FaultScore

Mercury Tracer vs Audi Q5

Both cars' complete complaint records, side by side.

Read the totals carefully. NHTSA publishes no sales figures, so the car that sold more collects more complaints regardless of quality. The rows worth weighing are the proportions — the share of complaints that involved harm, and which part dominates.

Measure Mercury Tracer Audi Q5
Complaints on file 754 1,860
Model years covered 1988–2000 2009–2026
Worst model year 1997 2018
Best model year 1998 2024
Crashes reported 93 112
Fires reported 60 19
Injuries reported 71 62
Deaths reported 3 0
Most complained-about part Electrical System Engine & Cooling
Share of complaints involving harm 30.1% 10.4%

Mercury Tracer by year

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded

What breaks

Engine & Cooling 83 11.0%
Airbags 76 10.1%
Brakes 67 8.9%
Seat Belts 64 8.5%
Suspension 48 6.4%

Audi Q5 by year

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded

What breaks