AW

Look up ODI 485619 at NHTSA ↗

00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.

Failure mileage by component

Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.

Component failure mileage distribution
ComponentMileage range (25th–75th percentile)MedianUsable recordsExamples
No usable records for this analysis.

Complaint and recall timeline

Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.

1 reports2024-112026-10

Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.

Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples
Monthly complaint and recall timeline
MonthComplaintsCampaigns announcedExamples
2024-110None

No examples available for this selection.

2024-120None

No examples available for this selection.

2025-010None

No examples available for this selection.

2025-020None

No examples available for this selection.

2025-030None

No examples available for this selection.

2025-040None

No examples available for this selection.

2025-050None

No examples available for this selection.

2025-060None

No examples available for this selection.

2025-070None

No examples available for this selection.

2025-080None

No examples available for this selection.

2025-090None

No examples available for this selection.

2025-100None

No examples available for this selection.

2025-110None

No examples available for this selection.

2025-120None

No examples available for this selection.

2026-010None

No examples available for this selection.

2026-020None

No examples available for this selection.

2026-030None

No examples available for this selection.

2026-040None

No examples available for this selection.

2026-050None

No examples available for this selection.

2026-060None

No examples available for this selection.

2026-070None

No examples available for this selection.

2026-080None

No examples available for this selection.

2026-090None

No examples available for this selection.

2026-10 (partial)0None

No examples available for this selection.

Emerging complaint spikes

Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.

This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.

No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.

Equal-age model-year comparison

Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.

Age 0Age 1Age 21 reports

1988: 0 complaints · 1989: 0 complaints

Equal observation windows
Model yearThrough age 0Through age 1Through age 2
1988000
1989000
Date coverage across each selected cohort
Date basis for all complaints in selected model years
YearIncident dates usedFiling date fallbacksExcluded dates
1988620
1989100

Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.

Components reported together

Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.

Component co-occurrence matrix
ComponentElectrical System:IgnitionVehicle Speed ControlElectrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit BreakersFuel System, Gasoline:DeliveryFuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And FittingsLatches/Locks/Linkages:Hood:LatchPower Train:Automatic TransmissionPower Train:Driveline:Driveshaft
Electrical System:Ignition—0000000
Vehicle Speed Control0—000000
Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers00—00000
Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery000—0000
Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings0000—000
Latches/Locks/Linkages:Hood:Latch00000—00
Power Train:Automatic Transmission000000—
1
ODI 485619

BRAKE FAILURE. *AW

Look up ODI 485619 at NHTSA ↗

Power Train:Driveline:Driveshaft000000
1
ODI 485619

BRAKE FAILURE. *AW

Look up ODI 485619 at NHTSA ↗

—

Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.

Recurring narrative patterns

Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.

3 patterns with matching reports.

Brake response concerns

1 mentions · 10.0% of complaints

Median mileage: Unavailable (0 usable records).

ODI 485619

BRAKE FAILURE. *AW

Look up ODI 485619 at NHTSA ↗

Matching rule\b(brake fail\w*|brakes fail\w*|brake pedal|braking distance|unintended braking|phantom braking)\b

Fuel smell or leak mentions

1 mentions · 10.0% of complaints

Median mileage: Unavailable (0 usable records).

ODI 709919

FUEL LEAKING FROM INJECTORS CAUSED SMALL UNDERHOOD FIRE. WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH, BUT COULD HAVE BEEN SEROIUS. FUEK WAS LEAKING ONTO HOT EXHAUST MANIFOLD. VERY, VERY POOR QUALITY, AND NO DEALER OR MANUFACTURER SUPPORT. THANKS FORD.

Look up ODI 709919 at NHTSA ↗

Matching rule\b(fuel leak\w*|gas leak\w*|gas(?:oline)? smell|smell\w* (?:of )?(?:fuel|gas))\b

Stalling or loss of power

1 mentions · 10.0% of complaints

Median mileage: Unavailable (0 usable records).

ODI 879890

VEHICLE STALLS WHILE TURNING OR WARMING UP.*AK

Look up ODI 879890 at NHTSA ↗

Matching rule\b(stall\w*|loss of power|lost power|engine shut\w* off)\b