2004 Ford Crown Victoria: common problems

Owners of the 2004 Ford Crown Victoria filed 138 complaints with NHTSA, most often about exterior lighting and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 138
involving a crash: 2

What fails most often

1 Exterior lighting 59% of all complaints
2 Electrical system 17% of all complaints
3 Steering 14% of all complaints
4 Wheels 7% of all complaints
5 Engine and cooling 6% of all complaints
6 Powertrain 4% of all complaints
7 Suspension 3% of all complaints
8 Vehicle speed control 3% of all complaints

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

Exterior lighting: 81 complaints (59% of all).
Electrical system: 23 complaints (17% of all).
Steering: 19 complaints (14% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Wheels: 9 complaints (7% of all).
Engine and cooling: 8 complaints (6% of all), 1 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 cyl
automatic, 4-speed

Drive: RWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 138 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

headlights and tail lights73 · 53%
rust, corrosion11 · 8%
warning lights, check engine9 · 7%
smoke, burning smell, fire5 · 4%
A/C or heater3 · 2%
vibration3 · 2%
knocking, grinding or other noise2 · 1%
infotainment or screen glitches2 · 1%
stalls while driving2 · 1%
steering or power steering problems2 · 1%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Exterior lighting	81	0
Electrical system	23	0
Steering	19	1
Wheels	9	0
Engine and cooling	8	1
Powertrain	5	0
Suspension	4	0
Vehicle speed control	4	1
Fuel system	3	0
Structure	3	0
Tires	3	0
Visibility	3	0
Engine	2	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.

I entered the ramp at 25- 30 mph when the steering locked up, I could not turn the wheel. Before I knew it I hit the curb and then rolled over approx. 3 times down an embankment and finally hitting a concrete barrier which stopped the car.
Steering · crash · 2014-04-07 · NHTSA complaint #10578715
Experienced unintended acceleration. Vehicle was stopped at a traffic light, with my foot on the brake. Suddenly the engine raced, propelling my vehicle into the rear of the stopped vehicle in front of me, causing body damage to both.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 2011-05-09 · NHTSA complaint #10399578
The recall includes cars originally sold in NH (both of mine) and says: SEVERE CORROSION CAN SEIZE THE LOWER INTERMEDIATE SHAFT WHICH MAY CAUSE THE UPPER INTERMEDIATE SHAFT TO COLLAPSE AND THE STEERING COLUMN LOWER BEARING TO SEPARATE.
Steering · 2022-02-08 · NHTSA complaint #11450920
The good year eagle sport tires tore apart on a short trip to the grocery store and caused the car to be unsafe to drive. The tires were manufactured on june 2019 and purchased october 2019 and by january 3rd of 2021 they were flat and chewed up with only around 13,000 miles on them even though they were 50,000 mile…
Wheels · 2021-01-07 · NHTSA complaint #11386905
The nead lights shut off while driving at night at 65 miles a hour stoped on the side of the hiway shut off the car played with the headlight switch the lights came back on but now they will not shut off so the battery must be diconected when not in use working on finding a repair shop t fix it
Exterior lighting · 2020-12-02 · NHTSA complaint #11377413
2004 ford crown vic headlights stopped working. I ordered and replaced the headlight switch and my headlights still don't work. I can't drive at night anymore. I have contacted ford dealership about a recall and have not received a call back.
Exterior lighting · 2020-10-29 · NHTSA complaint #11372311
The contact stated that the headlights failed to illuminate properly without warning. The contact manually adjusted the light switch and the headlights operated as intended. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
Exterior lighting · 2020-09-28 · NHTSA complaint #11361504
I was driving and all the sudden I start hearing this real loud noise coming from passenger rear and all my brake lights abs lights and traction lights came on . Well I was told it was wheel seals come to gind out there is a bit grove out of shaft wherr bearing rides. And shaft is very week
Steering · 2018-08-13 · NHTSA complaint #11119733

When owners complained

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

20042
20053
20064
20072
20082
200914
201013
201119
201212
201310
201416
20158
20169
20176
20188
20193
20204
20211
20222

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 2,817 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 138, above average.

What to check before buying

Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Wheels. Wheel runout, cracks, signs of a wheel strike.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2004 Ford Crown Victoria?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: exterior lighting, electrical system, steering. Total complaints: 138. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: headlights and tail lights (53%), rust, corrosion (8%), warning lights, check engine (7%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2004 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 2004 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 2004 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.