Total Complaints
15 filings
MERCURY TRACER · model year
1996 MERCURY TRACER
15 NHTSA complaints, 6 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1996MERCURYTRACER carries 15 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 6 crashes, 0 fires, 12 injuries, 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 1996 TRACER is air bags:frontal with 3 filings, followed by seats:front assembly:recliner (2) and seat belts (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 1996 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.
15
Complaints
6
Crashes
0
Fires
12
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
6 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 |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 3 |
| SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS | 2 |
| STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:PUMP | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 1 |
| STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20060221ENGINE 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 - *NM
Mileage: 60,430
20030714FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
VEHICLE HAD A FUEL LEAK WHICH WAS CAUSED BY A CRACK IN THE FUEL TANK NEAR THE EXHAUST.*AK
Mileage: 40,809
20010806CrashAIR 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.*JB
20010806CrashSEAT 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.*JB
20010806CrashSTEERING: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.*JB
20010124SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
RETRACTOR ON DRIVER'S SIDE LOCKS UP, AND WHEN DOOR IS OPENED IT SLIDES QUICKLY BACK. *AK
20001030CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL
THIS VEHICLE REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE AT 45 MPH, AND FORNTAL AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED.*AK
20000204SEAT BELTS
THE DRIVERS SIDE MOTORBELT FAILED. NLM
20000204POWER TRAIN
SPEEDOMETER DIAL ASSEMBLY FAILED. NLM
19990730SEAT BELTS
DRIVERS SIDE MOTOR BELT FAILED. NLM
19990708CrashSEATS: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. *AK
19980105STRUCTURE: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. *AK
19971211CrashSEATS: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.
19971028AIR 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. *AK
19970821STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:PUMP
POWER STEERING PUMP MAKES NOISE WHEN TURNING.
Compare 1996MERCURYTRACER to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1996 MERCURY TRACER have?▼
The 1996 MERCURY TRACER has 15 NHTSA complaints, 6 crashes, 0 fires, 12 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1996 MERCURY TRACER?▼
The most-complained component for the 1996 MERCURY TRACER is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER and SEAT BELTS.
Is the 1996 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.