1993 MERCURY TRACER — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 1993 MERCURY TRACER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY. THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOOR WHEN IT WAS DEPRESSED. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE STRUCK ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE THREE INJURIES REPORTED THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. MAILED 10/16/14*LJUPDATED 11/13/14*LJ UPDATED 4/29/2015 *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 1993 MERCURY TRACER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY. THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOOR WHEN IT WAS DEPRESSED. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE STRUCK ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE THREE INJURIES REPORTED THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. MAILED 10/16/14*LJUPDATED 11/13/14*LJ UPDATED 4/29/2015 *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 1993 MERCURY TRACER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY. THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOOR WHEN IT WAS DEPRESSED. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE STRUCK ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE THREE INJURIES REPORTED THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. MAILED 10/16/14*LJUPDATED 11/13/14*LJ UPDATED 4/29/2015 *JS

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1993 MERCURY TRACER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TWO BOLTS THAT HOLD THE FRONT AXLE IN PLACE DID NOT HAVE THE HOLE DRILLED IN THE BOLT THAT HOLDS THE CASLATED NUT AND THE CUTTER PIN. THE BOLT SIZE WAS IRREGULAR AND NO ONE WAS ABLE TO REPLACE THE BOLT THAT WAS .034 INCHES IN DIAMETER. ONCE THE BOLT DRIFTED OFF, IT WOULD LOOSEN, DROP OFF INTO THE ROAD, AND CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO TAILSPIN. HE STATED THAT HIS FINGERS WERE ABLE TO REACH AND TWIST THE BOLTS. IN ADDITION, THE BOLTS ON THE POWER STEERING DETACHED. HE STATED THAT THERE SHOULD BE A TOTAL OF FOUR BOLTS TO SUPPORT THE AXLE, BUT THERE WERE NOT. THE ORIGINAL DESIGN WAS LABELED AS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT THAT COULD HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED IN THE ASSEMBLY LINE OF FORD MOTOR COMPANY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER DOES NOT NEED TO BE NOTIFIED. THE POWERTRAIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 103,000.

TWO BOLTS HOLD THE FRONT AXLE IN PLACE. TWO ON EACH SIDE. THESE '!@#$% BOLTS ARE .43 INCHES IN DIAMETER AND ARE THREADED 20 TPI. (THESE DO NOT CONFORM TO ANY STANDARD BOLT I COULD FIND IN THE LITERATURE, METRIC OR SAE). THESE FOUR BOLTS ARE FITTED WITH CASTELATED NUTS, A VERY GOOD IDEA. HOWEVER, THE BOLT HAD NO HOLE DRILLED FOR THE NECESSARY COTTER PIN. ON MY VEHICLE, THE NUT LOOSENED AND FELL OFF. THE BOLT EVENTUALLY WORKED ITSELF UP AND OUT OF THE HOLE. I WAS GOING 65 MPH ON THE US 5 FREEWAY AND SLOWLY TURNING ON TO THE 405 FREEWAY. THE STEERING OF THE CAR WAS LOST. I ALMOST HIT TWO ADJACENT CARS. THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL WAS POINTING SIDEWAYS, PIVOTING ABOUT THE REMAINING BOLT. HOW I GOT THE CAR STOPPED WITHOUT DAMAGE,I DON"T KNOW. 1. WHY NOBODY IN 13 YEARS DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM OF THE MISSING COTTER KEY HOLE. ASK FORD. 2.WHY IN THE YEAR 2007 DOES FORD NOT SELL REPLACEMENT BOLTS OR NUTS, AS THESE ARE '!@#$% PARTS. 3.AS THIS WAS A LEMON RECALL AUTOMOBILE; WHY NOT MAKE THE CORRECTION AT THAT TIME? 4. UPON LOOKING AT THE DAMAGE . I NOTICED THAT THE REMAINING BOLTS (3) WERE VERY LOOSE. IN ADDITION TO THE AXLE BOLTS BEING LOOSE, I NOTICED THAT THE 4 BOLTS THAT HOLD THE POWER STEERING TO THE FIRE WALL WERE LOOSE. 5. I FEEL THAT THE STEERING AND BRAKES ON A CAR ARE IMPORTANT. ENOUGH SAID. 6. AN AUTOMOBILE GETS ONLY ONE CHANCE TO KILL OR HURT ME. I GAVE THE CAR AWAY AFTER MAKING REPAIRS. NO MORE FORDS FOR ME. *JB *TR