1996 FORD CROWN VICTORIA — Owner-Reported Problems

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 273 complaints · 12 recalls
Most-reported system: ENGINE (67 complaints · 24.5%)
Safety signals:
  • Crashes 13
  • Fires 16
  • Injuries 15
  • Deaths 3
Compare with 1995 →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Component Problem Distribution

Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)

Component Problem Distribution ENGINE appears in 67 of 273 owner complaints (24.5%) in this vehicle snapshot. ENGINE: 67 complaints, 24.5% of reports ENGINE 67 · 24.5% · 2 fire reports SUSPENSION: 42 complaints, 15.4% of reports SUSPENSION 42 · 15.4% FUEL SYSTEM: 33 complaints, 12.1% of reports FUEL SYSTEM 33 · 12.1% · 1 crash reports 3 fire reports STEERING: 29 complaints, 10.6% of reports STEERING 29 · 10.6% SERVICE BRAKES: 23 complaints, 8.4% of reports SERVICE BRAKES 23 · 8.4% · 5 crash reports 1 fire reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: 18 complaints, 6.6% of reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 18 · 6.6% · 2 crash reports 5 fire reports VISIBILITY: 11 complaints, 4.0% of reports VISIBILITY 11 · 4.0% ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 9 complaints, 3.3% of reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 9 · 3.3% · 5 fire reports POWER TRAIN: 9 complaints, 3.3% of reports POWER TRAIN 9 · 3.3% · 2 crash reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER: 215 complaints, 78.8% of reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER 215 · 78.8% · 12 crash reports 13 fire reports 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
ENGINE 67 24.5% 0 crashes · 2 fires
SUSPENSION 42 15.4% 0 crashes · 0 fires
FUEL SYSTEM 33 12.1% 1 crashes · 3 fires
STEERING 29 10.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
SERVICE BRAKES 23 8.4% 5 crashes · 1 fires
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 18 6.6% 2 crashes · 5 fires
VISIBILITY 11 4.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 9 3.3% 0 crashes · 5 fires
POWER TRAIN 9 3.3% 2 crashes · 0 fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 215 78.8% 12 crashes · 13 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Problem & Recall Timeline

Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time

Problem & Recall Timeline Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jan 1996; the first recall shown was reported in Apr 1996. 1996-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 1996-Q2: 7 owner reports 7 1996-Q3: 16 owner reports 16 1996-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 1997-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 1997-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 1997-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 1997-Q4: 13 owner reports 13 1998-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 1998-Q2: 11 owner reports 11 1998-Q3: 15 owner reports 15 1998-Q4: 10 owner reports 10 1999-Q1: 12 owner reports 12 1999-Q2: 9 owner reports 9 1999-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 1999-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2000-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2000-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2000-Q3: 14 owner reports 14 2000-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2001-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2001-Q2: 10 owner reports 10 2001-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2001-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2002-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2002-Q2: 7 owner reports 7 2002-Q3: 12 owner reports 12 2002-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2003-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2003-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2003-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2003-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2004-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2004-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2004-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2005-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2005-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2005-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 2005-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2006-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2006-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2006-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2007-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2007-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2007-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2008-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2008-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2008-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2009-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2009-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2011-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2011-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2015-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Jan 1996 Jul 2017 Recall campaign 96V070000 ◆ Recall campaign 96V070000 Recall campaign 96V135000 ◆ Recall campaign 96V135000 Recall campaign 97V024000 ◆ Recall campaign 97V024000 Recall campaign 98I001000 ◆ Recall campaign 98I001000 Recall campaign 98V322000 ◆ Recall campaign 98V322000 Recall campaign 00V157001 ◆ Recall campaign 00V157001 Recall campaign 00V157002 ◆ Recall campaign 00V157002 Recall campaign 02I003000 ◆ Recall campaign 02I003000 Recall campaign 03V472000 ◆ Recall campaign 03V472000 Recall campaign 07V336000 ◆ Recall campaign 07V336000 Recall campaign 08V051000 ◆ Recall campaign 08V051000 Recall campaign 15E082000 ◆ Recall campaign 15E082000 Investigation PE98041 ● Investigation PE98041 Investigation PE98045 ● Investigation PE98045 Investigation SQ01014 ● Investigation SQ01014 Investigation DP02007 ● Investigation DP02007 Investigation EA02025 ● Investigation EA02025 Investigation PE02071 ● Investigation PE02071 Investigation RQ03002 ● Investigation RQ03002 Investigation EA03001 ● Investigation EA03001 Investigation RQ03004 ● Investigation RQ03004 Investigation EA03012 ● Investigation EA03012
  • Campaign 96V070000 was reported 66 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 96V135000 was reported 153 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 97V024000 was reported 382 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 98I001000 was reported 679 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 98V322000 was reported 937 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 00V157001 was reported 1,357 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 00V157002 was reported 1,357 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 02I003000 was reported 2,071 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 03V472000 was reported 2,458 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 08V051000 was reported 4,189 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
1996-Q1 Owner reports 1
1996-Q2 Owner reports 7
1996-Q3 Owner reports 16
1996-Q4 Owner reports 3
1997-Q1 Owner reports 2
1997-Q2 Owner reports 3
1997-Q3 Owner reports 3
1997-Q4 Owner reports 13
1998-Q1 Owner reports 6
1998-Q2 Owner reports 11
1998-Q3 Owner reports 15
1998-Q4 Owner reports 10
1999-Q1 Owner reports 12
1999-Q2 Owner reports 9
1999-Q3 Owner reports 4
1999-Q4 Owner reports 7
2000-Q1 Owner reports 3
2000-Q2 Owner reports 5
2000-Q3 Owner reports 14
2000-Q4 Owner reports 4
2001-Q1 Owner reports 2
2001-Q2 Owner reports 10
2001-Q3 Owner reports 3
2001-Q4 Owner reports 4
2002-Q1 Owner reports 7
2002-Q2 Owner reports 7
2002-Q3 Owner reports 12
2002-Q4 Owner reports 6
2003-Q1 Owner reports 4
2003-Q2 Owner reports 4
2003-Q3 Owner reports 6
2003-Q4 Owner reports 6
2004-Q1 Owner reports 4
2004-Q3 Owner reports 3
2004-Q4 Owner reports 1
2005-Q1 Owner reports 3
2005-Q2 Owner reports 4
2005-Q3 Owner reports 7
2005-Q4 Owner reports 1
2006-Q1 Owner reports 3
2006-Q3 Owner reports 5
2006-Q4 Owner reports 1
2007-Q1 Owner reports 1
2007-Q3 Owner reports 1
2007-Q4 Owner reports 3
2008-Q1 Owner reports 3
2008-Q2 Owner reports 5
2008-Q4 Owner reports 1
2009-Q1 Owner reports 1
2009-Q4 Owner reports 1
2011-Q2 Owner reports 1
2011-Q4 Owner reports 1
2014-Q1 Owner reports 2
2015-Q4 Owner reports 1
2017-Q3 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 96V070000
Recall campaign 1 96V135000
Recall campaign 1 97V024000
Recall campaign 1 98I001000
Recall campaign 1 98V322000
Recall campaign 1 00V157001
Recall campaign 1 00V157002
Recall campaign 1 02I003000
Recall campaign 1 03V472000
Recall campaign 1 07V336000
Recall campaign 1 08V051000
Recall campaign 1 15E082000
Defect investigation 1 PE98041
Defect investigation 1 PE98045
Defect investigation 1 SQ01014
Defect investigation 1 DP02007
Defect investigation 1 EA02025
Defect investigation 1 PE02071
Defect investigation 1 RQ03002
Defect investigation 1 EA03001
Defect investigation 1 RQ03004
Defect investigation 1 EA03012
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Safety Recalls (12)

Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA

  1. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 00V157001

    Report date
    Component:
    SEAT BELTS
    Consequence:
    IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION, THESE SEAT BELTS MAY NOT RESTRAIN AN OCCUPANT INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSPECT THESE VEHICLES AND REPLACE THE SERVICE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES THAT WERE INSTALLED IN THESE VEHICLES FROM JANUARY 1 THROUGH JUNE 13, 2000.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 00V157002

    Report date
    Component:
    SEAT BELTS
    Consequence:
    IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION, THESE SEAT BELTS MAY NOT RESTRAIN AN OCCUPANT INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSPECT THESE VEHICLES AND REPLACE THE SERVICE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES THAT WERE INSTALLED IN THESE VEHICLES FROM JANUARY 1 THROUGH JUNE 13, 2000.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 02I003000

    Report date
    Component:
    FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
    Consequence:
    SOME HIGH-SPEED REAR-IMPACT CRASHES HAVE RESULTED IN FUEL TANK PUNCTURES AND FIRES IN CVPI VEHICLES.
    Remedy:
    FORD HAS ADVISED US THAT SHIELD KITS HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE SINCE LATE OCTOBER AND WILL BE INSTALLED ON POLICE INTERCEPTOR VEHICLES AT NO COST. THE OPTIONAL TRANK PACKAGE WILL BE AVAILABLE BY THE END OF 2002. FORD HAS ESTABLISHED A NEW WEB SITE AT WWW.CVPI.COM TO ANSWER ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SAFE USE OF CPVI VEHICLES.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 03V472000

