FaultScore report
Owners have filed 15 complaints about the 1996 Mercury Tracer with NHTSA between 1997 and 2006. The largest single group is the seat belts. Across this model's run it ranks 6 of 7 worst.
FaultScore 43/100
Higher is worse. Measured against the other years of the Mercury Tracer.
How this is worked out15
Complaints
6
Crashes reported
0
Fires reported
5
Injuries reported
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
Click any bar to open that year's report.
Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.
1 crashes, 0 fires
2 crashes, 0 fires
2 crashes, 0 fires
1 crashes, 0 fires
Median failure at 40,809 miles
Median failure at 60,430 miles
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single owner can see from inside their own car.
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
WHILE DRIVING DRIVING 55 MPH CONSUMER LOST CONTROL AND WENT INTO A DITCH. AIR BAGS DID DEPLOY AND EXPLODE. CONTACT DEALER, AND DEALER HAS NOT RESPONDED.*AK CONSUMER ALSO STATED THAT SEAT BELT CAME LOOSE.
NHTSA complaint #893567 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
WHILE DRIVING DRIVING 55 MPH CONSUMER LOST CONTROL AND WENT INTO A DITCH. AIR BAGS DID DEPLOY AND EXPLODE. CONTACT DEALER, AND DEALER HAS NOT RESPONDED.*AK CONSUMER ALSO STATED THAT SEAT BELT CAME LOOSE.
NHTSA complaint #893567 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
WHILE DRIVING DRIVING 55 MPH CONSUMER LOST CONTROL AND WENT INTO A DITCH. AIR BAGS DID DEPLOY AND EXPLODE. CONTACT DEALER, AND DEALER HAS NOT RESPONDED.*AK CONSUMER ALSO STATED THAT SEAT BELT CAME LOOSE.
NHTSA complaint #893567 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
THIS VEHICLE REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE AT 45 MPH, AND FORNTAL AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED.
NHTSA complaint #874100 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
ON 6-25-99 WE WERE INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. WE WERE AT A COMPLETE STOP WHEN ANOTHER DRIVER REAR-ENDED US GOING ABOUT 35-40MILES PER HOUR. AT IMPACT BOTH FRONT SEATS LATCH BROKE AND THE SEATS SLID BACK AND RESTED IN THE LAPS OF MY 3 CHILDREN SEATED IN THE BACK. THE DRIVERS SEAT ALSO SEEMED TO BECOME UNBOLTED AND TWISTED BEFORE IT SLID BACK HITTING MY 10 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER BETWEEN THE EYES. AT SUCH A HIGH RATE OF SPEED I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED THE AIR BAGS TO DEPLOY AND THEY DID NOT. OUR CAR SLID ONE CITY BLOCK AT IMPACT. THE TRANSMISSION LOCKED AND THE REAR DOORS JAMMED. I HAD TO LEAN AND PULL ON THE FRONT SEATS TO PULL MY CHILDREN FROM THE BACK SEATS. THIS WAS ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT FOR MY 3AND 1 YEAR OLDS BECAUSE THEY WERE LOCKED IN CHILD SAFETY SEATS.
NHTSA complaint #708379 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
DURING A REAR END COLLISION BOTH FRONT BUCKET SEATS SLID BACK AND THEN FELL BACK INTO ARECLINE DPOSITION ON TOP OF THE PASSENGERS IN THE REAR SEAT, CAUSING THEM TO HIT THEIR HEADS ON THE FRONT SEATS.
NHTSA complaint #526837 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, THE ENGINE MADE A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE. THE CONTACT IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND THE NOISE STOPPED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE ENGINE SEAT, CYLINDER HEAD, AND HEAD GASKET WHICH CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. UPDATED 3/28/2006 -
NHTSA complaint #10150759 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
VEHICLE HAD A FUEL LEAK WHICH WAS CAUSED BY A CRACK IN THE FUEL TANK NEAR THE EXHAUST.
