Three problems related to rear suspension coil springs have been reported for the 1998 Mercury Tracer. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
The rear coil springs broke on my 1998 Mercury Tracer. When seeking a repair, I understand that this is a well documented problem with Ford/Mercury models of this size (escort/tracer/tempo). With rear springs broken, one can observe the rear tires of a car with these springs broken come off the road. With Ford well aware of this design flaw in these autos, there ought to be a recall of these vehicles. I have only 47,700 miles on this car; I have now replaced a busted crankshaft pulley and the resistor associated with circulation system which could have started a fire. All of these problems are well documented and Ford should address these flaws.
During a vehicle inspection rear coil springs broke and were replaced.
Consumer stated that first time 2 new tires were needed at 19,022 miles, mechanic said no problem with rear suspension, problem due to lack of rotation, second time 4 new tires were needed at 26,851 miles mechanic said problem with struts and coils for excessive tire wear. Repeated complaints to Ford dealer ignored.