2005 Ford Crown Victoria: common problems

Owners of the 2005 Ford Crown Victoria filed 193 complaints with NHTSA, most often about exterior lighting and steering. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 193
involving a crash: 13

What fails most often

1 Exterior lighting 51% of all complaints
2 Steering 19% of all complaints
3 Electrical system 11% of all complaints
4 Powertrain 7% of all complaints
5 Vehicle speed control 6% of all complaints
6 Engine 4% of all complaints
7 Seat belts 4% of all complaints
8 Air bags 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: 99 complaints (51% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Steering: 36 complaints (19% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Electrical system: 21 complaints (11% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Powertrain: 14 complaints (7% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Vehicle speed control: 11 complaints (6% of all), 4 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 193 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

headlights and tail lights86 · 45%
warning lights, check engine11 · 6%
steering or power steering problems10 · 5%
seat belts8 · 4%
airbag warning light6 · 3%
rust, corrosion5 · 3%
smoke, burning smell, fire5 · 3%
unintended acceleration5 · 3%
A/C or heater4 · 2%
knocking, grinding or other noise4 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Exterior lighting	99	2
Steering	36	2
Electrical system	21	1
Powertrain	14	1
Vehicle speed control	11	4
Engine	8	1
Seat belts	7	2
Air bags	6	1
Fuel system	5	1
Service brakes	5	1
Suspension	5	0
Visibility	5	0
Structure	4	0
Engine and cooling	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.

Takata recall air bags did not go off in the accident.we have pic. And etc.bad injurys
Air bags · crash · 2018-10-26 · NHTSA complaint #11143015
I showed him that they were on but yet the tail lights were not. When I had a shop check for the problem, they said the fuses, bulbs and relays were fine. They said the problem is a common problem with this model and it is a lighting control module which costs over $500.they said ford has known about the problem but…
Exterior lighting · crash · 2014-03-12 · NHTSA complaint #10568808
My wife died in this police car lost control due to engine jerking and seat belts came loose and ejected my daughters havin head injury concussion and broken skull.
Engine · crash · 2013-08-20 · NHTSA complaint #10536369
Shortly after, the headlights stopped functioning. The vehicle was taken to a local repair shop where the contact was informed that the lighting control module failed. The vehicle was repaired. The current and failure mileages were 150,000.
Exterior lighting · crash · 2011-02-07 · NHTSA complaint #10381032
I lost control and the brake didn't work. It didn't stop by hitting once, it was amazing hitting back again and again. My car or even the other car didn't have any body damage and after 1 hour I started driving and on my way home the same thing happened. I got out of the road but no accident.
Powertrain · crash · 2010-12-21 · NHTSA complaint #10371993
1) taxi accident 2) left & right rear seat belt retractor failure; excessive spool out. Severe bodily injury.
Seat belts · crash · 2008-04-15 · NHTSA complaint #10224609
Austintown police officer was operating a 2005 ford crown victoria police vehicle when the vehicle was struck from behind, causing the vehicle to explode into flames. Preliminary indications are the police vehicle was moving at the time of impact and the second vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed.
Fuel system · crash · 2007-12-11 · NHTSA complaint #10211426
The passenger side rear tire tread separated causing the accident. There was nothing in the road. The tire was a goodyear eagle with 6000 miles. The amount of tread on the tire was unknown. Pictures and a police report are available. Vin and dot information was not available. Updated 02-01-08.
Tires · crash · 2007-05-14 · NHTSA complaint #10190722

When owners complained

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

20056
20069
20077
20086
200916
201015
201121
201222
201324
201415
201512
20169
201710
20183
20196
20203
20211
20223
20234
20261

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 2,107 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 6% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Crown Victoria has 94 complaints (33 years in the data). This year has 193, above average.

What to check before buying

Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2005 Ford Crown Victoria?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: exterior lighting, steering, electrical system. Total complaints: 193. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: headlights and tail lights (45%), warning lights, check engine (6%), steering or power steering problems (5%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2005 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 2005 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 2005 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.