IllustrationBOTH REAR SEAT BELTS ARE HANGING OUT OF THE RETRACTOR, AND WILL NOT RETRACT BACK INTO THE MECHANISM. THE SEAT BELT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE WAS REPLACED ONCE UNDER WARRANTY LESS THAN 2 YEARS AGO, WHEN THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED. MANUFACTURER STATED TO CONSUMER THAT THE SEAT BELTS COULD NOT BE REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE. *AK
1994 Mercury Tracer
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1994 Mercury Tracer do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 22.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Tracer years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 4 of 66 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Seat Belts. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
16 crash reports5 fire reports10 injury reports
What owners actually said
66 reportsDURING THE EVENING MY WIFE, SON AND MYSELF WERE APPROACHING A STOPSIGN WHEN THE TRACER STALLED FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER. UPON TRYING TO RESTART IT A FIRE ERUPTED UNDER THE HOOD EVENTUALLY TOTALLING THE CAR BEFORE THE FIRE DEPT. ARRIVED NOT HAVING ANY INSURANCE I AM STILL OBLIGATED TO PAY THE REMAINDER OF THE NOTE WHICH IS APPROX…
Read full complaint
DURING THE EVENING MY WIFE, SON AND MYSELF WERE APPROACHING A STOPSIGN WHEN THE TRACER STALLED FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER. UPON TRYING TO RESTART IT A FIRE ERUPTED UNDER THE HOOD EVENTUALLY TOTALLING THE CAR BEFORE THE FIRE DEPT. ARRIVED NOT HAVING ANY INSURANCE I AM STILL OBLIGATED TO PAY THE REMAINDER OF THE NOTE WHICH IS APPROX. 2,300 DOLLARS. HAS THIS EVER HAPPENED BEFORE AND IF SO WHY?
ENGINE STALLS DAILY ON FREEWAYS.
TRANSMISSION FAILURE, CAUSING HESITATION AND STALLING.
TRANSMISSION CONTINUOUSLY LEAKS DUE TO A DESIGN DEFECT. *AK
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO FORWARD BECAUSE OF A DAMAGED TIRE ROD. THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE IS BEING REPAIRED BY DEALERSHIP. OWNER HAS EXPERIENCED A SIMILAR INCIDENT IN APRIL OF 1996, AND THE TIE ROD WAS REPLACED. *AK
LEFT REAR CONTROL ARM MISSING DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW. *AK
THE SEAT BELT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE WILL NOT RETRACT BACK AND FORTH. ALSO, THE REAR SEAT BELTS WILL NOT RETRACT AT ALL. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. *AK
DEFOGG CIRCUIT FAILED, CAUSING FUSE TO HEAT AND MELT.
HEATER CORE FAILED, EMITTING STEAM FROM DASH WHICH FOGGED UP WINDOWS, RESULTING IN POOR VISIBILITY.
Official recalls
194V218000 · Air Bags:frontal
Nov 10, 1994
THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG MODULE CAN HAVE AN INADEQUATELY WELDED INFLATOR CANISTER.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION, THE WELD SEAM CAN SEPARATE, CAUSING THE AIR BAG TO FAIL TO DEPLOY PROPERLY AND HOT GASES TO BE EXPELLED FROM THE BACK OF THE STEERING WHEEL. THIS CAN RESULT IN AN INCREASED RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY FROM THE HOT GASES AND THE AIR BAG FAILURE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW AIR BAG MODULE.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.