Total Complaints
22 filings
MERCURY TRACER · model year
1988 MERCURY TRACER
22 NHTSA complaints, 4 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1988MERCURYTRACER carries 22 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 4 crashes, 1 fire, 1 injury, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1988 TRACER is seat belts:front:retractor with 5 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine (3) and power train:axle assembly (2). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 22 investigation files overlapping the 1988 TRACER. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
22
Complaints
4
Crashes
1
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
4 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 5 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 3 |
| POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY | 2 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 2 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING | 1 |
| WHEELS | 1 |
| SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:DISC:CALIPER | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20010419SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
BOTH FRONT SEAT BELTS' RETRACTOR MECHNISM HAVE FAILED-THEY LOCK AT LOW PULL OUT RATE. I CALLED MY LOCAL DEALER AND FORD'S CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPT (800-392-3673/DUANE). I REPEATLY MENTIONED TO THEM NHTSA'S CAMPAIGN ID NO: 89V085000 BUT BOTH FORD AND MY LOCAL DEALER'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT TOLD ME THAT MY VEHICLE IS NOT INVOLVED IN A RECALL AFTER I HAVE GIVEN THEM MY VIN NUMBER AND AFTER THEY SEARCHED THEIR DATA BASE FOR RECALLS. MY CARE WAS MAKE IN JAN, 88 WHICH FALLS INTO THE RIGHT TIME PERIOD AND I HAVE ALWAYS HAD PROBLEMS WITH MY FRONT SEAT BELTS. ONLY RECENTLY DID I SAW NHTSA'S WEB SITE AND FOUND OUT THERE WAS A RECALL THE SEAT BELTS IN MY CAR. I THINK I HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE RUN AROUND BY FORD. PLEASE CONTACT FORD FOR ME AS MY CAR IS INOPERABLE NOW WITHOUT FUNCTIONING SEAT BELTS. THANKS.*AK
20000628SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
THIS VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME EXACT PROBLEMS AS MENTIONED IN MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 5577, SEAT BELT RETRACTOR LOCKED UP AT LOW BELT PULLOUT RATES, WHICH DISCOURAGED SEAT BELT USE. DEALERSHIP HAS ADVISED CONSUMER THAT THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK
19990728SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT. *AK
19980225SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:DISC:CALIPER
BRAKE CALIPER SEALS FAILED CAUSING FLUID LOSS AND BRAKE FAILURE.
19971218ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
SUDDEN ACCELERATION CAUSED ACCIDENT.
19970114CrashSEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
VEHICLE INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEATBACK COLLAPSED. CAR WAS TOTALLED. *AK
19961212CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
WHILE BACKING UP TO LOAD PERSONS INTO VEHICLE, WITHOUT WARNING, VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND STRUCK A BUILDING, INSURANCE COMPANY TOTALED IT. *AK
19961106WHEELS
LEFT REAR WHEEL CAME OFF, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL.(OHIO STATE POLICE REPORT)
19961029ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
NOSE OF CRANK BROKE.
19961004SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING
FAILURE ON THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT BELTS, THE SHOULDER BELTS DO NOT LOCK.*AK
19960624SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT TRACTOR WOULDN'T RETRACT, PLEASE DESCRIBE . *AK
19960529VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
THE ACCELERATOR STUCK AND CAUSED CONSUMER TO RUN INTO A TREE, SHE WAS NOT INJURED. *AK
19960509ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
AN ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE IGNITION SWITCH, CAUSED SMOKE TO COME OUT OF THE STEERING COLUMN, WHILE DRIVING. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
19960425POWER TRAIN
SPEEDOMETER CABLE BROKE 2 TIMES. *SD
19951023SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
THE SEATBELT WILL NOT RETRACT AND IS STUCK IN ONE POSITION AND CANNOT BE USED. TT WHEN A PASSENGER SITS IN SEAT AND TRIES TO BUCKLE UP THEY CAN HARDLY PUT THE BELT INTO THE HOLDER SMOOTHLY IT IS A CONSTANT BATTLE, THEN WHEN IT FINALLY DOES GO INTO LOWER HALF OF BUCKLE THE PASSENGER IS NOT ALWAYS RELEASED WHEN USING THE RELEASE BUTTON IT SEEMS THAT THE BUCKLE STICKS IT IS CURRENTLY NOT USABLE AS CONSUMER'S LAST PASSENGER GOT STUCK IN THE SEAT BELT.*JB
19950901SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
THE REAR DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE WHEN LOCKED CAME LOOSE . *AK
19950828SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
FRONT BRAKE HOSES CRACKING, REPLACE ONE. OTHER ONE CRACKED. TT
19950718FireEXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
THE HALOGEN HEADLIGHT BRACKET BROKE AND IT CAUSED THE LIGHT TO FALL UNDER THE BUMPER AND IT CAUSED A FIRE. TT
19950620CrashPOWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY
CONSUMER SISTER WAS DRIVING CAR AND THE REAR AXLE BROKE AND THE LEFT REAR WHEEL CAME OFF, RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT/ROLLOVER. *AK
19950609CrashPOWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY
THE AXLE BROKE ON THE VEHICLE CAUSING THE REAR WHEEL TO DETACH FROM THE VEHICLE AND OVERTURN A NUMBER OF TIMES. TT
Compare 1988MERCURYTRACER to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1988 MERCURY TRACER have?▼
The 1988 MERCURY TRACER has 22 NHTSA complaints, 4 crashes, 1 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1988 MERCURY TRACER?▼
The most-complained component for the 1988 MERCURY TRACER is SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR with 5 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE and POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY.
Is the 1988 MERCURY TRACER safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.