AI Damage1991 Mercury Tracer: common problems
Owners of the 1991 Mercury Tracer filed 60 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and fuel system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 60
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 28% of all complaints
- 2 Fuel system 22% of all complaints
- 3 Seat belts 17% of all complaints
- 4 Engine and cooling 12% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 8% of all complaints
- 6 Service brakes 5% of all complaints
- 7 Steering 5% of all complaints
- 8 Exterior lighting 3% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 17 complaints (28% of all).
- Fuel system: 13 complaints (22% of all).
- Seat belts: 10 complaints (17% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 7 complaints (12% of all).
- Powertrain: 5 complaints (8% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 1.8 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- 1.9 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speednamed in 1 complaints
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 60 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Front /rear seat belts failed, resulting in injuries. Other vehicle from 985156.
Stopped for school bus, bronco rear ended vehicle at full speed, driver's seat broke on impact, vehicle was airborne, driver was thrown against dashboard.
After the vehicle was filled with fuel and parked in the garage, the contact smelled a fuel odor and noticed fuel leaking onto the garage floor. All american ford ([address], point pleasant, [ZIP], [phone]) was contacted and stated that the vehicle was too old and they did not have parts.
(2) a shorting connector to the fuel pump burned the wire bundle to the fuel pump in the tank. It also burned wires behind the fuse block and under the dash!!! (3) the connector, harness update, fuel pump/pump assembly, lock ring, were replaced, burned wires were replaced behind the fuse block.
Vehicle will leak 2 quarts of oil a week, there is also a strong gas smell inside of vehicle. Contacted dealer, and the dealer was not willing to do anything. Consumer states when driving over bumps, the muffler bangs against the floor, when stepping on the gas to get some speed, black smoke comes out of exhaust pipe,…
Consumer was traveling about 40 mph on a main street and clutch pedal fell off on his leg, and vehicle went out of control. But he was able to bring vehicle to complete stop. Arm of clutch was very small. Dealership was aware of problem. The consumer states that this case should investigated.
Transmission problems went out because clutch burned out which caused electrical problems. Torque converter had to be replaced due to all the build up trash from the transmission (failure). Mjs
Car running perfectly fine on the highway, all of a sudden engine cut off.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 4,840 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 13% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Tracer has 41 complaints (14 years in the data). This year has 60, above average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1991 Mercury Tracer?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, fuel system, seat belts. Total complaints: 60. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (20%), fuel system, fuel smell (13%), seat belts (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1991 Mercury Tracer?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1991 Mercury Tracer from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1991 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.