1999 Ford Crown Victoria problems & reliability
134 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1999 Ford Crown Victoria, alongside 4 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.
6 complaints report injuries (10 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1999 Ford Crown Victoria vehicles were involved in 25 fatal crashes with 16 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 | 23 | 17% |
| Suspension | 18 | 13% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 14 | 10% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 13 | 10% |
| Wheels | 12 | 9% |
| Electrical System | 10 | 7% |
| Exterior Lighting | 10 | 7% |
| Steering | 10 | 7% |
| Power Train | 9 | 7% |
| Unknown OR Other | 6 | 4% |
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 80,048 miles (middle 50% between 54,250 and 106,278 miles), based on 40 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“My 99 ford crown victoria lx has front end issues. I have had to replace the ball joints about 4 times every 2 to 3 months because the front end keeps dropping. I'm not sure if you guys know about this but I've spoken with our local Ford mechanic and a few friends who have crown Victoria's as well and said that it has…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Jan 8, 2023
“When driving on the interstate at 75 mph the exterior lights as well as the dash lights shut off. They then came back on after about a minute and a half. The lights intermittently shut off and come back on at random. I can be on the interstate or on a city street. I can be going forward or backwards when this happens…”
Exterior Lighting · filed Mar 19, 2019
“The pad key stop working I had to call my insurance company to let me in my car on a rainy nite with my kids n till this day still don't work.I can't lick my doors”
Structure · filed Jun 20, 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
Technical service bulletins
196 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1999 Ford Crown Victoria. The 10 most recent:
Ford: certain 1999-2001 model year vehicles up to 6000 lb gvwr registered in new york and certain 2001 vehicles up to 6000 lb gvwr registered in the state of maine, certified for sale in california-federal emission…
CSP-08B01 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 16, 2008
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
Rear window defroster grid/integral antenna diagnosis and repair - terminal tab repair. *tt
04189 · 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
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 1999 Ford Crown Victoria has 4 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 1999 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 80,048 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.