Faults:

Windshield needed to be replaced.

Starter need to be replaced.

Had to get a new wheel bearing on the front right side.

Got front shocks put in.

Rear suspension replaced.

Had to buy a new battery.

Clutch is almost finished.

I need new brakes soon.

Lost traction on ice and ended up hitting a van in front me, fortunately I only lost the right side of my bumper.

General Comments:

I bought this car when I was 16 for only $700, and although this car needed quite a few repairs, it's incredibly reliable and has only died on me once in a parking lot when the starter went, and believe me I beat the hell out of this car and it just keeps going.

The car has 225000 km's on it, and still has its original clutch!

It's actually pretty fast thanks to the V6 engine paired with the 5 speed manual, the fastest I got it was 0-100 km in 7.7 seconds!

The interior is decent, a lot roomier than the Asian cars that my friends have, AC still runs, as well the factory speakers sound pretty good.

Cheap to run, gas only costs me like 80 bucks every month, although when replacing parts you have to go with aftermarket, as going to Ford to replace something is ridiculously expensive.

All in all, I strongly recommend this car to new drivers as it's cheap, quick, and very reliable for an older American car.

Faults:

I purchased the 1992 Mercury Topaz with 148,000 hoping to get a year out of it.. I went through some financial difficulties and still have the car. I now have 376,500 miles on it. Everything runs great: A/C, heat, radio, engine.

The interior is in great shape except for the interior roof is starting to deteriorate.

I keep up with the regular maintenance: oil change, brakes, tires, air filter, state inspection, etc...

I have had to replace the fuel pump, battery, starter.

General Comments:

The transmission leaks.. I add a quart a month. I have had the pan gasket changed 3 times. They tell me its not the main seal. Any suggestions? I do need the car or to win the lottery for at least another 2 years.

Faults:

The head gasket, starter solenoid, and tires were all replaced by the dealer a few months before I bought the car.

I had to glue the weatherstripping back onto the door frames.

The alleged power mirrors need to be adjusted by hand.

The factory rims are scuffed and starting to rust.

I'm still having intermittent trouble with the starter. The car revs up to about 1500 rpm when first started, then calms down to 980-1000 rpm.

The car idles roughly enough to vibrate my seat.

The wheels went out of alignment in less than a week.

General Comments:

The interior is a little worn. There's ink marks on the headliner near the sun visors, the seats are starting to wear out, there's a small crack in the dashboard above the glove box, and the cigarette lighter/ashtray panel is missing completely.

The glove box, by the way, is very small. The tiny pocket-size owner's manual takes up most of the space inside.

Road noise is almost nonexistent in the city, but becomes an issue on highways.

Engine noise can be heard coming a few blocks away, even with my stereo turned off.

I can feel even the slightest bump in the road.

There's almost no body lean around corners.

Handling is about average. It's not too bad, but it's not as good as I'd expect for a car that's this size.

The engine's decent. It won't go over 65 mph without sounding like it's about to explode into a fireball, but it is reliable, and it at least has the illusion of being quick when driven close to posted speed limits.

This car does best in bad road conditions, when you need excellent traction without blazing speed. It handles so well in the snow that I didn't need to buy snow tires, and it's nearly impossible to hydroplane on wet pavement unless you're speeding.

The factory speakers sound pretty good with my CD player.

The heater works well enough to continue keeping the car hot in below-freezing temperatures.

The A/C worked on the test drive, but being that I bought it in the winter, I didn't want to leave it on that long. Hopefully, it still works in hot weather.

There's a lot of passenger/cargo space. According to the design specs, the car is slightly smaller than the 2003 Chevy Cavalier I had previously, yet it feels roomier. The trunk also seems to have a little more room for my things.

The seats are so comfortable that I feel like I'm driving in a recliner.

There is absolutely NO rust anywhere on the body of the car.

Gas mileage for me is around 17 MPG city, 22 MPG highway. It's nothing to brag about, but it does keep me from going bankrupt at the gas pump.

Overall, this car is in good shape for being 16 years old. I get positive comments from both onlookers and passengers on a daily basis about how the car must be bulletproof to still be in its current condition.