1998 Ford Crown Victoria problems & reliability
119 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1998 Ford Crown Victoria, alongside 6 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
4 complaints report injuries (7 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1998 Ford Crown Victoria vehicles were involved in 6 fatal crashes with 4 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 29 | 24% |
| Suspension | 18 | 15% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 15 | 13% |
| Exterior Lighting | 12 | 10% |
| Electrical System | 8 | 7% |
| Power Train | 8 | 7% |
| Steering | 7 | 6% |
| Structure | 7 | 6% |
| Visibility | 5 | 4% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 89,000 miles (middle 50% between 60,000 and 128,644 miles), based on 29 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tl* the contact owns a 1998 ford crown victoria. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, smoke emitted from the vehicle. The contact stated that the fuse which controls the ignition coils and the powertrain control module under the dashboard blew. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent…”
Electrical System · filed Mar 19, 2020
“Had my car since 2014 I worked hard to buy it. It drove pretty decide untill electric problems started to occur. Then my passanger side wheel folded in while operating with my kids life or death situation im just a hard working father trying to provide a safe transportation for my family”
Suspension · filed Aug 29, 2019
“Tl* the contact owns a 1998 ford crown victoria. While driving approximately 45 mph, the contact noticed smoke under the hood of the vehicle. The contact coasted the vehicle to the side of the road and notice flames underneath the vehicle. The fire was extinguished by the fire department. There were no warning…”
Engine · filed Feb 28, 2018
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
Defect Petition DP05005 · opened Sep 22, 2005 · closed Jan 4, 2006
- CNG TANK EXPLOSION
Engineering Analysis EA03001 · opened Jan 27, 2003 · closed Nov 19, 2003 · led to recall 03V472000
- CNG TANK EXPLODING IN A FIRE
Preliminary Evaluation PE02071 · opened Oct 1, 2002 · closed Jan 27, 2003
- FUEL-FED FIRES
Defect Petition DP02007 · opened Aug 22, 2002 · closed Dec 4, 2002
- POST REAR END COLLISION FIRES
Investigation SQ01014 · opened Nov 27, 2001 · closed Oct 3, 2002 · led to recall 02I003000
- REAR AXLE TRAILING ARM FRAME MOUNTING
Preliminary Evaluation PE00043 · opened Oct 20, 2000 · closed Feb 2, 2001
- BLOW BACK DURING REFUELING
Preliminary Evaluation PE99047 · opened Jul 12, 1999 · closed Sep 23, 1999
- INERTIA FUEL SHUT OFF SWITCH
Preliminary Evaluation PE98057 · opened Oct 28, 1998 · closed Feb 11, 1999
Technical service bulletins
218 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1998 Ford Crown Victoria. The 10 most recent:
Ford/lincoln mercury: certain 1992-2001 model year crown victoria, grand marquis, and town car vehicles registered in the states of wisconsin and connecticut upgrade modifications for high speed rear impacts. *pe
CSP 08B04 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 15, 2008
Some 1997-2008 vehicles equipped with a 4.6l 2v, 5.4l 2v, or 6.8l 2v engine--spark plug thread repair procedure--not covered under new vehicle limited warranty. *nj this includes f-53 motorhome chassis. Updated 2/23/10…
07212 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2007
Extended coverage program 05n04 - extended coverage for composite intake manifold. This program is being provided as a settlement to a class action lawsuit. The terms of the settlement extend the coverage of the…
05N04 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 14, 2005
Wds cop kit diagnostic tip - coil on plug (cop) ignition systems - engine misfire or rough running. *tt
041601 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 14, 2005
Guidance for cng tank inspection for vehicles produced after december 2, 1996. *tt update. *tt
020503 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 21, 2005
General (pcm) power train control module programming procedures. *tt
042107 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 13, 2004
Charging system limitations. *eh
18351 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 2004
Engine misfire or running - coil on plug (cop) ignition systems - wds cop kit diagnostic tips. To include various 2005 models. * ar this article 04161 supersedes tsb 03-14-04.
031404 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 23, 2004
Multiple driveability concerns under acceleration caused by ignition coil. *tt
17871 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 1, 2004
Transmission failure where there is a large amount of metal or debris in the pan. *tt
17810 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2004
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 1998 Ford Crown Victoria has 6 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1998 Ford Crown Victoria?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 89,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.