1991 Ford Crown Victoria: common problems

Owners of the 1991 Ford Crown Victoria filed 55 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 55
involving a crash: 8

What fails most often

1 Air bags 20% of all complaints
2 Electrical system 18% of all complaints
3 Engine and cooling 13% of all complaints
4 Vehicle speed control 13% of all complaints
5 Powertrain 11% of all complaints
6 Fuel system 7% of all complaints
7 Tires 7% of all complaints
8 Steering 5% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Air bags: 11 complaints (20% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Electrical system: 10 complaints (18% of all).
Engine and cooling: 7 complaints (13% of all).
Vehicle speed control: 7 complaints (13% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Powertrain: 6 complaints (11% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 55 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

smoke, burning smell, fire5 · 9%
airbag warning light4 · 7%
stalls while driving3 · 5%
unintended acceleration2 · 4%
fuel system, fuel smell1 · 2%
won't start1 · 2%
loss of power / limp mode1 · 2%
rust, corrosion1 · 2%
infotainment or screen glitches1 · 2%
seat belts1 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Air bags	11	3
Electrical system	10	0
Engine and cooling	7	0
Vehicle speed control	7	3
Powertrain	6	1
Fuel system	4	0
Tires	4	0
Steering	3	0
Structure	3	0
Equipment	2	0
Seat belts	2	1
Wheels	2	0
Exterior lighting	1	0
Parking brake	1	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

While exiting vehicle was placed in park, vehicle came out of park and rolled over, injurying passenger. Possible cause transmission cam.
Powertrain · crash · 1999-02-17 · NHTSA complaint #824922
I started my car, put it in drive, and the car accelerated at a high rate of speed. The car would not respond to the application of the brake, it wouldn't stop! I hit a parked car. I put the car in re- verse, put the car in park, went to get out of the car and it again accelerated into another parked vehicle.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 1998-11-18 · NHTSA complaint #700705
Failure of the driver's side seat belt buckle, the consumer was involved in a head-on collision and the driver side seat belt came out of the buckle.
Seat belts · crash · 1996-09-03 · NHTSA complaint #801741
The vehicle was placed in neutral and the vehicle suddenly accelerated.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 1996-06-12 · NHTSA complaint #985525
Your selection options do not have the year of the car, make, model, tire size or tire model so I filled something in to allow me to go further on your options right rear tire went flat on my 1938 studebaker state commander. I was doing approximately 35-40 miles per hour. I did not hit any pot holes or get a puncture.
Tires · 2017-09-09 · NHTSA complaint #11022487
When the vehicle was idling the consumer smelled a heavy scent of oil burning. While driving at 65 mph, the engine began revving at a high rate. Also, the transmission gears would not go into third or fourth gear. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who informed the consumer that the bushing was made of plastic.
Engine and cooling · 2003-11-04 · NHTSA complaint #10046325
The consumer noticed an indention in the sidewall of the spare tire. The spare tire was damaged on the bracket that holds the jack pole.
Tires · 2003-02-12 · NHTSA complaint #10006165
Alternator plug shorted out and caused a high potentional overload that caught the alternator on fire. The short did not trip any fuse in vehicle. Fire was very intense. The fire quickly spread to adjacent component and melted plug wires, wire harnesses. Fire also damaged hood and right front fender.
Electrical system · 2002-05-06 · NHTSA complaint #761507

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

19958
199619
19971
19983
199910
20003
20014
20023
20032
20061
20171

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 5,078 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 14% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Crown Victoria has 94 complaints (33 years in the data). This year has 55, below average.

What to check before buying

Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1991 Ford Crown Victoria?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, electrical system, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 55. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (9%), airbag warning light (7%), stalls while driving (5%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1991 Ford Crown Victoria?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 1991 Ford Crown Victoria from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 1991 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.