Brake response concerns
1 mentions · 12.5% of complaints
Median mileage: Unavailable (0 usable records).
Matching rule
\b(brake fail\w*|brakes fail\w*|brake pedal|braking distance|unintended braking|phantom braking)\bU.S. public vehicle records
1988 Merkur SCORPIO: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
8 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
Not available median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1988 model year. 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 8 complaints (25.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 2 | 25.0% |
| Engine operation | 1 | 12.5% |
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.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Electrical System:Ignition | 2 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 |
| Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers | 1 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery | 1 |
| Power Train:Automatic Transmission | 1 |
| Power Train:Driveline:Driveshaft | 1 |
| Power Train:Driveline:Universal Joint | 1 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | 1 |
Electrical System:Ignition: 2; Vehicle Speed Control: 2; Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers: 1; Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery: 1; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 1; Power Train:Driveline:Driveshaft: 1; Power Train:Driveline:Universal Joint: 1; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 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 |
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. 8 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.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 2 |
| 1997 | 1 |
| 1999 | 3 |
| 2001 | 1 |
| 2002 | 1 |
1995: 2; 1997: 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.
Examples from the source records
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 705935 · 1999-04-23 (April 23, 1999)
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
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 705935 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 709919 · 1999-08-12 (August 12, 1999)
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.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 709919 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 762777 · 2002-06-07 (June 7, 2002)
ADVISE MERKUR SCORPIO OWNERS TO IMMEDIATELY HAVE TAILIGHT FUSE REPLACED. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 762777 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 807981 · 1997-01-22 (January 22, 1997)
WHEN DRIVING WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ON THE CAR ACCELERATED AND THE RPMS DIDN'T READ RIGHT. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 807981 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 ↗
Owner report 958509 · 1995-01-10 (January 10, 1995)
UNINTENDED ACCELERATION AT A HIGH SPEED WHILE CRUISE CONTROL IS ACTIVATED. TT
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 958509 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
1 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
88V084000 · Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Lever And Linkage:Column Shift
Reported: 1988-05-20 (May 20, 1988)
TRANSMISSION LINKAGE WAS ADJUSTED IMPROPERLY DURING PRODUCTION.
Consequence: IF THIS CONDITION EXISTS, THERE IS A POTENTIAL THAT THETRANSMISSION PARKING PAWL MAY NOT FULLY ENGAGE THE PARKING GEAR WHEN THETRANSMISSION SELECTOR LEVER IS PLACED IN PARK.
Remedy: INSPECT ALL VEHICLES AND ADJUST TRANSMISSION LINKAGE PROPERLY.
NHTSA campaign record ↗Explore the data
Vehicle analysis explorer
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
8 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.
0.0%Usable mileage0 / 8 records
75.0%Valid incident date6 / 8 records
100.0%Valid filing date8 / 8 records
75.0%Ordered incident and filing dates6 / 8 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 | 1986 | 1988 | 1989 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System:Ignition | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 225.0%ODI 705935THIS 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 | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 225.0%ODI 807981WHEN DRIVING WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ON THE CAR ACCELERATED AND THE RPMS DIDN'T READ RIGHT. *AK | 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 762777ADVISE MERKUR SCORPIO OWNERS TO IMMEDIATELY HAVE TAILIGHT FUSE REPLACED. *AK | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 112.5%ODI 709919FUEL 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. | 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 978367GAS LINE DISCONNECTED, SPEWED RAW GASOLINE ON FLOOR UNDER ENGINE; CAUSED LARGE EXPLOSION AND FIRE; VEHICLE PARKED IN GARAGE. TT |
| Latches/Locks/Linkages:Hood:Latch | 1100.0% | 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% | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Power Train:Driveline:Driveshaft | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 112.5% | 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 | Mileage range (25th–75th percentile) | Median | Usable records | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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
| Month | Complaints | Campaigns announced | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2024-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-10 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-10 (partial) | 0 | None | 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.
1988: 0 complaints · 1989: 0 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1989 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| 1989 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
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 | Electrical System:Ignition | Vehicle Speed Control | Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers | Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery | Power Train:Automatic Transmission | Power Train:Driveline:Driveshaft | Power Train:Driveline:Universal Joint | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System:Ignition | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Power Train:Automatic Transmission | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Power Train:Driveline:Driveshaft | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | — | 1 | 0 |
| Power Train:Driveline:Universal Joint | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 0 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
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.
Fuel smell or leak mentions
1 mentions · 12.5% 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.
Matching rule
\b(fuel leak\w*|gas leak\w*|gas(?:oline)? smell|smell\w* (?:of )?(?:fuel|gas))\bStalling or loss of power
1 mentions · 12.5% of complaints
Median mileage: Unavailable (0 usable records).
Matching rule
\b(stall\w*|loss of power|lost power|engine shut\w* off)\b