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.

Counts are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. A lower count does not establish that a car is problem-free.

About this comparison →

44Owner complaints

Model-year median: 22.5

0Recall campaigns

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1Investigations

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Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗ Model-level counts do not show whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.

Inspection summary

1998 Mercury Tracer

NHTSA snapshot: September 18, 2026. 44 owner complaints · 0 recall campaigns · 1 investigations.

Counts are not failure probabilities and are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. One report may name several categories. Comparison method and limitations.

Top reported categories (up to 5)

Suspension: 11 reports
Engine And Engine Cooling: 8 reports
Electrical System: 6 reports
Air Bags: 5 reports
Power Train: 4 reports

Full reported-category list and vehicle report

Recall links

No recall campaigns in this snapshot.

Check a VIN with NHTSA. Model-level history does not establish whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.

Print the top reported categories, recall links, snapshot date and comparison limits.

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year

Compare all Tracer years →

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

What owners reported most

Suspension

11 Engine And Engine Cooling

8 Electrical System

6 Air Bags

5 Power Train

All reported categories

Steering

3 Structure

3 Service Brakes, Hydraulic

2 Unknown Or Other

2 Vehicle Speed Control

2 Visibility

2 Fuel System, Gasoline

1 Latches/locks/linkages

1 Tires

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

Tires complaints

1 reports

Clear category filter

Mileage unknown · Mar 6, 2001

Tires

TIRE SIZE P18565R14, ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT WITH 14,900 MILES. CONSUMER WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH ON SUPER HIGHWAY WITH NO SHOULDER WHEN HEARD A THUMPING NOISE, CONSUMER NOTICED LEFT REAR/OUTER, AND TOP PORTION TIRE WAS COMPLETELY SHREADED, CONSUMER WAS DRIVING ON RIM BEFORE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP.*AK U…

Read full complaint

NHTSA ODI #882214

Recall campaigns

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 ↗

Defect investigations

DP01001 · Air Bag NON-DEPLOYMENT

Opened Apr 19, 2001 · Closed Nov 1, 2001

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

No summary supplied.

An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and closure does not prove a vehicle is problem-free.