1995 Mercury Tracer

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 MERCURY TRACER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY HESITATED AND LOST ENGINE POWER WITHOUT WARNING. THE DRIVER PULLED OVER AT A SERVICE STATION AND INSPECTED UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. HE DETECTED THAT THE TIMING BELT FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND THEY REPLACED THE WATER PUMP AND SERPENTINE BELT. IN ADDITION, THE NUMBER FOUR PISTON EXPLODED WITHIN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY INOPERABLE AND HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 61,607 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 135,722.

THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 1.9L ENGINE. THE #4 INTAKE VALVE SEAT DROPS, RESULTING IN THE NEED TO COMPLETELY REPLACE THE CYLINDER HEAD AND ALL ASSOCIATED PARTS. IE... VALVE SEATS, PISTON, PISTON RINGS, ROD BEARINGS AS WELL AS HAVING TO CONDUCT PRESSURE TESTS, HONE THE CYLINDERS & A VARIETY OF OTHER TIME & MONEY CONSUMING ITEMS. *AK

POTENTIAL FOR FATALIES WAS GREAT AS CAR JUST QUIT AT 65 MPH WITH NO WARNING IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF A 3 LANE INTERSTATE. THIS HAPPENED TWICE. BOTH TIMES HEAD JUST BLEW APPARENTLY ALLOWING WATER TO BE SUCKED OUT BOTTOM OF CAR CIRCUMVENTING SENSORS. RADIATOR STILL HAD WATER IN IT.. NO STEAM OR INDICATION CAR WAS HOT. TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS READING NORMAL BOTH TIMES. I HAD MULITPLE MECHANICS REVIEW CAR AND NO ONE CAN FIND PROBLEM. HOWEVER BOTH TIMES WATER SEAPED INTO PASSENGER SIDE FLOOR BOARD. AFTER REBUILDING ENGINE AND THEN REPLACING ENGINE WHEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN AT 91,000 MILES NO ONE COULD EXPLAIN WHY IT HAPPENED OR FIND A PROBLEM WITH COOLING SYSTEM OR ANY OTHER COMPONENT..I FEAR TO DRIVE THIS CAR AGAIN NOT KNOWING WHAT IS CAUSING IT OR WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. *AK

WHEN I BOUGHT THE MERCURY TRACER BACK IN 1996, I WAS VERY EXCITED, BUT AFTER THE FIRST YEAR OF OWNING THE VEHICLE THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE GAS TANKS, AT WHICH TIME I TOOK THE CAR IN TO BE CHECKED. SOON AFTER THAT I BEGAN TO HAVE MANY PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILED AT WHICH TIME IT WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, THE KEY SWITHCH STOP WORKING MEANING THE SWITCH WOULD NOT TURN TO OFF POSITION, THE DOOR LOCKS WOULD NOT LOCK, THE ELECTRIC SEATBELT STOP WORKING A FEW MONTHS AFTER HOLIDAY FORD SAID THEY FIXED IT. EVERY YEAR FOR THE PAST 3 YEARS I HAVE HAD TO HAVE THE BRAKED FIXED(ROTERS). THE JUST LAST YEAR THE HEATING SYSTEM WENT OUT, THE RADIATOR HAD A SMALL LEAK AND IT . I DON'T GO ON MAJOR TRIPS, I HAVE KEPT THE CAR UP WITH REGULAR MAINTENANCE FOR HAVING THIS CAR FOR SIX YEARS I HAVE HAD ALL THESE PROBLEMS AND MABY A FEW MORE, I WILL SIT DOWN AND WRITE LIST. THEN HERE IT IS 2001 AND THE MORTOR JUST DIED WITHOUT WARNING, I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET GETTING READY TO TURN THE CORNER AND THE MOTOR JUST STARTED SHAKING AND THE BRAKES PARTIALLY FAILED, IT WAS WEIRD BECAUSE ONE MINUET IT WAS WORKING FINE AND THE NEXT THING I KNOW IT JUST BEGAN TO SHAKE. I WAS TOLD BY A MACHANIC THAT THE CAR WILL NEED A NEW MOTOR. I HAVE FRIENDS WHO HAVE HAD THEIR CAR FOR 15-20 YEARS AND THE MOTOR IS STILL WORKING, SO WHY DID MY MOTOR JUST DIE OUT. THE CAR HAD OIL AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT IS SUPPOSE TO KEEP IT IN SHAPE, I TRULY BELIEVE THIS CAR WAS A LEMON TO BEGIN WITH, PLEASE HELP. *AK