1995 Mercury Tracer problems & reliability
96 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1995 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.
5 complaints report injuries (7 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1995 Mercury Tracer vehicles were involved in 2 fatal crashes with 2 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel System, Gasoline → | 35 | 36% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 14 | 15% |
| Seat Belts → | 12 | 13% |
| Electrical System | 7 | 7% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 7 | 7% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 6 | 6% |
| Power Train | 5 | 5% |
| Suspension | 5 | 5% |
| Air Bags | 4 | 4% |
| Equipment | 4 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tl* the contact owns a 1995 mercury tracer. While driving 30 mph, the contact smelled fuel inside the vehicle. Once the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed a leak on the ground and the fuel gauge decreased from a full tank to half of a tank. The vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 97v144000 (fuel…”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed Jul 14, 2014
“Tl* the contact owns a 1995 mercury tracer. While parked, the contact noticed an overpowering fuel smell. The contact inspected the vehicle and discovered a fuel leak. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostics where the technician stated that the fuel tank was fractured and would have to be replaced. The…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Aug 9, 2012
“Tl* the contact owns a 1995 mercury tracer. The contact stated that when the vehicle was in operation or stationary, a strong odor of gasoline fuel emitted inside and outside of the vehicle. The vehicle was diagnosed by a certified mechanic who advised that the fuel tank was fractured as a result to a faulty heat…”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed May 3, 2011
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY
Recall Query RQ97010 · opened Sep 11, 1997 · closed May 22, 2000 · led to recall 97V144000
Technical service bulletins
75 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1995 Mercury Tracer. The 10 most recent:
New transmission cooler flusher - service tips. 2003 escort and super duty f series included. *tt
03148 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 21, 2003
Climate control a/c service tech tips. *eh
02208 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 14, 2002
Lamp-brake-invadvertent disabling of brake shift interlock. *mj
02176 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 2, 2002
Some engine assemblies with aluminum cylinder heads repaired in-vehile have been found to leak coolant and/or oil from the cylinder head gasket area. *tt
0214 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 21, 2002
Engine oil system priming procedures, service tips for reports of premature engine failure. *tt
01246 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 10, 2001
This aritlce is to provide information on replacement of old style hood lamp switch to the rvised mechanical hood lamp switch. *tt
01194 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2001
Brake shift interlock.*jb
01181 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 17, 2001
Information regarding transmission fluid usage charts. *slc
01157 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 2001
Some vehicles may exhibit heater core leaks. *slc
01156 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 2001
Some vehicles produced through july 1999 may exhibit rear suspension spring failure with no resulting operational concern. *tt
14993 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 1, 2001
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 1995 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 1995 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.