1999 Mercury Tracer

These are unverified consumer reports filed with NHTSA, shown as submitted.

• 12/29/2004· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

  THE ENGINE STALLED WHEN THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO START IT .THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE SHOP FOR AN INSPECTION AND RESULTS SHOWED THAT A NEW IGNITION SWITCH WAS NEEDED. *JB

• 11/17/1999· POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEMCrash

  PARKED INTO A PARKING LOT TRYING TO PUT IN REVERSE AND WON'T GO INTO GEAR RIGHT AWAY WHEN IT DID GO IN REVERSE IT JERKED AND AS A RESULT HIT A WALL. COULN'T GET THE KEY OUT OF THE IGINITION WHEN IN PARKED.

• 10/28/1999· SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

  RIGHT REAR WHEEL LOCKED UP UNDER LIGHT BRAKING CONDITIONS. THIS HAPPENED ON THE GRAVEL DRIVEWAY AND WET PAVEMENT. *AK

• 10/05/2001· TIRES

  CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO A TIRE COMPANY, AND LEFT FRONT TIRE WAS FLAT HE PUT VEHICLE ON RACK, AND NOTICED THAT ALL FOUR TIRES WERE SEPARATING ON SIDEWALL. KELLY, SPRINGFIELD, P17565R14. *AK

• 09/04/2005· EXTERIOR LIGHTING

  HAD TO REPLACE BOTH HEADLAMP ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS, DUE TO MELTING FROM EXCESS HEAT. *JB

• 08/27/2005· VISIBILITY

  EXTREMELY POOR VISIBILITY FRONT WINDSHIELD DRIVING AT NIGHT TIME IN THE RAIN WITH ONCOMING CAR LIGHTS AND STREET LIGHTS CAUSING AN INABILITY TO DRIVE - WINDSHIELD HAS DEFECT INSIDE THE GLASS WHICH IS ONLY A PROBLEM DURING THESE DRIVING CONDITIONS - DANGEROUS TO DRIVE IN THESE WEATHER CONDITIONS. APPEARS TO BE AN INTERIOR WINDSHIELD PROBLEM (BETWEEN GLASS) AND WINDSHIELD NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. *JB

• 08/18/2005· SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

  WE ARE THE ONLY OWNERS OF OUR 1999 MERCURY SABLE; IT IS VERY WELL MAINTAINED AND HAS LOW MILEAGE OF APPROXIMATELY 59,000. FROM JULY 20TH, 2004 TO JULY 20TH, 2005, WE HAVE HAD OUR SABLE IN FOUR TIMES TO THE C&C FORD DEALERSHIP FOR THE SAME BRAKE PROBLEM. SINCE, OUR SABLE WAS NEVER DIAGNOSED PROPERLY, IT LED TO A COSTLY BRAKE REPAIR. THE ABS MODULE. SEE ATTACHED FOR ALL THE DETAILS AND THE RESEARCH. *NM

• 08/03/1999· SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

  BRAKES FAILED RESULTING IN REAR END COLLISION. MJS

• 07/27/1999· VISIBILITY

  DRIVER'S SIDE MIRROR VIBRATES CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY. *YC

• 07/23/2003· PARKING BRAKE,POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,EQUIPMENT

  WE BOUGHT A 1999 MERCURY TRACER USED CAR ON 04/2000, LATER THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED VIBRATING BADLY, THIS VIBRATION CAN BE FELT THRU OUT THE CAR. THE CAR HAS BEEN IN FOR REPAIR 8 TIMES. THE SERVICE MANAGER NOW SAYS THAT THIS VIBRATION IS NORMAL. WHEN WE TOOK IT BACK SAT IN THE CAR AND SAID THAT HE WOULD NOT DRIVE THAT CAR VIBRATING LIKE THAT AND HE WOULD NOT EXPECT US TO. . I ASKED IF IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE, HE SAID HE COULD NOT ANSWER THAT. MY CONCERN IS, WITH THIS SEVERE VIBRATION IS THE STEERING COLUMN GOING TO DISCONNECT OR LOCKUP AND CAUSE SEVERE BODILY HARM. IF THIS PROBLEM IS "NORMAL" THEN WHY ISN'T THE CONSUMER WARNED ABOUT THIS IN THEIR ADVERTISEMENTS.FROM READING OTHER NHTSA REPORTS I SEE THAT OTHER INDIVIDUALS HAVE HAD STEERING PROBLEMS DUE TO LOCKUP AND BREAKAGE AFTER REPORTING UNUSUAL VIBRATIONS IN THE STEERING COLUMN AND ENGINE. THA LAST MONTH MY CAR BROKE DOWN COMPLETED. I TOOK TO THE MIDAS AND THE MANAGER SAID ME THE WAS ALL MOTOR MOUNTS AND TWO FRONT AXXELS, THEN I FIXED DID HE TOLD ME IT WAS EVERITHING. AND THEN I TOOKED BECAUSE I'M STILL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM THEN I TOOKED BACK TO MIDAS THEY CHECKED FOR THE FOUR TIME THEN HE TOLD ME THE WAS THE TRASMISSION PROBLEM. I'M STIIL HAVE A PROBLEM. *AK

