1989 Mercury Tracer Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1989 Mercury Tracer, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Engine640.0%
- Seat belts213.3%
- Brakes213.3%
- Powertrain (other)16.7%
- Suspension16.7%
- Tires & wheels16.7%
- Electrical16.7%
- Other / unspecified16.7%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
I AM A SINGLE 66 YR OLD ON A FIXED INCOME, PURCHASED THE THE VEHICLE IN JUNE OF 2000 SINCE THAT DATE I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR, WHEN I AM DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND THE VEHICLE GETS HOT OR MORE SO WARMED UP IT QUITS WHEREVER IT MAY BE, THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES IN INTERSECTIONS AND ALSO THE EXPRESSWAYS. I ALSO HAVE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC SEVERAL TIMES AND NOW HAVE SPENT OVER $600.00 NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM MAY BE, AFTER READING THE ARTICLE IN THIS WEEKS ISSUE OF THE OAKLAND PRESS IN REQUARDS TO FORD PRODUCTS THAT WOULD CERTANLY PINPOINT MY PROBLEM.. IF YOU COULD PLEASE HELP ME ON THIS ISSUE I WOULD GREATLY APPERICATE IT.. LUCILLE ROBBS*AK
AT 64,000 MILES THE ENGINE FAILED, OIL LEAKING IN PISTONS, THE WHOLE ENGINE WAS REPLACE. *YC
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
THEY HAVE A LEAP SEAT BELT IN THE BACK ONLY. *AK
NO SUMMARY
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
EXCESSIVE WEAR BRAKE SHOES/PADS REPLACING REPEATEDLY W/LOW MILEAGE ACCUMULATION. MASTER CYLINDER ALSO FAILS REPLACED (4) TIMES. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT
BRAKE FAILURE, FAILURE OF MASTER CYLINDER, SURGE WHILE DRIVING, PEDAL FADED. TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE REAR WHEEL BEARINGS HAVE FAILED ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE CAR WAS PURCHASED USED WITH 14,700 MILES. THE FIRST FAILURE OCCURED ON APRIL 5, 1998, TRAVELING 65 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE. THE LEFT REAR WHEEL BEARINGS SEIZED AND THE WHEEL FELL INWARD PULLING THE CAR SEVERELY TO THE RIGHT. THIS NEARLY CAUSED A COLLISION WITH A SEMI IN THE NEXT LANE. BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT REAR BEARING ASSEMBLIES FAILED ON MAY 5, 1999; AGAIN THE LEFT REAR TIRE TIPPED IN. THE RIGHT REAR FAILED AS WELL. BOTH REAR WHEEL BEARINGS FAILED AGAIN ON 10-6-99. ON ALL OCCASIONS NEW BEARINGS AND SEALS HAVE BEEN REPLACED. MY SISTER OWNS A 1989 MERCURY TRACER AS WELL AND HER BEARINGS HAVE FAILED THREE TO FOUR TIMES. I HAVE HAD TWO DIFFERENT MECHANICS REPAIR MY BEARINGS. MY SISTER HAS HAD AT LEAST THREE SEPARATE MECHANICS REPAIR. I HAVE CONTACTED FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND THEY ARE NOT INTERESTED IN PROVIDING A SAFE PRODUCT. THIS IS NOT AN ISSUE OF AN EXPRESS WARRANTY BUT DESIGNING PRODUCTS THAT ARE FIT FOR THEIR INTENDED USES AND WILL NOT INJURY PEOPLE. I HAVE LOCATED THREE NHTSA TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS THAT MIGHT RELATE: BC3130890301 (ITEM SB005908) AND 90-12-5 (ITEM SB014830) AND 90-19-9 (ITEM SB017139). THIS IS A DANGEROUS DEFECTIVE PRODUCT DESIGN BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
EXHAUST SYSTEM REPLACED. *SKD
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
TIRE CAME OFF THE VEHICLE WHEN CAR WAS IN DRIVE. TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE UNDER THE HOOD ENGINE COMPARTMENT CAUGHT ON FIRE, ELECTRICAL SHORT, SAW SMOKE. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
RIGHT BACK TIRE CAME COMPLETELY OFF, LEFT WAS BREAKING OFF AT THE AXLE, REPAIR BOTH SIDE. TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .