1998 MERCURY TRACER Complaints

HAD PARKED VEHICLE. NOTICED VEHICLE MAKING NOISES PRIOR TO BEING PARKED. DASHBOARD PANEL LIGHTS CAME ON. LIFTED HOOD & GOT FLASHLIGHT. RETURNED & VEHICLE WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES AROUND THE STARTER & DASHBOARD AREA. PUT FLAMES OUT W/FIRE EXTINGUISHER. VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER. INFORMED FIRE WAS NEAR RUBBER BOOT. WHAT CAUSED FIRE NOT FOUND. *AK

I REPORTED THIS PROBLEM TWICE TO CORTESE. THE HORN WILL NOT SOUND UNLESS YOU PRESS REALLY HARD ON THE HORN ICON. CORTESE TOLD ME THAT THEY CHECKED OTHER TRACERS ON THE LOT AND QUOTING NOW "THAT'S JUST THE WAY THEY ARE". THEY SAID TO QUOTE "PRESS REALLY HARD ON THE HORN ICON" I FEEL THIS IS UNSAFE. IF I NEED TO WARN AN ONCOMING CAR IN A POTENTIAL ACCIDENT SITUATION I WOULD BE UNABLE TO DO SO. I FEEL THERE MUST BE AWAY FOR MERCURY TO RETRO FIT ANOTHER HORN SOMEHOW. CORTESE ALSO SAID PART OF THE PROBLEM WAS DUE TO THE AIRBAG BEING JUST UNDERNEATH THE HORN.

WHEN PUMPING FUEL INTO THE FUEL TANK, IT DOES NOT ENTER THE TANK PROPERLY AND BACKS UP IN THE FILLER NECK, WHICH CAUSES THE FUEL PUMP TO SHUT OFF AND FUEL TO SPILL FROM THE TANK. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN AT THE DEALER 3 TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM, DEALER NOT ABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *AK

GLASS ON VEHICLE IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO SEE THROUGH IN SUNLIGHT DUE TO LARGE AREA OF GLASS AND SLANT OF GLASS (DESIGN), POSSIBLE TINTING WOULD ILLIMINATE PROBLEM.

CALIPER SEALS FAILED, CAUSING FLUID LOSS AS WELL AS BRAKE FAILURE. ALSO, MASTER CYLINDER FAILED.