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#BS-1998-MERTRA-468D

1998 Mercury Tracer

Based on reports from 57 owners and 1 recall for this exact model.

Complaints
57
Crashes
3
Fires
1
Recalls
1
TSBs
112
🟡

Preliminary Verdict

Think Twice

Based on 57 complaints, 3 crashes, 1 fires, and 1 recalls. This is the worst model year for this vehicle.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

cracking paint

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX
2

grinding roaring sound from wheel

1 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX
3

torque converter locks in and out abnormally

1 complaints • Severity 4/10

$X,XXX

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasolineHIGH

6 owners reported engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline issues — failures commonly reported around 83K miles.

!Inspect the Air Bags:frontalMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline (6 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline6 (11%)
Air Bags:frontal5 (9%)
Electrical System:horn4 (7%)
Power Train:automatic Transmission3 (5%)
Suspension:rear:springs3 (5%)
Electrical System:starter Assembly2 (4%)
Structure:body2 (4%)
Other2 (4%)

1998 Mercury Tracer: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline Issues

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline complaints account for 11% of all reports filed for the 1998 Mercury Tracer, with 6 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 83,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 83K-mile mark.

Air Bags:frontal Issues

Air Bags:frontal complaints account for 9% of all reports filed for the 1998 Mercury Tracer, with 5 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to air bags:frontal-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Electrical System:horn Issues

Electrical System:horn complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 1998 Mercury Tracer, with 4 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical system:horn-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Power Train:automatic Transmission Issues

Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints account for 5% of all reports filed for the 1998 Mercury Tracer, with 3 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to power train:automatic transmission-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

7
00
14
01
7
02
4
03
6
04
4
05
1
07
1
10

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 1998 Mercury Tracer. Recent trend: stable.

Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own

Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (1 recall)

04E048000Aug 2004

SEAT BELTS:FRONT

CERTAIN TRW DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELTS MANUFACTURED ON DECEMBER 6 AND 9, 2002, FOR USE AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR 1997 FORD ESCORT 4-DOOR AND STATION WAGON PLATFORM VEHICLES, FORD'S P/N F7CZ54611B09AAC. THE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES EXHIBIT A NO-LOCK CONDITION WHICH DOES NOT COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 209, SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES.

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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This is the worst model year for the Mercury Tracer according to owner complaint data. The biggest problem area is engine.

1998 Mercury Tracer vs. Class Average (Compact Cars)

This vehicle

57

Class avg

167

Below the class average — fewer complaints than typical compact cars vehicles. A good sign.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 57 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 1 recall found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Mercury Tracer Model Years

20032002200120001999199819971996199519941993199219911990198919881987
View all Mercury Tracer years →

1998 Mercury Tracer: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 1998 Mercury Tracer?
The most commonly reported issue with the 1998 Mercury Tracer is related to the engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline, with 6 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 1998 Mercury Tracer reliable?
The 1998 Mercury Tracer has 57 complaints, 3 crash reports, and 1 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is below the class average — a positive sign for reliability.
How much does it cost to fix 1998 Mercury Tracer problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 1998 Mercury Tracer have any recalls?
Yes, the 1998 Mercury Tracer has 1 recall on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Mercury Tracer problems start?
Based on 7 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 83,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 60–90K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 57 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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