2008 Ford Crown Victoria: common problems

Owners of the 2008 Ford Crown Victoria filed 50 complaints with NHTSA, most often about steering and vehicle speed control. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 50
involving a crash: 11

What fails most often

1 Steering 50% of all complaints
2 Vehicle speed control 22% of all complaints
3 Suspension 12% of all complaints
4 Electrical system 10% of all complaints
5 Powertrain 6% of all complaints
6 Service brakes 6% of all complaints
7 Structure 4% of all complaints
8 Air bags 2% of all complaints

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

Steering: 25 complaints (50% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Vehicle speed control: 11 complaints (22% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Suspension: 6 complaints (12% of all).
Electrical system: 5 complaints (10% of all).
Powertrain: 3 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 50 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

steering or power steering problems5 · 10%
unintended acceleration5 · 10%
warning lights, check engine4 · 8%
rust, corrosion3 · 6%
smoke, burning smell, fire3 · 6%
airbags did not deploy2 · 4%
knocking, grinding or other noise2 · 4%
seat belts2 · 4%
fuel system, fuel smell1 · 2%
jerking, harsh shifts1 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Steering	25	4
Vehicle speed control	11	4
Suspension	6	0
Electrical system	5	0
Powertrain	3	1
Service brakes	3	1
Structure	2	1
Air bags	1	1
Engine	1	0
Engine and cooling	1	0
Exterior lighting	1	0
Fuel/propulsion system	1	0
Fuel system	1	0
Seat belts	1	1

What owners report

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

The air bags did not deploy. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries. The vehicle was towed to an auto service. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 103,000.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 2018-06-27 · NHTSA complaint #11104225
It was sudden and unintended acceleration. At that point, I slammed as hard as I could onto the brake pedal- to the point where the brakes were smoking. The engine overwhelmed brakes and I could not stop the vehicle- I could only slow it down.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 2016-08-05 · NHTSA complaint #10893344
Small grass fire extinguished around front-end of vehicle. Cursory vehicle examination on 09/15/11 reports: airbag deployed, seat belt locked up due to impact, unable to check brake pedal, unable to check front brakes, and bad steering (no further details on condition steering parts).
Steering · crash · 2014-11-24 · NHTSA complaint #10660688
The rear window shattered and glass flew inside the entire car. The trunk was crammed into the back seat. The air bags did not deploy at the time of impact. The whole dash and console fell down into out laps and the stereo ejected from the dash and flew into the back of the car.
Air bags · crash · 2014-09-19 · NHTSA complaint #10637557
The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph, there was a loss of steering control. The contact then unexpectedly crashed into another vehicle. The driver and front seat passenger sustained injuries to the neck, back and body. A police report was filed.
Steering · crash · 2013-10-29 · NHTSA complaint #10549941
Officer did not have any warning that this was about to happen, no popping, grinding or hard steering prior to the event. I am the lead fleet technician, ase master and advanced certified & 30 years experience.
Steering · crash · 2013-07-29 · NHTSA complaint #10532459
2008 ford crown victoria police interceptor: brake pedal is too close to the accelerator. Often, both pedals are pressed inadvertently when trying to stop. I personally know several police officers who report having this problem when driving '08 crown victorias.
Structure · crash · 2009-05-25 · NHTSA complaint #10269890
Drivers side seat belt buckle broke during a collision / accident. The vehicle has been taken out of service and secured so that nobody can tamper with it. There is no information regarding injury to the occupant.
Seat belts · crash · 2008-01-22 · NHTSA complaint #10215611

When owners complained

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

20083
20093
20103
20129
20132
20146
20152
20165
20173
20183
20191
20204
20211
20223
20232

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 5,345 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 15% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Crown Victoria has 94 complaints (33 years in the data). This year has 50, below average.

What to check before buying

Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2008 Ford Crown Victoria?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: steering, vehicle speed control, suspension. Total complaints: 50. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: steering or power steering problems (10%), unintended acceleration (10%), warning lights, check engine (8%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2008 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 2008 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 2008 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.