1997 Mercury Tracer Air Bags Problems

NHTSA component category: AIR BAGS · data through 07/14/2026

21Air Bags complaints

14.8%Of all 142 complaints

#1Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How air bags ranks on this vehicle

AIR BAGS21 · 14.8%

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL14 · 9.9%

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE10 · 7%

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE10 · 7%

Unspecified / other9 · 6.3%

Share of the 142 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 1997 Mercury Tracer overview page.

What owners report

“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…”NHTSA complaint 10055640 — filed 04/06/2005

“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…”NHTSA complaint 10029621 — filed 07/17/2003

“HORN BLOWS NON STOP UNTIL FUSE IS PULLED. BROUGHT TO DEALER AND WAS TOLD ENTIRE AIRBAG HAD TO BE REPLACED.”NHTSA complaint 10028397 — filed 07/16/2003

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Air Bags complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 1997 Mercury Tracer have air bags problems?

Air Bags is the most-reported problem area on the 1997 Mercury Tracer: 21 of 142 complaints on file (14.8%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 1997 Mercury Tracer have in total?

142 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 15 involved a crash, 17 involved a fire, 17 reported injuries, and 1 reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's air bags category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the AIR BAGS category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/14/2026.