Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1997 Mercury Tracer owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
This car is a Ford Mercury Tracer, 1997, VIN #1melm10p2vw6246 there was a smell of burning acid and a small amount of smoke. About two hours later the car burst in flames we lost the entire interior.
While driving, a wire harness fire occurred in the vehicle. Dealer was notified, and a mechanic serviced the problem. However, the consumer has experienced a shortage in wire harness again while the vehicle was parked. Consumer removed the connection to battery to prevent a drainage of the power.
As the insured was stopping the vehicle, the battery light illuminated, however the insured thought nothing of it, however the next day the insured discovered that the dash area of the vehicle had burned and melted severly.(claim#18-0530-895)
The insured stated there was a smell of smoke, the dash lights went out, and then all of the lights went out, the wires under the dash melted, it appeared that the fire started under the dash.(claim#25-5518-577)
The horn suddenly goes off and won't stop until the fuse is pulled-especially in the middle of the night. I have had to disconnect the horn fuse and drive around with no horn for a year now due to this malfunction. Much time and money was spent trying to find out the problem and was finally told that I would have to replace the entire airbag/horn unit, at a cost of $600.00.
1997 Mercury Tracer has a defective horn and air bag. The horn and the air bag interfered with one another which caused the horn to randomly go off and periodically blew a fuse, and disable the horn and the air bag, two dealership's and a independent mechanic stated it was a manufacturing defect.
Consumer was inside of store when he heard horn going off. Consumer took vehicle to dealership. Mechanic told consumer that horn assembly was attached to airbag, and that airbag modular unit had to be replaced as one unit. Consumer stated that just by touching on horn lightly it would go off.
Horn malfunctiond ( horn would continue to blow). Fuse was removed to stop it from sounding off. Dealer was notified, and informed consumer that the horn switch and air bag would have to be replaced. Can NHTSA share some light on this matter.
While getting out of vehicle, consumer noticed that the battery light had illuminated, the next day he found that the dash area of the vehicle had burned and melted severely, the entire dash area around steering melted, claim 18-0530-895.
While driving air bag light illuminated and vehicle stalled. Driver got the vehicle to the side of the road and vehicle caught on fire under the dashboard.
Electrical complaints in other Tracer years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 1997 Mercury Tracer?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the electrical system of the 1997 Mercury Tracer, 15% of the model year's 142 complaints. The component named most often is horn (7 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Mercury Tracer electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 1997 Mercury Tracer, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1997 Mercury Tracer electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 miles, and 25% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 8 fires and 2 injuries to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.