1989 Merkur Scorpio review from North America

Since my Purchase in August 2002 I have had to replace the following things:

All upper motor gaskets

EGR valve and sensor

Engine coolant sensor

Air charge temp sensor

Throttle position sensor

Idle air bypass solenoid

Transmission

Radiator.

Notice that I have only driven the car for 8,000 miles.

The performance of this car gets better as more repairs are performed. It was very sluggish when I first purchased it. Now it is reasonably quick for its age and faster than a lot of newer vehicles.

The handling on this car is pretty good considering none of the suspension has been replaced in 130,000 miles. A repaired suspension should make this car handle better than most cars that you can purchase new.

The interior of this car looks fresh even though the car is 14 years old. The seats are the most comfortable that I have ever sat in. The leg, shoulder, and head room is phenomenal. The reclining rear seats keep my passengers happy as well. I have taken this car on a 400 mile trip without the slightest bit of fatigue.

If all you want to spend is $850.00 USD for a car, then the Scorpio is the way to go. You get a comfortable ride, great handling, and decent performance for little to no money. The only caution is that maintenance can take a toll on your bank account. All parts for this car have to be shipped in from the UK and they are 20-30% more expensive than other pedestrian type of vehicles. However, almost all maintenance can be performed by the average person. It is really that simple to work on.

The standard Scorpio problems are:

Random ABS faults

Interior switch failure

HVAC Blower motor and resistor failure

Early AC compressor failure

Automatic transmission failure

Fog Light lens cracking/breaking

Rear hatch lock failure.