• 07/07/1999· STEERINGCrash

  WHILE DRIVING AT 65MPH STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP, RESULTING IN A COLLISION. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

• 06/25/2007· AIR BAGSCrash

  A MINI VAN BROADSIDED A 4 DOOR SEDAN AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY UNTILL AFTER THE VAN CAME TO A STOP, AND THE DRIVER TRIED TO OPEN DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR TO GET OUT. *AK

• 06/14/2005· VISIBILITY

  THE DASH ON MY 1999 MERCURY MYSTIQUE HAS COME UNGLUED AND CURLED UP. IT STARTED WITH THE PLASTIC VENT POPPING UP IN THE CORNERS, THEN AFTER A WARM DAY THE VENT WOULDN'T POP BACK IN AND THE FRONT PART OF THE DASH CURLED UP. NOW IT TAKES A LONG TIME TO DEFROST MY FRONT WINDSHIELD AND IT IS VERY UNSIGHTLY. I HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING TO FIX IT YET, BUT BECAUSE IT CAUSES AN INCONVENIENCE WITH DEFROSTING I NEED TO FIX IT. MY FRIEND HAS A 1999 FORD CONTOUR AND THE INTERIOR IS EXACTLY THE SAME. HIS DASH HAS BEGUN TO CURL UP ALSO.

• 06/11/2002· SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

  WHEN SLOWING DOWN AND COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP WITH A BUMP IN THE ROAD, THE VEHICLE WOULD ACCELERATE. (THE CONSUMER'S FOOT WOULD BE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL) THE DEALER COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT SHE HAS ALMOST HAD ACCIDENTS BECAUSE OF THIS. *SLC *SCC

• 06/10/2000· UNKNOWN OR OTHERCrash

  NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

• 05/31/2002· AIR BAGSCrash

  WHILE TRAVELING 40-45 MPH AND AS A RESULT OF A REAR END COLLISION, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AT ANY TIME. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

• 05/28/2002· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

  CONSUMER STATED THE ELECTRICAL HEADLAMP ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR WAS REPLACED, DUE TO EXCESS HEAT.*JB

• 05/10/2006· SUSPENSION

  BROKEN REAR SPRINGS. *NM

• 04/06/2007· AIR BAGSCrash

  I WAS HIT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE BETWEEN THE DOOR AND THE FRONT OF THE CAR. THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THE DOCTOR, POLICE OFFICER, AND BODY SHOP SAID IT SHOULD HAVE. I SUFFERED HEAD , BACK AND NECK INJURIES. THE CAR WAS TOTALED. *AK

• 03/29/2005· STRUCTURE

  MY INSTUMENT PANEL BEGAN WRAPPING ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO AFTER THE CUSTOMER STATISFACTION HAD EXPIRED WHY SHOULD I HAVE TO PAY FOR A DEFECT IN MY CAR THAT FORD OR MERCURY MADE I PLAN ON FILING A CLASS ACTION SUIT AGAINST THIS COMPANY IF NOT RESOLVED BECAUSE THEY WERE PAID FOR THIS CAR AND IT IS DEFECTIVE

• 03/26/2004· ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

  VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHO DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE FAILED DUE TO A MECHANICAL FAILURE, AND ENGINE MUST BE REPLACED. *AK

• 03/20/2013· STRUCTURE

  THE TRUNK REFLECTOR PLASTIC PEGS BROKE AND I'VE SEEN THIS ON OTHER TRACERS AS WELL. WE ARE UNABLE TO FIND ANOTHER. IF WE WERE TO GO TO A USED CAR PARTS LOT, MOST LIKELY, THEY WOULD BREAK BEFORE WE COULD POP ONE OFF. WE ARE FORCED TO USE TAPE TO HOLD IT IN PLACE. THE AUTO REPAIR SHOP SAID THAT PART COULDN'T BE ORDERED ANYMORE. YES, THIS IS AN OLD CAR, BUT STILL, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO DRIVE ON THE FREEWAY WITHOUT OUR TRUNK REFLECTOR BLOWING OFF AND CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. THE DRIVER REAR TAIL LIGHT IS DOING THE SAME THING TOO. THE LIGHT WORKS, BUT THE PLASTIC FITTINGS BREAK AND THE LIGHT COULD BLOW OFF AS WELL--BUT IT IS MOSTLY INTACT AT THIS TIME AND I'M PRETTY SURE I CAN BUY ANOTHER, HOWEVER, AT THIS TIME OUR TAPE DOES RUN FROM MOST OF THE REFLECTOR TO THE LIGHT AS WELL. I JUST THINK THEY SHOULD MAKE A TRUNK REFLECTOR THAT DOESN'T BLOW OFF. I DON'T CARE HOW OLD THE CAR IS. *TR

• 03/16/2000· FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER

  GAS GAUGE PERFORMS ERRATICALLY/NEVER HOLDS A STEADY READING. NLM

• 03/12/2007· SEAT BELTS,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROLCrash

  TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING THE 1999 MERCURY COUGAR WITH 44000 FAILURE MILEAGE AT 40 MPH AND ENTERING THE HIGHWAY WITH THE FOOT ON THE GAS PEDAL THE CONTACT LIFTED THE FOOT OFF THE GAS PEDAL TO MANEUVER AROUND A VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN, IT KEPT ACCELERATING. THE CONTACT PRESSED ON THE GAS PEDAL TO TRY TO GET THE PEDAL UNSTUCK, BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. THE VEHICLE REACHED A SPEED OF 120 MPH. THE CONTACT TOOK THE NEAREST EXIT RAMP AND PRESSED ON THE FOOT BRAKE, BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. THE CONTACT PRESSED ON THE FOOT BRAKE A SECOND TIME, THEN ONLY ONE FRONT BRAKE GRABBED AND THE VEHICLE FLIPPED SEVERAL TIMES. THE PASSENGER FRONT SEAT BELT UNLATCHED FROM THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLE. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. BOTH THE PASSENGER AND THE DRIVER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE VEHICLE HAD THREE MERCURY RECALLS 00S03, 01S03, 01S02. THE CONTACT TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND TOOK THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION BUT, THE ENGINE WAS STILL RACING, THE ENGINE DID NOT SHUT DOWN. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED MAJOR DAMAGE AND WAS NOT DRIVABLE. *AK

• 02/05/2000· SUSPENSIONCrashFire

  WE BOUGHT A 1999 MERCURY TRACER BRAND NEW ON 03-09-99, 6 MONTHS LATER THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED VIBRATING BADLY, THIS VIBRATION CAN BE FELT THRU OUT THE CAR. THE CAR HAS BEEN IN FOR REPAIR 4 TIMES. THE SERVICE MANAGER PETE SOLIC NOW SAYS THAT THIS VIBRATION IS NORMAL. WHEN WE TOOK IT BACK THE 3RD TIME PETE SAT IN THE CAR AND SAID THAT HE WOULD NOT DRIVE THAT CAR VIBRATING LIKE THAT AND HE WOULD NOT EXPECT US TO. WELL 4 REPAIR ATTEMPTS AND 5 MONTHS LATER HE STILL EXPECTS US TO DRIVE IT BECAUSE HE NOW SAYS IT IS NORMAL. I ASKED IF IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE, HE SAID HE COULD NOT ANSWER THAT. MY CONCERN IS, WITH THIS SEVERE VIBRATION IS THE STEERING COLUMN GOING TO DISCONNECT OR LOCKUP AND CAUSE SEVERE BODILY HARM. IF THIS PROBLEM IS "NORMAL" THEN WHY ISN'T THE CONSUMER WARNED ABOUT THIS IN THEIR ADVERTISEMENTS.FROM READING OTHER NHTSA REPORTS I SEE THAT OTHER INDIVIDUALS HAVE HAD STEERING PROBLEMS DUE TO LOCKUP AND BREAKAGE AFTER REPORTING UNUSUAL VIBRATIONS IN THE STEERING COLUMN AND ENGINE. *AK

• 02/04/2008· ELECTRICAL SYSTEMFire

  TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MERCURY TRACER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HORN CONTINUES TO FAIL. THE HORN HAS BEEN REPLACED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. FOR THE MOST RECENT REPLACEMENT, THE WIRING CONNECTED TO THE AIR BAG BURNED. THE DEALER WIRED A SEPARATE BUTTON FOR THE CONTACT TO PUSH IN ORDER TO ACTIVATE THE HORN. THIS REMEDY DID NOT WORK PROPERLY AND ENABLED THE VEHICLE'S ALARM SYSTEM. THE CONTACT DOES NOT KNOW IF THE AIR BAGS ARE FULLY OPERABLE. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT RESPONDED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 100,605 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

• 01/21/2005· EXTERIOR LIGHTING

  THE FRONT PLASTIC HEADLIGHT LENS ARE DETERIORATING, CONDITIONS ARE CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. BOTH LENS WAS REPLACED AND REPAIRED BY A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. THE DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. *NM...THE TWO HEADLIGHT LENS BECAME YELLOW AND DISCOLORED. THEY DID NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE VISIBILITY AT NIGHT. REPLACED HEADLIGHTS AT COST OF $317.OO, INCLUDING PENNSYLVANIA STATE TAX. *AK

• 01/14/2008· SEAT BELTS

  THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BELT WILL NOT EXTRACT FROM THE RETRACTOR MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO BE WORN BY ANYONE SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE ON MY MODEL YEAR BUT FORD MOTOR CLAIMS THAT MY VEHICLE IS NOT AFFECTED AND IS UNWILLING TO DO ANYTHING AT THIS TIME. *TR

• 01/07/2000· AIR BAGS

  VEHICLE WAS SOLD NEW, HOWEVER WAS PREVIOUSLY OWNED AND WRECKED, THE AIR BAG SENSORS WERE MISSING FROM PREVIOUS ACCIDENT (SOLD FRAUDULENTLY). *MJS