Ford Crown Victoria Reliability
3,971 NHTSA complaints (1981–2011). Complaint rate: 4866.4 per 1,000 vehicles.
Which Years to Buy & Avoid
Years auto-clustered by complaint volume relative to this model's median.
Bottom line: Avoid the 1992–1999 Ford Crown Victoria (128 crash-related complaints). The 2010–2011 models had significantly fewer reported issues. Most common issue across all years: EXTERIOR LIGHTING.
Avoid These Years
Average
Better Years
A model's reputation is just the start.
Even within the “good” years, individual cars can have hidden accidents, title issues, or odometer rollbacks. Check the actual VIN before you buy — full history report for $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
Complaints by Model Year
NHTSA complaint count per model year
Common Ford Crown Victoria Problems
Most reported component complaints to NHTSA
| Component | Complaints | Crash % |
|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 270 | 1.9% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 216 | 20.4% |
| STEERING | 209 | 9.6% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 132 | 3.0% |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 112 | 6.2% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 106 | 0.9% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | 91 | 1.1% |
| STEERING:LINKAGES | 90 | 4.4% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 88 | 0.0% |
| SUSPENSION | 87 | 4.6% |
Year-by-Year Breakdown
NHTSA complaint count per model year — click any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.
| Year | Generation | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981GOOD | — | 2 | 0 | — | View 1981View→ |
| 1982GOOD | — | 4 | 0 | 2 | View 1982View→ |
| 1983GOOD | — | 8 | 0 | — | View 1983View→ |
| 1984GOOD | — | 8 | 0 | 2 | View 1984View→ |
| 1985GOOD | — | 24 | 1 | 9 | View 1985View→ |
| 1986GOOD | — | 35 | 1 | 16 | View 1986View→ |
| 1987 | — | 48 | 2 | 15 | View 1987View→ |
| 1988 | — | 49 | 2 | 13 | View 1988View→ |
| 1989 | — | 86 | 3 | 22 | View 1989View→ |
| 1990 | — | 58 | 7 | 9 | View 1990View→ |
| 1991 | — | 70 | 9 | 5 | View 1991View→ |
| 1992AVOID | — | 482 | 22 | 29 | View 1992View→ |
| 1993AVOID | — | 247 | 18 | 18 | View 1993View→ |
| 1994AVOID | — | 252 | 27 | 17 | View 1994View→ |
| 1995AVOID | — | 318 | 22 | 14 | View 1995View→ |
| 1996AVOID | — | 358 | 17 | 21 | View 1996View→ |
| 1997AVOID | — | 340 | 10 | 20 | View 1997View→ |
| 1998AVOID | — | 138 | 3 | 9 | View 1998View→ |
| 1999AVOID | — | 174 | 9 | 5 | View 1999View→ |
| 2000 | — | 103 | 7 | 3 | View 2000View→ |
| 2001 | — | 70 | 11 | 2 | View 2001View→ |
| 2002 | — | 71 | 11 | 3 | View 2002View→ |
| 2003AVOID | — | 303 | 19 | 6 | View 2003View→ |
| 2004AVOID | — | 175 | 4 | 6 | View 2004View→ |
| 2005AVOID | — | 240 | 17 | 2 | View 2005View→ |
| 2006 | — | 65 | 15 | — | View 2006View→ |
| 2007 | — | 74 | 9 | 1 | View 2007View→ |
| 2008 | — | 64 | 13 | 7 | View 2008View→ |
| 2009 | — | 59 | 8 | 3 | View 2009View→ |
| 2010GOOD | — | 14 | 4 | — | View 2010View→ |
| 2011GOOD | — | 32 | 3 | — | View 2011View→ |
See also: Ford Crown Victoriaaccident & safety statistics from our vehicle history database.
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