1997 Mercury Tracer Recalls, Complaints & Specs
1 safety recall lists the 1997 Mercury Tracer, and owners have filed 142 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
1 safety recall for the 1997 Mercury Tracer
Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.
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Air bags: sensor/control module-inactive
On certain passenger vehicles, the integrated air bag monitor (iabm) can be contaminated with water or other liquids and could experience internal electrical shorting.
Remedy: Dealers will install the shield over the iabm and apply nyogel grease to the connector. Owner notification began february 11, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date…
142 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 1997 Mercury Tracer have filed 142 complaints with NHTSA; 15 describe a crash and 17 describe a fire. Reports cite 17 injuries and 1 death. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 80,606 miles. Complaints peaked in 2003 with 27 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“1997 mercury tracer trio VIN [xxx] my wife and i bought this car from wanted auto sales in worley idaho. My we have a one year old daughter. We heard a noise from the rear of the car. My wife thought”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, October 11, 2010 · Suspension
“We had taken my vehicle to get it checked by a computer at a local service parts shop. When we came back we stopped my car and it was not running, ignition off. About an hour later we heard a loud noi”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, July 19, 2010 · Air bags
Fuel economy and specs
EPA ratings for the 1997 Mercury Tracer (Tracer Wagon). Ranges cover every tested configuration.
| Combined | 26–28 mpg |
|---|---|
| City / Highway | 23–24 / 31–34 |
| Fuel | Regular |
| EPA class | Compact Cars, Small Station Wagons |
| Engine | 4 cyl, 2 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 1997 Mercury Tracer
How do I know if my 1997 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. 1 campaign currently lists the 1997 Mercury Tracer; your car may already have been repaired under it.
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 (for example 02V323000).
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.