1997 MERCURY TRACER

181 complaints filed with NHTSA.

181
Complaints
19
Crashes
26
Fires
21
Injuries
1
Deaths

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
AIR BAGS21
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL14
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE10
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE10
UNKNOWN OR OTHER9
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE9
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM8
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN7
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH6
SUSPENSION:REAR:SPRINGS5
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD4
TIRES4
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW4
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP3
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL3

Recent Complaints

20080318FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 MERCURY TRACER. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND THE CONTACT PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. HE LIFTED THE HOOD AND NOTICED FLAMES COMING FROM THE ENGINE. HE EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A JUNKYARD. THE CONTACT LATER SOLD THE VEHICLE TO THE JUNKYARD FOR $100. THE DEALER STATED THAT BECAUSE HE NO LONGER OWNED THE VEHICLE, THEY COULD NOT INVESTIGATE THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 78,000. UPDATED 04/16/08

Mileage: 78,000

20070831AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 MERCURY TRACER. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INVOLVED IN A CRASH. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 02V323000 (AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE). THE DRIVER SUSTAINED BRUISES TO HER HANDS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TOWED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 171,437. UPDATED 01-15-08. *KB UPDATED *JB

Mileage: 171,437

20060510FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH

THIS CAR IS A FORD MERCURY TRACER, 1997, VIN #1MELM10P2VW6246 THERE WAS A SMELL OF BURNING ACID AND A SMALL AMOUNT OF SMOKE. ABOUT TWO HOURS LATER THE CAR BURST IN FLAMES WE LOST THE ENTIRE INTERIOR. *JB

Mileage: 19,000

20041026CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL

THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE'S BUMPER AT AN IMPACT OF 35 MPH, AND NEITHER FRONTAL AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN WRECKED BEFORE. *SC

Mileage: 20,000

20040907FireAIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE

02V323000/INTEGRATED AIR BAG MONITOR CONTAMINATION. THIS VEHICLE HAD BEEN RECALLED FOR THIS DEFECT. THE WORK WAS DONE IN 2003. NOW THE PROBLEM HAS RESURFACED AND THE DEALER WANTS THE OWNER TO PAY 4000.00 TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN CORRECTED WHEN THE RECALL WAS ORIGINALLY ISSUED. PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *JB

Mileage: 130,000

20040422FireAIR BAGS

WHILE DRIVING DOWN AT SPEED OF 65-70 MPH, THE CAR CEASED TO ACCELORATE. I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, ONCE THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY STOPPED IT WOULD NO LONGER CRANK. TODAY WHEN I WENT TO CLEAN IT OUT (HAPPENED AT NIGHT)I SAW THAT A HOLE WAS BURNED THROUGH THE BOTTOM OF THE PASSENGER SIDE DASH BOARD. ALSO I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS SMOKE/FIRE RESIDUE ON THE WINDSHIELD COMING FROM THE DEFROST VENTS. BEFORE ANY OF THIS HAPPENED THE AIRBAG LIGTS WERE COMING ON AND THERE WAS A BURNT PLASTIC

Mileage: 102,000

20040422FireEQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL

WHILE DRIVING DOWN AT SPEED OF 65-70 MPH, THE CAR CEASED TO ACCELORATE. I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, ONCE THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY STOPPED IT WOULD NO LONGER CRANK. TODAY WHEN I WENT TO CLEAN IT OUT (HAPPENED AT NIGHT)I SAW THAT A HOLE WAS BURNED THROUGH THE BOTTOM OF THE PASSENGER SIDE DASH BOARD. ALSO I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS SMOKE/FIRE RESIDUE ON THE WINDSHIELD COMING FROM THE DEFROST VENTS. BEFORE ANY OF THIS HAPPENED THE AIRBAG LIGTS WERE COMING ON AND THERE WAS A BURNT PLASTIC

Mileage: 102,000

20040122FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH

WHILE DRIVING AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND VEHICLE STALLED. DRIVER GOT THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDER THE DASHBOARD. *AK *NM

