Very very nice car!!
It burns a little bit of oil.
Something to do with the muffler became disconnected, and now it sounds like a racecar (which is okay with me)
This car has been very dependable and buyer friendly.
It's my first car I've ever owned, and I love it. Stick shift is great for gas mileage.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 10th April, 2007
Great car for a weenie roast..
Nothing...until it CAUGHT FIRE.
This was a fun, zippy little car that I loved dearly.
It was peppy in traffic and looked sharp.
It was a comfortable car and loved to roadtrip.
Until.
The wiring under the passenger side dash malfunctioned and the car erupted into full on flames. Both the driver and the passenger had to bail out of the car in the middle of the intersection when it started pouring smoke out of the vents. (made for some impressive news footage!)
After the car was deemed a total loss I receieved a letter from the Ford motor company notifying me of a recall for my car in 2001. The problem was that a sensor collected water over time and shorted the wiring out.. causing fires..FIRES! OH MY!
I miss having the only purple car in town.
My advice.. if you own a Tracer, make sure you have had the recall work done to it.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 18th June, 2006
Fantobolistic
Head gasket blew at 172,000 due to stuck thermostat.
I'll be expecting to surpass 200,000 miles with this car. At 173,000 still has original clutch and still drives well. I have has this over 100 mph numerous times for short periods. I think we both need to blow out the carbon on occassion. Thishas been a GREAT car- a real blessing.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 23rd December, 2005
I agree with both commenters. I routinely operate my tracer at speeds in excess of 150kph with no complaints.
I remember test driving this car when new. Unfortunately, I ended up getting another car at the time. But that limited test drive really really impressed me! If all American cars (regardless of where built) could offer reliability, practicality, and a great fun-to-drive quotient like the Tracer does, the American auto business wouldn't be in trouble.
Congrats to all on owning this underappreciated and very cool car.
Great fun to drive gas saver!
Nothing really went wrong, but at about 100,000 had to change all fuel injectors after that the car ran like a champ.
I was forced into buying this car, but was very glad I did. I have put this car threw the ringer and still runs like new. A/C always ran colder than the north pole. The only thing about this car is if you ever want an aftermarket radio its really hard to replace the stock one. I have taken this car where it should never have been and made it back in one peace. If I had a chance to buy another in a heartbeat I would. Road trips tend to make your legs go to sleep, but other than that it's a great overall gas saver that will never stop. In my book the best most reliable little car out there. A++
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 27th September, 2005
Very dependable
Rear springs fractured, a common problem with Fords/Mercurys of that era.
Very reliable, and economical.
Styling OK.
Surprisingly quick..
Well built, with no squeaks or rattles.
Dash materials are high quality.
I bought this car with 76000 miles for $1750.
Sold it for $2000 with 83k miles as I was going overseas.
It brought a smile on my face to see Audis and BMWs for much more, but no more reliable (in fact, probably less so) than my Tracer.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 21st August, 2005
26th Jun 2006, 21:29
I have a 1993 Mercury Tracer that I have put 21,000 trouble free miles on.
I think I may be having a problem that you are describing.
Today while I was driving it I could smell something "short out". (the ham smell.)
The smell was seeming to come from behind the dash on the passenger side. Suddenly the car lost its power.
I panicked and pulled over. Everything checked out OK under the hood.
It refused to start when I tried. Obviously something burned out. Maybe it would have caught fire too...