1988 Mercury Tracer problems & reliability
21 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1988 Mercury Tracer. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
1 complaint report injuries (1 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Seat Belts | 7 | 33% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 14% |
| Power Train | 3 | 14% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 10% |
| Electrical System | 1 | 5% |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 5% |
| Seats | 1 | 5% |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 5% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 5% |
| Wheels | 1 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“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 (800-392-3673/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 vehicle is not…”
Seat Belts · filed Apr 19, 2001
“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”
Seat Belts · filed Jun 28, 2000
“While backing up to load persons into vehicle, without warning, vehicle accelerated and struck a building, insurance company totaled it. *ak”
Vehicle Speed Control · filed Dec 12, 1996
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- SEATBELT RETRACTOR JAMS
Preliminary Evaluation PE89037 · opened Jan 30, 1989 · closed May 25, 1989 · led to recall 89V085000
Technical service bulletins
15 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1988 Mercury Tracer. The 10 most recent:
Information regarding transmission fluid usage charts. *slc
01157 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 2001
Information regarding the new transmission cooler flusher- service tip. *mjs
0015 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 10, 2000
Information on identifying non-approved / alternate refrigerants which could cause safety, and performance concerns if installed in ford a/c systems. *tt
99196 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 20, 1999
Information on a new transmission fluid usage chart. *yc
9888 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 27, 1998
Information on tire company telephone numbers for customer assistance. *yc
9852 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 13, 1998
Information on a buzzing or rattle noise from the exhaust system. *tt
9864 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 30, 1998
The use of petroleum-based grease as a lubricant in servicing disc brakes is no longer acceptable. *yc
985A13 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 18, 1998
Announcing the ford oem air conditioning retrofit kit availability. *yc
9848 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 2, 1998
Fluid- transmission fluid usage charts. *jd
97511 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 3, 1997
Transaxle - torque converter replacement guidelines and torque converter/transaxle cooling system cleaning procedures - service tip. *tw
962612 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 16, 1996
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1988 Mercury Tracer in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1988 Mercury Tracer?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.