Mileage: 60,000

20040122FireAIR BAGS

WHILE DRIVING AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND VEHICLE STALLED. DRIVER GOT THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDER THE DASHBOARD. *AK *NM

Mileage: 60,000

20031118FireAIR BAGS

TWO WEEKS AGO MY CAR (A 1997 MERCURY TRACER) WAS INVOLVED IN AN CAR ACCIDENT IN KINGMAN, (4 HOURS NORTH WEST OF PHOENIX). THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT WAS THE FAULT OF THE AIR BAGS SUDDENLY DEPLOYING WITHOUT CAUSE, CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO MY CAR. I THEN NOTIFIED MY INSURANCE COMPANY AND IT WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP HERE IN KINGMAN. LATER THE NEXT DAY WHILE THE REPAIR SHOP WAS DOING THEIR INVESTIGATION INTO THE CAUSE, THE CAR BURST INTO FLAMES FROM THE AIR BAG COMPARTMENT. A COUPLE DAYS LATER

Mileage: 119,800

20030923FireAIR BAGS:FRONTAL

DRIVING ON I-20 EASTBOUND. SMELLED AMMONIA, THEN SMELLED BURNT PLASTIC, AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, INTERIOR LIGHT FLICKERED OFF AND ON, CAR BEGAN TO DECREASE SPEED DESPITE PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDAL. WAS ABLE TO GET CAR INTO THE EMERGENCY LANE BEFORE IT COMPLETELY STOPPED MOVING. HOLE BURNT INTO PASSENGER AREA FROM UNDERNEATH DASH AREA. DEFROST AREA WARPED AND BURNT, BOTTOM OF WINDSHIELD (GLASS PART) BURNT.

Mileage: 102,000

20030624FireAIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE

WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 5 MPH INSIDE OF A PARKING LOT AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING THE VEHICLE SHUTDOWN. THE CONSUMER HAD SEEN SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE VENTS, THEN THE VEHICLE HAD CAUGHT ON FIRE. *AK THE INSPECTOR STATED THE FIRE STEMMED FROM A SHORT. *SCC THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL REGARDING THE AIR BAG MODULE/SENSOR. *JB

20030404CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL

THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION, AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONSUMER WAS INJURED. *JB FOUR DAYS AFTER THE ACCIDENT THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER. RECALL# 02V323000 SCC

Mileage: 82,000

20030315CrashFireAIR BAGS

HORN BLOWS CONTINUOUSLY. PULLED FUSE TO STOP. TOLD BY DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT NEED TO REPLACE ENTIRE AIRBAG ASSEMBLY TO RECTIFY. *NLM

Mileage: 54,541

20030306AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, THE FRONT AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, CONSUMER WAS INJURED. *JB

20020730FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD

WHILE DRIVING, A WIRE HARNESS FIRE OCCURRED IN THE VEHICLE. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, AND A MECHANIC SERVICED THE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, THE CONSUMER HAS EXPERIENCED A SHORTAGE IN WIRE HARNESS AGAIN WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. CONSUMER REMOVED THE CONNECTION TO BATTERY TO PREVENT A DRAINAGE OF THE POWER.*AK *SCC

20020514FireAIR BAGS

THE AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED, AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN SMOKING AND THEN CAUGHT ON FIRE.*JB(CLAIM#18-0629-945)

20020514FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM

THE AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED, AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN SMOKING AND THEN CAUGHT ON FIRE.*JB(CLAIM#18-0629-945)

20020514FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM

AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED, VEHICLE STARTED SMOKING AND CAUGHT ON FIRE, CLAIM 18-0629-945. *SLC

20020514FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH

THE INSURED STATED THERE WAS A SMELL OF SMOKE, THE DASH LIGHTS WENT OUT, AND THEN ALL OF THE LIGHTS WENT OUT, THE WIRES UNDER THE DASH MELTED, IT APPEARED THAT THE FIRE STARTED UNDER THE DASH.*JB(CLAIM#25-5518-577)