1996 Mercury Tracer Recalls, Complaints & Specs
No safety recalls list the 1996 Mercury Tracer, and owners have filed 12 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
No safety recalls on record
NHTSA's recall database lists no safety campaigns that include the 1996 Mercury Tracer. That is good news, with two caveats: recalls can be issued at any time (this page refreshes daily), and a recall filed under a related model name may not appear here. The VIN check above queries NHTSA directly for your exact vehicle.
12 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 1996 Mercury Tracer have filed 12 complaints with NHTSA; 4 describe a crash. Reports cite 10 injuries and 0 deaths. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 50,620 miles. Complaints peaked in 1997 with 3 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“Dt*: the contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the engine made a loud knocking noise. The contact immediately turned off the engine and the noise stopped. The vehicle was towed to an i”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, February 21, 2006 · Engine and engine cooling
“Vehicle had a fuel leak which was caused by a crack in the fuel tank near the exhaust.*ak”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, July 14, 2003 · Fuel system, gasoline
Fuel economy and specs
EPA ratings for the 1996 Mercury Tracer (Tracer Wagon). Ranges cover every tested configuration.
| Combined | 22–30 mpg |
|---|---|
| City / Highway | 20–26 / 27–35 |
| Fuel | Regular |
| EPA class | Compact Cars, Small Station Wagons |
| Engine | 4 cyl, 1.8/1.9 L |
| Transmission | Automatic 4-spd; Manual 5-spd |
Compare Mercury Tracer model years
Recall and complaint counts for every Mercury Tracer model year in NHTSA's database.
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 Mercury Tracer | 1 | 0 |
| 1988 Mercury Tracer | 3 | 21 |
| 1989 Mercury Tracer | 1 | 16 |
| 1990 Mercury Tracer | 0 | 2 |
| 1991 Mercury Tracer | 2 | 60 |
| 1992 Mercury Tracer | 1 | 24 |
| 1993 Mercury Tracer | 0 | 62 |
| 1994 Mercury Tracer | 1 | 66 |
| 1995 Mercury Tracer | 3 | 96 |
| 1996 Mercury Tracer | 0 | 12 |
| 1997 Mercury Tracer | 1 | 142 |
| 1998 Mercury Tracer | 0 | 44 |
| 1999 Mercury Tracer | 0 | 20 |
| 2000 Mercury Tracer | 0 | 2 |
Checking a specific 1996 Mercury Tracer
How do I know if my 1996 Mercury Tracer has an open recall?
Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Mercury dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number.
What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?
A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.
Other Mercury models
- Sable5,381 complaints
- Grand Marquis3,951 complaints
- Milan2,519 complaints
- Mountaineer1,992 complaints
- Cougar1,893 complaints
- Villager1,725 complaints
- Mariner1,296 complaints
- Mystique1,019 complaints
Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.