1997 Mercury Tracer

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 *BF UPDATED 04/16/08 *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 MERCURY TRACER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, SHE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND DROVE INTO THE MEDIAN TO AVOID ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THE ENGINE SHUT OFF AND THE CYLINDER HEAD WAS BLOWN. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE; HOWEVER, THEY STATED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REBUILT. . THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CYLINDER HEAD IN THE ENGINE FAILED AND CAUSED HER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE DEALER AND THE WARRANTY COMPANY STATED THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO HONOR THE WARRANTY TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE WARRANTY INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE IF NEEDED. THE FAILURE ALSO CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE TIRES. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. ON OCTOBER 8, 2007, THE CONTACT DROVE TO THE DEALER BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING COOLANT. AFTER THREE HOURS OF INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS STILL UNDETERMINED. THE DEALER ADVISED HER TO BRING THE VEHICLE BACK IN A FEW DAYS. A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER, WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN LOSING SPEED AND THE ENGINE FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE ENGINE FAILED. THE VEHICLE HAS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY THROUGH ANOTHER COMPANY. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY THE WARRANTY COMPANY, BUT THEY REFUSED TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR WORK. THE DEALER REFUSED TO PERFORM THE REPAIR. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THAT THIS WAS BECAUSE SHE REPORTED THE DEALER TO THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 91,698. THE FUEL GAUGE WAS INOPERATIVE. THE AC DID NOT BLOW OUT COLD AIR, THE FRONT BRAKES WERE REPLACED. UPDATED 12/12/07

RPM'S LOWER AND STALL CAR-TOOK TO SHOP IN 2004 TOLD PLUG/WIRE MISFIRE AND VACUUM LEAK. PAID ALMOST $200. ONE WEEK LATER STARTED AGAIN. CAR VIBRATES BADLY WHEN BRAKE APPLIED, BOTH BACK SPRINGS HAVE GIVEN OUT, CRANKSHAFT/PULLEY WOBBLES BADLY, HAS SNAPPED SERPENTINE BELT, REPLACED BELT TENSIONER AND BELT, SNAPPED AGAIN ONE MONTH LATER, REPLACED BELT AGAIN, BUT HAS ONLY BEEN TWO MONTHS. CAR SWAYS IN LANE DUE TO BAD BACK SPRINGS. CAR MAKES VIBRATING NOISE UNDER HOOD WHEN PARKED AT AN IDLE. TIE ROD REPLACED TWO TIMES. THIS CAR HAS LESS THAN 70,000 MILES ON IT AND ALL PROBLEMS, INCLUDING A BLOWN RADIATOR, AND UNEXPLAINED WEAR ON BRAKES ALL STARTED AT ABOUT 40,000 MILES. THIS CAR HAS BEEN ONE PROBLEM AFTER ANOTHER. I ALSO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE SEATBELTS LOCKING TOO TIGHTLY FOR NO REASON. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ADD THAT I AM THE 2ND OWNER OF THIS CAR; HOWEVER, THE 1ST OWNER WAS AN OLDER FAMILY MEMBER THAT DROVE TO AND FROM WORK.*AK

MY GIRLFRIEND OWNS A 1997 MERCURY TRACER. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT THE CAR HAD BEEN DRIVEN FOR APPROXIMATELY 110,000 MILES. HERE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND WE HAD A DIAGNOSTIC ANALYSIS CONDUCTED ON THE CAR. THE ANALYSIS SAID THERE WAS A MISFIRE IN THE 4TH CYLINDER AND BEFORE WE COULD CHANGE THE SPARK PLUGS THE CAR WAS NO LONGER DRIVEABLE. IT TURNS OUT THAT MERCURY MAKES A PIECE OF JUNK CAR AND THAT THE VALVE SEATS WERE MANUFACTURED WITH A POWDERED METAL. IT APPEARS THAT THE VALVE SEAT CRACKED AND DROPPED INTO THE CYLINDER RESULTING IN THE PISTON HAMMERING DOWN INTO THAT CYLINDER AND DESTROYING THE ENGINE. THIS CAR WAS ONLY SIX YEARS OLD AND WAS KEPT IN EXCELLENT CONDITION BUT THANKS TO THE INCOMPETENT CRAFTMANSHIP OF THE PEOPLE AT MERCURY MY GIRLFRIEND WAS EXTREMELY INCONVENIENCED (TEMPORALLY AND MOST OF ALL FINANCIALLY) DUE TO THE CHEAPNESS OF THE ENGINE. IT IS SAFE TO SAY THAT WE WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER CAR MANUFACTURED BY THE FORD COMPANY. FOREIGN ALL THE WAY. THANK YOU. SALMAAN TOOR

