IllustrationADVISE MERKUR SCORPIO OWNERS TO IMMEDIATELY HAVE TAILIGHT FUSE REPLACED. *AK
1988 Merkur Scorpio
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Scorpio years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 0 of 8 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
1 crash reports1 fire reports1 injury reports
What owners actually said
8 reportsVEHICLE STALLS WHILE TURNING OR WARMING UP.*AK
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.
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.
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, AFFE…
Read full complaint
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
WHEN DRIVING WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ON THE CAR ACCELERATED AND THE RPMS DIDN'T READ RIGHT. *AK
UNIVERSAL JOINT FAILURE.
UNINTENDED ACCELERATION AT A HIGH SPEED WHILE CRUISE CONTROL IS ACTIVATED. TT
Official recalls
188V084000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:lever And Linkage:column Shift
May 20, 1988
TRANSMISSION LINKAGE WAS ADJUSTED IMPROPERLY DURING PRODUCTION.
Consequence & remedy
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.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.