1998 Ford Crown Victoria problems
NHTSA has received 138 complaints about the 1998 Ford Crown Victoria, and 20% of them involve engine. After that come suspension (14%) and fuel system (12%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 138 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Engine 20% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 3 and 9
- Injuries and deaths
- 7 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 89,000 miles 38 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 3 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 1 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 5 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 4 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 11 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 2 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 3 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 2 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 2 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 3 |
| 200k+ miles | 2 |
What the data shows
Among the 38 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 89,000 miles. For engine specifically, the median reported mileage is about 96,000 miles (13 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 3 complaints mention a crash; 9 complaints mention a fire; 7 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 1998 ranks 10th most-complained-about out of 21 model years of the Ford Crown Victoria with enough data (70 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 7 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Consumer experienced problems with driver's and passenger's air bags. During a front end collision, the passenger's and driver's airbags failed to deploy. The manufacturer has been contacted.
While vehicle was parked in the garage overnight it caught on fire in engine compartment. Fire was put out by the fire department. What caused the fire has not been determined. Owner is working with dealership on repairs or replacement.
The intake manifold cracked. The engine was warmed up, and hot antifreeze dispensed from the intake and burned the tow truck driver. The vehicle overheated again when the consumer had taken the advise of the dealer in reference to the hose fitting. Scc
My 1998 ford crown victoria caught on fire in my driveway after sitting for 12 hours. The fire dept said it started in the electrical wiring under the hood. The car is now completely destroyed. There is a recall for the 98 crown victoria for this exact problem, but I am being told that my VIN does not have a recall on it. Ford motor company will not take any responsibility for this. I know that they are adding to the recall everyday. Am I supposed to wait until my car has been added, if it ever gets added?
As described in recall number 98v322000, the lower ball joint broke apart while I was driving the vehicle. This vehicle was originally titled as a fleet vehicle which was part of the recall. The manufacturer refuses to get vehicle fixed. In fact, they say that there are no recalls at all on my vehicle when in fact there are that I know have not been fixed.