NHTSA complaint #10027207 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
WHILE DRIVING DRIVING 55 MPH CONSUMER LOST CONTROL AND WENT INTO A DITCH. AIR BAGS DID DEPLOY AND EXPLODE. CONTACT DEALER, AND DEALER HAS NOT RESPONDED.*AK CONSUMER ALSO STATED THAT SEAT BELT CAME LOOSE.
NHTSA complaint #893567 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
WHILE DRIVING DRIVING 55 MPH CONSUMER LOST CONTROL AND WENT INTO A DITCH. AIR BAGS DID DEPLOY AND EXPLODE. CONTACT DEALER, AND DEALER HAS NOT RESPONDED.*AK CONSUMER ALSO STATED THAT SEAT BELT CAME LOOSE.
NHTSA complaint #893567 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
WHILE DRIVING DRIVING 55 MPH CONSUMER LOST CONTROL AND WENT INTO A DITCH. AIR BAGS DID DEPLOY AND EXPLODE. CONTACT DEALER, AND DEALER HAS NOT RESPONDED.*AK CONSUMER ALSO STATED THAT SEAT BELT CAME LOOSE.
NHTSA complaint #893567 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
RETRACTOR ON DRIVER'S SIDE LOCKS UP, AND WHEN DOOR IS OPENED IT SLIDES QUICKLY BACK.
NHTSA complaint #878964 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
THIS VEHICLE REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE AT 45 MPH, AND FORNTAL AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED.
NHTSA complaint #874100 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
SPEEDOMETER DIAL ASSEMBLY FAILED. NLM
NHTSA complaint #550453 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS
THE DRIVERS SIDE MOTORBELT FAILED. NLM
NHTSA complaint #550453 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS
DRIVERS SIDE MOTOR BELT FAILED. NLM
NHTSA complaint #547346 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
ON 6-25-99 WE WERE INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. WE WERE AT A COMPLETE STOP WHEN ANOTHER DRIVER REAR-ENDED US GOING ABOUT 35-40MILES PER HOUR. AT IMPACT BOTH FRONT SEATS LATCH BROKE AND THE SEATS SLID BACK AND RESTED IN THE LAPS OF MY 3 CHILDREN SEATED IN THE BACK. THE DRIVERS SEAT ALSO SEEMED TO BECOME UNBOLTED AND TWISTED BEFORE IT SLID BACK HITTING MY 10 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER BETWEEN THE EYES. AT SUCH A HIGH RATE OF SPEED I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED THE AIR BAGS TO DEPLOY AND THEY DID NOT. OUR CAR SLID ONE CITY BLOCK AT IMPACT. THE TRANSMISSION LOCKED AND THE REAR DOORS JAMMED. I HAD TO LEAN AND PULL ON THE FRONT SEATS TO PULL MY CHILDREN FROM THE BACK SEATS. THIS WAS ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT FOR MY 3AND 1 YEAR OLDS BECAUSE THEY WERE LOCKED IN CHILD SAFETY SEATS.
NHTSA complaint #708379 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
THE DRIVER'S/PASSENGER'S DOORS WOULD POP & GRIND WHENEVER THEY ARE OPENED. AIR COMES THROUGH THE WINDOW. TOOK TO DEALER 4 TIMES & GOING FOR 5TH TIME. PROBLEM GETTING WORSE. DOORS ARE HARDER TO OPEN.
NHTSA complaint #821348 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
DURING A REAR END COLLISION BOTH FRONT BUCKET SEATS SLID BACK AND THEN FELL BACK INTO ARECLINE DPOSITION ON TOP OF THE PASSENGERS IN THE REAR SEAT, CAUSING THEM TO HIT THEIR HEADS ON THE FRONT SEATS.
NHTSA complaint #526837 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
WHEN DRIVING ON ANY ROAD CONDITION A VIBRATING NOISE COMES FROM THE PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAG. THE PASSANGER'S SIDE AIRBAG HAS BEEN REPLACED, AND 3 TO 4 DAYS LATER THE VIBRATION STARTED AGAIN.
NHTSA complaint #817788 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:PUMP
POWER STEERING PUMP MAKES NOISE WHEN TURNING.
NHTSA complaint #603445 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.