2009 Ford Crown Victoria: common problems

Owners of the 2009 Ford Crown Victoria filed 44 complaints with NHTSA, most often about steering and fuel system. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 44
involving a crash: 5

What fails most often

1 Steering 39% of all complaints
2 Fuel system 25% of all complaints
3 Powertrain 16% of all complaints
4 Electrical system 11% of all complaints
5 Suspension 9% of all complaints
6 Air bags 7% of all complaints
7 Visibility 5% of all complaints
8 Engine 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: 17 complaints (39% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Fuel system: 11 complaints (25% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Powertrain: 7 complaints (16% of all).
Electrical system: 5 complaints (11% of all).
Suspension: 4 complaints (9% 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 44 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

fuel system, fuel smell8 · 18%
loss of power / limp mode5 · 11%
airbags did not deploy2 · 5%
smoke, burning smell, fire2 · 5%
airbag warning light1 · 2%
A/C or heater1 · 2%
engine failure or replacement1 · 2%
headlights and tail lights1 · 2%
knocking, grinding or other noise1 · 2%
steering or power steering problems1 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Steering	17	2
Fuel system	11	1
Powertrain	7	0
Electrical system	5	0
Suspension	4	1
Air bags	3	2
Visibility	2	0
Engine	1	0
Engine and cooling	1	0
Fuel/propulsion system	1	0
Seat belts	1	1
Service brakes	1	0
Structure	1	1
Tires	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.

There was no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was damaged but drivable. There was no police report and no injury was reported. The air bags did not deploy. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was about 40,000.
Steering · crash · 2018-03-26 · NHTSA complaint #11081255
The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed and the contact sustained unknown injuries that required medical attention. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was destroyed. The failure mileage was unknown.
Air bags · crash · 2015-08-04 · NHTSA complaint #10746136
Charleston county sheriff's office marked patrol car. Driver lost control at high speed. Slid across the median.spun 180 degrees was struck in the rear by oncoming vehicle. Continued to skid across the road and struck the guard rail with the front of the vehicle. Vehicle caught fire at the rear and burned.
Fuel system · crash · 2012-04-16 · NHTSA complaint #10455359
Possible failure of the pre-tensioner system in a 2009 ford crown victoria from roll-over crash.
Seat belts · crash · 2010-12-07 · NHTSA complaint #10369491
The contact stated that while driving, the power steering malfunctioned and the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction. The cause of the failure was not determined.
Steering · 2021-01-04 · NHTSA complaint #11386371
Sterring began giving a clunking feeling in wheel when driving straight I notice 4 days ago. More noticeable over bumps... I thought it was my tires. I was driving down road and attempt to make a right turn and vehicle keep going straight and steering wheel was not turning also crash into oncoming traffic, vehicle was…
Steering · 2018-11-02 · NHTSA complaint #11145030
The consumer stated shifting out of park was difficult, the brakes seemed squishy, the right front passenger window, the lights on the dashboard/speedometer were inoperable, and the water pump needed to be replaced. The turn signals, tail lights and brake lights were inoperable. Exhaust fumes entered the vehicle.
Powertrain · 2018-03-28 · NHTSA complaint #11029821
Lealking fuel from the quick diconnect on the return fule line. That is causing a driing by the exhaust tail pipe and a gasoline smell around the vehicle
Fuel/propulsion system · 2017-09-11 · NHTSA complaint #11022584

When owners complained

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

20094
20109
20112
20126
20131
20143
20152
20162
20174
20183
20194
20211
20232
20251

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 5,689 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 16% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Crown Victoria has 94 complaints (33 years in the data). This year has 44, below average.

What to check before buying

Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
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 2009 Ford Crown Victoria?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: steering, fuel system, powertrain. Total complaints: 44. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: fuel system, fuel smell (18%), loss of power / limp mode (11%), airbags did not deploy (5%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2009 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 2009 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 2009 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.