Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 12 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1996 Mercury Tracer, most frequently naming the seat belts, airbags and steering categories. 83 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
When owners filed reports about this model year
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 1997 | 1 | 1 |
| Oct 1997 | 1 | 2 |
| Dec 1997 | 1 | 3 |
| Jan 1998 | 1 | 4 |
| Jul 1999 | 2 | 6 |
| Jan 2000 | 1 | 7 |
| Oct 2000 | 1 | 8 |
| Jan 2001 | 1 | 9 |
| Aug 2001 | 1 | 10 |
| Jul 2003 | 1 | 11 |
| Feb 2006 | 1 | 12 |
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
No recalls in our database for this model year
That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
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 - *NM
VEHICLE HAD A FUEL LEAK WHICH WAS CAUSED BY A CRACK IN THE FUEL TANK NEAR THE EXHAUST.*AK
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.*JB
RETRACTOR ON DRIVER'S SIDE LOCKS UP, AND WHEN DOOR IS OPENED IT SLIDES QUICKLY BACK. *AK
THIS VEHICLE REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE AT 45 MPH, AND FORNTAL AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED.*AK
THE DRIVERS SIDE MOTORBELT FAILED. NLM
DRIVERS SIDE MOTOR BELT FAILED. NLM
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. *AK
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:COOLING UNIT AND LINES
NEW TRANSMISSION COOLER FLUSHER - SERVICE TIPS. 2003 ESCORT AND SUPER DUTY F SERIES INCLUDED. *TT
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
CLIMATE CONTROL A/C SERVICE TECH TIPS. *EH
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH
LAMP-BRAKE-INVADVERTENT DISABLING OF BRAKE SHIFT INTERLOCK. *MJ
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
SOME ENGINE ASSEMBLIES WITH ALUMINUM CYLINDER HEADS REPAIRED IN-VEHILE HAVE BEEN FOUND TO LEAK COOLANT AND/OR OIL FROM THE CYLINDER HEAD GASKET AREA. *TT
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE OIL SYSTEM PRIMING PROCEDURES, SERVICE TIPS FOR REPORTS OF PREMATURE ENGINE FAILURE. *TT
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH
BRAKE SHIFT INTERLOCK.*JB
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.