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1998 Mercury Tracer

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 1998 Mercury Tracer do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 22.5.

About this comparison →
44Owner complaints

Model-year median: 22.5

0Recall campaigns

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1Investigations

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
96
199512
1996142
199744
199820
19992
2000
Compare all Tracer years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Suspension
11Engine And Engine Cooling
8Electrical System
6Air Bags
5Power Train
4
All reported categories
Steering
3Structure
3Service Brakes, Hydraulic
2Unknown Or Other
2Vehicle Speed Control
2Visibility
2Fuel System, Gasoline
1Latches/locks/linkages
1Tires
1

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: 7 of 44 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.

  • Suspension. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

3 crash reports1 fire reports3 injury reports

Air Bags complaints

5 reports
Clear category filter
Mileage unknown · Mar 2, 2005
Air BagsCrashInjury

WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH THE CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF HER 1998 MERCURY TRACER AND COLLIDED HEAD ON INTO A GUARDRAIL. NEITHER OF THE FRONTAL AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. *NM THE ENTIRE FRONT END WAS SMASHED INTO THE ENGINE. *SC *JB

NHTSA ODI #10113740

Mileage unknown · Jan 28, 2002
Air BagsCrashInjury

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A 20-25 MPH FRONTAL COLLISION IN WHICH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, CAUSE UNKNOWN.*AK *SLC

NHTSA ODI #8002944

Mileage unknown · Jun 20, 2000
Air BagsCrashInjury

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION. UPON IMPACT, AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, RESULTING IN MINOR INJURIES. *AK *ML

NHTSA ODI #863855

Mileage unknown · Oct 21, 1999
Air Bags

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING 55MPH AND HIT A TREE, AND THE AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY AT ALL. *AK

NHTSA ODI #851463

Mileage unknown · Sep 3, 1999
Air Bags

DRIVER'S AIRBAG DIDN'T DEPLOY AT ALL WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH. *AK

NHTSA ODI #846831

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

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

1

DP01001 · Air Bag NON-DEPLOYMENT

Opened Apr 19, 2001 · Closed Nov 1, 2001

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags

No summary supplied.