    Report date
    Component:
    FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER
    Consequence:
    IF THE STRENGTH OF THE TANK IS SIGNIFICANTLY COMPROMISED, IT COULD RUPTURE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A FIRE.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSTALL AN INSULATOR BEHIND THE CURRENT SEAT BACK. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON JANUARY 7, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 07V336000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    THIS COULD RESULT IN AN UNDERHOOD FIRE.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSTALL A FUSED WIRING HARNESS. OWNERS OF THE PASSENGER CARS INCLUDED IN THIS CAMPAIGN WILL BE INSTRUCTED TO RETURN THEIR VEHICLES TO THEIR DEALERS TO HAVE THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH DISCONNECTED AS AN INTERIM REPAIR. AS SOON AS REPAIR PARTS ARE AVAILABLE (EXPECTED OCTOBER 2007), OWNERS WILL BE INSTRUCTED TO RETURN TO THE DEALERS FOR INSTALLATION OF A FUSED WIRING HARNESS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 13, 2007, AND MAILING COMPLETED BY SEPTEMBER 19, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-888-222-2751.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  6. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 08V051000

    Report date
    Component:
    VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
    Consequence:
    AS A RESULT, THE FUSE IS LOCATED IN THE OUTPUT CIRCUIT RATHER THAN IN THE INTENDED INPUT POWER FEED CIRCUIT, AND MAY NOT OFFER THE INTENDED PROTECTION IN THE EVENT OF AN ELECTRICAL SHORT TO GROUND.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW WIRING HARNESS, OR REPLACE THE MATING ELECTRICAL COMPONENT. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 18, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  7. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 15E082000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    If the shafts separate during vehicle operation, a loss of steering control would result, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
    Remedy:
    Dorman will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering shaft, free of charge. The recall began on October 28, 2015. Owners may contact Dorman customer service at 1-800-523-2492, option 5.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  8. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 96V070000

    Report date
    Component:
    LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES
    Consequence:
    THE DRIVER'S DOOR, WHEN CLOSED ONLY TO THE SECONDARY LATCHED POSITION, MAY NOT SUSTAIN A 1,000 POUND TRANSVERSE LOAD.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE DRIVER DOOR LATCH.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  9. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 96V135000

    Report date
    Component:
    STEERING
    Consequence:
    SUCH CORROSION CAN RESULT IN ABNORMAL WEAR OF THE JOINT, RESULTING IN SEPARATION OF THE JOINT. LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL CAN OCCUR INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE VEHICLES AND IF THE JOINT IS FOUND TO HAVE SIGNIFICANT WEAR, THE ARM WILL BE REPLACED. THOSE PITMAN ARMS NOT REPLACED WILL HAVE THE "BALL JOINT" FULLY GREASED.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  10. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 97V024000

    Report date
    Component:
    LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES
    Consequence:
    EITHER OF THESE CONDITIONS CAN RESULT IN THE HOOD OPENING WITHOUT WARNING WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING OPERATED IMPAIRING THE DRIVER'S VISIBILITY.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSTALL AN IMPROVED HOOD LATCH STRIKER (VEHICLES WITH 1992 MODEL HOODS) OR REVISED STRIKER PLATE ATTACHING FASTENERS (VEHICLES WITH 1993-1997 MODEL HOODS).
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  11. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 98I001000

    Report date
    Component:
    SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
    Consequence:
    THIS COULD LEAD TO BRAKE FLUID LOSS FOR THE REAR BRAKES AND, POTENTIALLY, INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCES.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE BRAKE LINES FOR WEAR, INSTALL TWO NEW TUBE BUNDLE CLIPS, AND CHECK THE BRAKE LINES FOR PROPER CLEARANCES. IF THE BRAKE LINES ARE WORN, THE DAMAGED SECTION OF THE BRAKE LINE WILL BE REPLACED.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  12. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 98V322000

    Report date
    Component:
    SUSPENSION
    Consequence:
    IF THIS OCCURS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS MOVING, REDUCED STEERING CONTROL COULD OCCUR, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE LOWER CONTROL ARM BALL JOINTS (2).
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Complaint Narrative Explorer

Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-08-21
Safety incident filters
Showing 0 of 273 complaints · page 1 of 11

No complaints match the current filters.
EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-21.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources