1998 Mercury Tracer Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Tracer years
- Far more complaints than other years 3rd of 6 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- None on file
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 44 complaints with NHTSA about the 1998 Mercury Tracer. That ranks 3rd out of 6 Tracer model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is suspension (11 complaints, 25%), typically at around 83,000 miles. Complaints mention 3 crashes, 1 fire, 3 injuries. There are no safety recalls on file for this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 44owner complaints
- 0safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 3complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1998 Mercury Tracer problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 11 | 25% | 83,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 8 | 18% | — | — | — |
| Electrical System | 6 | 14% | 150,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 5 | 11% | — | — | — |
| Power Train | 4 | 9% | 132,482 | — | — |
| Steering | 3 | 7% | — | — | — |
| Structure | 3 | 7% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 5% | 78,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 5% | 82,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 2 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 2% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1998 Mercury Tracer recalls (0)
No safety recalls are on file for the 1998 Mercury Tracer.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Air bag non-deployment (DP01001) — opened Apr 19, 2001, closed Nov 1, 2001.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Speeds up on its own when driving and when stopped at lights. Occurs every time i drive it. Most of all in the winter time. Tried to repaired it at station but was unable to do so. *tr
While i am on the foot brake slowing down, car suddenly revs, shifts into gear and accelerates. I am unable to hold back the vehicle even when pushing as hard as i can on the brake pedal. I have to knock the shift lever into neutral to stop.*ak
Dt: the contact took vehicle to dealer for regular maintenance, and the dealer discovered the rear passenger strut broke. Inside the strut was a piece of rubber. No repairs have been made. *ak
Dt : trunk latch was faulty. Truck latch had a sensor in it that will cause the vehicle not to run. The part they replaced was called a trunk latch. It will cause the engine to decelerate while driving down the highway. The trunk lid was closed but the sensor inside of it was faulty because it…
Rear coil spring fractured, without provocation, in my 1998 mercury tracer sedan. After speaking to 3 different independent shops and 2 different ford service departments, it was absolutely clear that ford/mercury has a known material defect that they have chosen to ignore. Everyone concedes that…
Other Mercury Tracer years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 Tracer | 2 | 0 |
| 1999 Tracer | 20 | 0 |
| 1998 | 44 | 0 |
| 1997 Tracer | 142 | 1 |
| 1996 Tracer | 12 | 0 |
| 1995 Tracer | 96 | 3 |
See all Mercury Tracer problems by year, every Mercury model, or the VIN decoder.
Similar Mercury models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Mercury Tracer?
Owners most often report suspension, engine and engine cooling, electrical system problems. The top one, suspension, accounts for 11 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1998 Mercury Tracer?
No safety recalls are on file for this model year.
Was the 1998 Mercury Tracer a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Tracer model years, the 1998 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.