Merkur XR4TI Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 19 consumer complaints across the 3 model years of the Merkur XR4TI (1986–1989) that have at least 5 complaints. 1987 has the most, with 7. Across all years, the part named most often is exterior lighting (11 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All XR4TI model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 5 | — | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 1987 | 7 | — | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 1986 | 7 | — | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Exterior lighting11 50%
- Engine cooling4 18%
- Electrical system4 18%
- Fuel system1 4.5%
- Equipment1 4.5%
- Brakes1 4.5%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
1987: “The emergency flasher button on top of the steering column flew off and hit me in the head. I managed to get it put back on but whenever I try to use the flashers I can get them to turn off (the button wont stay down. Since this is a required piece of safety equipment I feel that ford should replace these free of charge.”
NHTSA complaint #702411, filed 1999-011986: “I understand an ignition module is supposed to last the lifetime of a car. Mine failed at about 44,000 miles, if I'm not mistaken. Fortunately no one was hurt; the car stalled as we were pulling out of a parking lot. Still there clearly is a problem, and you need to address it.”
NHTSA complaint #734083, filed 2000-101989: “Hazard switch failure, unable to work switch, or turn signals. 4 way button pops off, unable to stay on, which causes your 4 ways to not operate. Ford doesn't make replacements anymore. When broken before turnsignal didn't work either.”
NHTSA complaint #703291, filed 1999-02Other Merkur models
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology