1999 Ford Crown Victoria: common problems

Owners of the 1999 Ford Crown Victoria filed 134 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and suspension. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 134
involving a crash: 6

What fails most often

1 Engine and cooling 17% of all complaints
2 Suspension 13% of all complaints
3 Fuel system 13% of all complaints
4 Service brakes 10% of all complaints
5 Wheels 9% of all complaints
6 Electrical system 7% of all complaints
7 Exterior lighting 7% of all complaints
8 Steering 7% of all complaints

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

Engine and cooling: 23 complaints (17% of all).
Suspension: 18 complaints (13% of all).
Fuel system: 17 complaints (13% of all).
Service brakes: 14 complaints (10% of all).
Wheels: 12 complaints (9% of all).

Engines and transmissions

US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.

4.6 L · petrol · 8 cylnamed in 1 complaints
automatic, 4-speed

Drive: RWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 134 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

headlights and tail lights8 · 6%
smoke, burning smell, fire6 · 4%
vibration5 · 4%
warning lights, check engine5 · 4%
knocking, grinding or other noise3 · 2%
loss of power / limp mode3 · 2%
seat belts3 · 2%
stalls while driving3 · 2%
jerking, harsh shifts2 · 1%
overheating, coolant loss2 · 1%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Engine and cooling	23	0
Suspension	18	0
Fuel system	17	0
Service brakes	14	0
Wheels	12	0
Electrical system	10	1
Exterior lighting	10	0
Steering	10	0
Powertrain	9	0
Structure	5	0
Vehicle speed control	5	3
Engine	4	1
Tires	4	0
Equipment	3	0

What owners report

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

My parents picked my daughter up from the school bus and proceeded down my driveway slowly. The vehicle suddenly accelerated even as my father had both feet on the brake. There were visible signs of the front wheels dragging up debris as the front wheels were locking up.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 2012-10-10 · NHTSA complaint #10479531
Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle accelerated suddenly without warning on three occasions. The first incident occurred while driving at an undetermined speed, but was not reported to the manufacturer.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 2006-05-09 · NHTSA complaint #10157072
Air bag didn't deploy. Car was totaled. He was hit at such speed, the car spun around and hit the rear as well. Accident was last week in florida city, fl.
Air bags · crash · 2005-06-13 · NHTSA complaint #10125131
While driving along on the freeway consumer's vehicle was hit head on at the rear wheel. Upon impact, both passenger's side and driver's side air bags deployed. Consumer read in manual that this should not have happened. Consumer has sustained body injuries which caused him to be all black and blue all over.
Air bags · crash · 2003-06-12 · NHTSA complaint #10022973
Due to a defective alternator vehicle surges fowards or backwards. When occupant was in reverse position vehicle suddenly surged backward, hitting another person and causing serious injuries. Please provide further information.
Electrical system · crash · 2000-01-19 · NHTSA complaint #855098
Seat belt did not hold the consumer, who was propelled into the dash and struck his shoulder, causing injury. Dealer has been contacted.
Seat belts · crash · 1999-09-15 · NHTSA complaint #845579
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 · 2019-03-19 · NHTSA complaint #11189980
Anytime I put a half a tank in gas in car it smells bad in truck so when this does happen I look in the truck,there's this foam in the back that's co bed with gas,n the small is bad.I don't let me kids in the gas,ntil its gone..will it catch in 🔥.it happens all the time since I bought the car.help plz
Steering · 2018-06-20 · NHTSA complaint #11102907

When owners complained

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

199911
200039
200112
200213
200311
200410
20056
20067
20073
20082
20091
20103
20124
20142
20153
20161
20172
20183
20191
20231

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 2,888 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 8% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Crown Victoria has 94 complaints (33 years in the data). This year has 134, above average.

What to check before buying

Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1999 Ford Crown Victoria?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, suspension, fuel system. Total complaints: 134. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: headlights and tail lights (6%), smoke, burning smell, fire (4%), vibration (4%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1999 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 1999 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 1999 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.