I BEGAN HAVING ENGINE TROUBLE LAST JULY. WHJEN I TURNED THE INGNITION THE ENGINE BEGAN TO BUCKLE AND MAKE A LOUD NOISE. I WOULD HAVE TO ATTEMPT STARTING IT A FEW TIMES TO GET A CLEAN START. THEN THE ENGINE WOULD MAKE A TAPPING NOISE AND THE ENGINE LIGHT WOULD COME ON. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER - THEY SAID IT WAS A DIRTY CYLINDER AND THAT IT NEEDED TO BE CLEANED. THEY CLEANED IT BUT A FEW MONTHS LATER THE SAME STRING OF EVENTS OCCURRED -- BUT THE ENGINE LIGHT WENT OFF BEFORE I COULD GET IT TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER TOOK THE CAR ANYWAY -- THEY KEPT IT FOR ALMOST 3 WEEKS AND THE CAR WOULD NOT "ACT UP" FOR THEM. THEY RE-SEALED SOME WIRES AND GAVE IT BACK TO ME BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE ENGINE. WELL, NEEDLESS TO SAY THE CAR KEPT HAVING TROUBLE STARTING AND THE ENGINE LIGHT KEPT COMING ON AND AND GOING OFF BY ITSELF. I BECAME FED UP -- SO I TOOK IT TO PRECISION TUNE INSTEAD OF THE DEALER. THEY TOLD ME THE WIRES THAT WERE SEALED ACTUALLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THAT'S WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. I PAID THEM $318 TO DO IT. I PICKED UP MY CAR -- AND DROVE TO WORK -- AND WHAT DO YOU KNOW -- THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON AGAIN AND I HAD TROUBLE STARTING IT. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE SHOP -- I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND TURNED IT BACK ON FOR THE MECHANIC AND THE CAR MADE A HIDIOUS SOUND AND DIED RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF US. APPARENTLY ONE OF THE CYLINDERS STOPPED WORKING AND SOMETHING WAS LOOSE IN THE ENGINE IS WHAT I WAS TOLD. NOW I HAVE ANOTHER CAR -- IT WASN'T WORTH FIXING. I ALSO HAD A COOLANT ISSUE WITH THE CAR -- I HAD TO REPLACE THE RADIATOR. THAT WASN'T FUN EITHER.

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE FREEWAY, THE CAR ENGINE BLEW UP (AT MAXIMUM FREEWAY SPEED) AND AFTER MAKING IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, DISCOVERED THAT THE ENGINE WAS COMPLETELY BLOWN. THERE WAS NO WARNING, NO LIGHT, NO NOTHING- STRANDED THE FAMILY IN MID TRAFFIC DURING RUSH HOUR AT AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SECTION OF FREEWAY- CAR IS 3 YEARS OLD AND SHOULD HAVE WARNED US WITH LIGHTS OR SOMETHING- WE NEED IT REPAIRED. VERY POTENTIAL DANGEROUS SITUATION, HOPEFULLY IT WON'T HAPPEN TO ANYONE ELSE. FORD NEEDS TO LOOK INTO THIS PRONTO. OUR WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED BUT THIS SHOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF AS A SAFETY ISSUE.*AK