The 1989 Mercury Tracer has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 265,000 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 20 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine and engine cooling. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
SEAT BELTS95V1030111995-06-27265,000 affected
Defect
THE FRONT SAFETY BELT BUCKLE RELEASE BUTTONS CAN BREAK. THESE RED PLASTIC RELEASE BUTTONS ARE MARKED "PRESS." IF A BUTTON BREAKS, PIECES CAN FALL INTO THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLY CAUSING THE BUCKLE TO OPERATE IMPROPERLY.
Consequence
THE SAFETY BELTS WOULD NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE PROTECTION TO AN OCCUPANT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy
OWNERS SHOULD PROMPTLY CHECK THE CONDITION AND OPERATION OF BOTH FRONT SAFETY BELT BUCKLES AND CAREFULLY INSPECT THE RED RELEASE BUTTON FOR ANY BREAKS OR CRACKS. THEY SHOULD ENSURE THAT BOTH BUCKLES ARE OPERATING PROPERLY BY INSERTING EACH LATCH PLATE INTO ITS BUCKLE, TUGGING ON THE BELT TO MAKE SURE THAT LATCH IS…
Complaints by component
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
3
2fires
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
2
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
2
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER
2
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
1
1fires
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
1
POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY
1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS
1
Total complaints20
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“There is a stalling problem, even when driving! The were a number of times that I had to be pushed of a main road. It took hours to restart. If I wait over 10 hours, most times the car will restart. The problem seems to be in the ignition module and /or the magnet and/or the rotor. I have spent…”
“I am a single 66 yr old on a fixed income, purchased the the vehicle in june of 2000 since that date I have had nothing but problems with this car, when I am driving down the road and the vehicle gets hot or more so warmed up it quits wherever it may be, this has happened several times in…”
“I am a single 66 yr old on a fixed income, purchased the the vechile in june of 2000 since that date I have had nothing but problems with this car, when I am driving down the road and the vehicle gets hot or more so warmed up it quits wherever it may be, this has happened several times in…”
“I am having a very hard time with this I cannot get compliance from the manufacturer about this part or what I should do or who I should talk to. My car has not been working since this part went and cannot get any help. It has been towed three times and no one can seem to help me. I just tow it…”
“Transmission very sluggish, not enough power to shift into gear. When vehicle was being inspected, the mechanic pulled the bolt from the pully on the crankshaft and the end of the crankshaft fell off.”
“The rear wheel bearings have failed on three separate occasions. The car was purchased used with 14,700 miles. The first failure occured on april 5, 1998, traveling 65 mph on the interstate. The left rear wheel bearings seized and the wheel fell inward pulling the car severely to the right. This…”
“Vehicle fire.”
“While driving the vehicle under the hood engine compartment caught on fire, electrical short, saw smoke. *ak”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1989 Mercury Tracer as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
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