2003 Ford Crown Victoria problems & reliability
249 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2003 Ford Crown Victoria, alongside 5 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.
5 complaints report injuries (6 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2003 Ford Crown Victoria vehicles were involved in 27 fatal crashes with 14 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Exterior Lighting | 96 | 39% |
| Wheels | 42 | 17% |
| Suspension | 27 | 11% |
| Power Train | 25 | 10% |
| Electrical System | 20 | 8% |
| Steering | 11 | 4% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 11 | 4% |
| Tires | 9 | 4% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 8 | 3% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 7 | 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 102,753 miles (middle 50% between 54,000 and 140,000 miles), based on 173 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I'm having problems with the lighting control module my high beam lights stop working. I see this year (2003) Ford crown Victoria has a recall for the lighting control module but mines isn't listed when I put in my VIN number and I wanted to see if mines can be listed. Also I would like to know why wasn't it listed on…”
Exterior Lighting · filed Mar 27, 2026
“The contact's father owns a 2003 Ford Crown Victoria. The contact stated that the headlamps would flash and failed to turn on or to turn off as intended. The contact stated that the failure initially occurred intermittently, but the headlights had become completely inoperable. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer…”
Exterior Lighting · filed Nov 28, 2025
“I brought this vehicle into the dealership for safety recall 15s39. There were no problems with the vehicle prior to taking it in. When I received the vehicle back from the dealer they had admitted to not completing all the steps in the safety recall. Now that I have the vehicle the dealer returned it to me with the…”
Electrical System · filed May 7, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Loss of headlights
Preliminary Evaluation PE15028 · opened Aug 10, 2015 · closed Jan 8, 2016 · led to recall 15V861000
- Loss of headlamp/exterior lighting
Defect Petition DP15002 · opened Apr 1, 2015 · closed Aug 11, 2015
- LOSS OF HEADLIGHT FUNCTION
Preliminary Evaluation PE08066 · opened Nov 26, 2008 · closed Mar 24, 2009
- SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
Defect Petition DP05005 · opened Sep 22, 2005 · closed Jan 4, 2006
- FRACTURE OF THE STEEL WHEEL RIM
Recall Query RQ04007 · opened Aug 2, 2004 · closed Dec 20, 2004
- REAR AXLE FRACTURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE04010 · opened Jan 22, 2004 · closed Jul 8, 2004 · led to recall 04V328000
- FRACTURE OF THE STEEL WHEEL RIM
Preliminary Evaluation PE03009 · opened Feb 25, 2003 · closed Aug 8, 2003 · led to recall 03V279000
- CNG TANK EXPLOSION
Engineering Analysis EA03001 · opened Jan 27, 2003 · closed Nov 19, 2003 · led to recall 03V472000
Technical service bulletins
118 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2003 Ford Crown Victoria. The 10 most recent:
This article supersedes TSB 19-2026 to update the vehicle model years affected. Some 2000 and newer Ford/Lincoln/Mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled…
TSB 20-2233 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 13, 2020
Some 2000 and newer Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled and/or peeling paint with or without accompanying white dust. Panel…
TSB 19-2026 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 7, 2019
Some 2000 and newer Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled and/or peeling paint with or without accompanying white dust. Panel…
TSB 19-2026 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 7, 2019
Summary to be provided on a future date.
ASI-45182 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 1, 2015
Ford: see document search button for owner letter. Information regarding the lighting control module extended warranty coverage, for some vehicles, to 15 years or 250,000 miles, whichever occurs first. Model 2003-2005…
CSP-14N01 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 11, 2014
Ford: the lighting control module has extended warranty coverage, on certain vehicles, due to a possible crack on solder joint that connects relay to circuit board. Model 2003-2005 crown victoria, grand marquis. *pe
CSP-14-N-01 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 11, 2014
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
Limited slip axle chatter, shudder, binding sensation, or vibration during low speed turning maneuvers. *tt
06216 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2006
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
Safety belt retraction speed. *tt
042421 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 7, 2005
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 2003 Ford Crown Victoria has 5 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 2003 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 102,753 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.