FaultScore

Worst years for a Mercury Tracer

Owners have filed 754 complaints about the Mercury Tracer with NHTSA across model years 1988 to 2000. More of them are about the electrical system than anything else.

Avoid

1997 Mercury Tracer

181 complaints — the highest FaultScore of any year, mostly airbags.

Cleanest on record

1998 Mercury Tracer

57 complaints — the lowest FaultScore of the graded years.

Every Mercury Tracer year, graded

The grade compares each year against the rest of this model's own run — never against another car. Click any bar or row to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded
Year Grade Complaints Crashes Fires Median miles Most reported
2000 2 0 0 Engine & Cooling
1999 C 32 8 2 Electrical System
1998 B 57 3 1 83,000 Suspension
1997 F 181 19 26 82,000 Airbags
1996 C 15 6 0 Seat Belts
1995 C 126 9 0 85,500 Fuel & Propulsion
1994 C 81 25 7 67,000 Brakes
1993 F 114 14 3 28,500 Electrical System
1992 26 3 5 Electrical System
1991 76 2 11 Electrical System
1990 2 0 1 Steering
1989 20 0 3 Engine & Cooling
1988 22 4 1 Seat Belts

What breaks on a Mercury Tracer

Across every model year on file. Follow a row for that part's complaints and the year it was worst.

Worst in 1997

Worst in 1995

Engine & Cooling 83 11.0%

Worst in 1997

Airbags 76 10.1%

Worst in 1997

Brakes 67 8.9%

Worst in 1997

Seat Belts 64 8.5%

Worst in 1994

Suspension 48 6.4%

Worst in 1997

Worst in 1993

Worst in 1993

Steering 33 4.4%

Worst in 1993

Windows, Mirrors & Wipers 23 3.1%

Worst in 1997

Other & Unspecified 20 2.7%

Worst in 1997

Body & Structure 18 2.4%

Worst in 1993

Tires 18 2.4%

Worst in 1997

Exactly what failed on a Mercury Tracer

The named sub-assemblies behind those complaints, across every model year.

Tank Assembly 50 21.7%
Gasoline 34 14.8%
Frontal 33 14.3%
Engine 27 11.7%
Switch 17 7.4%
Foundation Components 15 6.5%
Ignition 14 6.1%
Anchorage 14 6.1%
Horn 13 5.7%
Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip 13 5.7%

Complaints filed over time

Every complaint about every Mercury Tracer, by the month it reached NHTSA.

Jan 1995 peak 23 Jun 2020

Mercury Tracer problems by state

Where owners filed from. Heavier states are usually just bigger markets, but a part that fails in heat or salt shows up here first.

Compare the Mercury Tracer

Side by side on complaint history. Remember that raw totals track how many were sold as much as how good they were.