2001 Ford Crown Victoria: common problems

Owners of the 2001 Ford Crown Victoria filed 53 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 53
involving a crash: 9

What fails most often

1 Air bags 17% of all complaints
2 Engine and cooling 15% of all complaints
3 Steering 13% of all complaints
4 Fuel system 11% of all complaints
5 Service brakes 11% of all complaints
6 Seat belts 9% of all complaints
7 Vehicle speed control 9% of all complaints
8 Electrical system 8% 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: 9 complaints (17% of all), 5 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engine and cooling: 8 complaints (15% of all).
Steering: 7 complaints (13% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Fuel system: 6 complaints (11% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Service brakes: 6 complaints (11% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.

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 53 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

airbags did not deploy2 · 4%
headlights and tail lights2 · 4%
loss of power / limp mode2 · 4%
seat belts2 · 4%
smoke, burning smell, fire2 · 4%
stalls while driving2 · 4%
steering or power steering problems2 · 4%
tires: bulges, blowouts2 · 4%
vibration2 · 4%
battery drain1 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Air bags	9	5
Engine and cooling	8	0
Steering	7	1
Fuel system	6	1
Service brakes	6	2
Seat belts	5	1
Vehicle speed control	5	1
Electrical system	4	0
Suspension	4	0
Engine	3	0
Exterior lighting	2	0
Tires	2	0
Equipment	1	0
Fuel/propulsion system	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.

The steering wheel wanders from left to right while driving on the highway. Driver took vehicle to the dealership,but mechanic could not duplicate the problem at this time. Driver had an accident last month due to this problem.
Steering · crash · 2003-10-16 · NHTSA complaint #10044131
We live in phoenix, az, and in the past three years four police officers have been either killed or severly injured due to collisions that resulted in the fuel tank catching fire. We would like to know what ford motor co. Plans to do about this. Is our crown vic safe to drive? If not, what do we need to do?
Fuel system · crash · 2002-06-20 · NHTSA complaint #763204
On one occasion it accelerated while driving at about 70 mph and had to be turned completely and restarted and the problem was cured no accident happened at that time. The second time it occurred when driving into a parkiing lot, and it accelerated and ran into a guard post. Time.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 2002-05-21 · NHTSA complaint #762060
Consumers vehicle was involved in a frontal crash while traveling approximately 45 to 50 mph, upon impact frontal air bags failed to deploy, shoulder belt failed to restrain driver, driver experienced muscle pains in neck/shoulder, and back areas, insurance company concluded the air bag should have…
Air bags · crash · 2001-11-13 · NHTSA complaint #899048
Passengers air bag deployed, but drivers air bag failed to deploy. No determination has been made as to the reason for this failure.
Air bags · crash · 2001-10-31 · NHTSA complaint #898547
This vehicle rear ended another vehicle. Front left tire left a very noticeable skid mark. Appears abs was not functioning correctly.
Service brakes · crash · 2001-04-24 · NHTSA complaint #744298
When at a traffic light stopped and the air conditioning is on high the turn signals periodically rapidly flash. The audible clicking of the turn signals clicks fast as well. The bulbs are not blown. It happens randomly or it does happen.
Electrical system · 2016-04-27 · NHTSA complaint #10861787
While driving the car, I lost power and had to pull over, upon checking under the hood, we came to the conclusion that the intake manifold (which is plastic) got to hot which caused antifreeze to leak out. I ended up having to have it towed to my house which is where it has set since.
Engine · 2015-01-15 · NHTSA complaint #10672712

When owners complained

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

200118
20029
20036
20052
20062
20071
20084
20091
20102
20112
20131
20152
20161
20191
20211

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 5,181 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 53, below average.

What to check before buying

Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2001 Ford Crown Victoria?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, engine and cooling, steering. Total complaints: 53. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbags did not deploy (4%), headlights and tail lights (4%), loss of power / limp mode (4%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2001 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 2001 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 2001 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.