no report yet
Front: buckle assembly
Risk. THE SAFETY BELTS WOULD NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE PROTECTION TO AN OCCUPANT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
1988 Mercury TracerProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 21 owner complaints about the 1988 Mercury Tracer, most often about the seat belts. It is covered by 3 safety recalls.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through April 5, 2001. Updated daily.
Complaints by system
Where the 1988 Mercury Tracer has problems
21 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
7Seat belts
3Power train2 crash/fire/injury
3Engine and engine cooling
2Vehicle speed control1 crash/fire/injury
1Service brakes, hydraulic
1Electrical system
1Wheels
1Exterior lighting
1Seats
11 other systems
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Seat belts | 7 | 0 |
| Power train | 3 | 2 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 3 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 1 |
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 |
| Wheels | 1 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 1 |
| Seats | 1 | 1 |
| 1 other systems | 1 | 0 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
3 recalls
1988 Mercury Tracer recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
no report yet
Front: retractor
Risk. RETRACTORS MAY LOCK AT LOW BELT PULL OUT RATES, THISCOULD DISCOURAGE SEAT BELT USAGE.
no report yet
Tank assembly: filler pipe and cap
Risk. THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE A RATTLE BETWEEN THE FUELFILLER PIPE AND THE SURROUNDING BODY STRUCTURE.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Mercury.
Best & worst years
1988 vs. every other Tracer year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Tracer median. How we score
'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
1 investigation
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 1988 Mercury Tracer, and the recalls they led to.
- SEATBELT RETRACTOR JAMSLed to recall 89V-085
In owners' words
What Tracer owners report
Recent seat belts complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
THE SEATBELT WILL NOT RETRACT AND IS STUCK IN ONE POSITION AND CANNOT BE USED. TT WHEN A PASSENGER SITS IN SEAT AND TRIES TO BUCKLE UP THEY CAN HARDLY PUT THE BELT INTO THE HOLDER SMOOTHLY IT IS A CONSTANT BATTLE, THEN WHEN IT FINALLY DOES GO INTO LOWER HALF OF BUCKLE THE PASSENGER IS NOT ALWAYS…
THIS VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME EXACT PROBLEMS AS MENTIONED IN MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 5577, SEAT BELT RETRACTOR LOCKED UP AT LOW BELT PULLOUT RATES, WHICH DISCOURAGED SEAT BELT USE. DEALERSHIP HAS ADVISED CONSUMER THAT THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK
BOTH FRONT SEAT BELTS' RETRACTOR MECHNISM HAVE FAILED-THEY LOCK AT LOW PULL OUT RATE. I CALLED MY LOCAL DEALER AND FORD'S CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPT [PHONE]/DUANE). I REPEATLY MENTIONED TO THEM NHTSA'S CAMPAIGN ID NO: 89V085000 BUT BOTH FORD AND MY LOCAL DEALER'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT TOLD ME THAT MY…
Own a 1988 Tracer?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.