Ford / Crown Victoria / 1997
1997 Ford Crown Victoria problems
Owners have filed 340 complaints about the 1997 Ford Crown Victoria with NHTSA. Engine and engine cooling accounts for 26.2% of them — the clear leader, ahead of service brakes, hydraulic at 16.5%.
Complaints340
Crashes10
Fires20
Injuries21
Deaths0
What owners report breaking
Engine and engine cooling 26.2% · 89
Service brakes, hydraulic 16.5% · 56
Suspension 13.8% · 47
Fuel system, gasoline 9.4% · 32
Vehicle speed control 6.8% · 23
Electrical system 4.1% · 14
Visibility 3.2% · 11
Steering 3.2% · 11
Severity
Of those complaints, 10 describe a crash, 20 describe a fire and 21 report an injury.
Reading the numbers
Across the 12 model years of the Ford Crown Victoria in this data, 1997 ranks 3rd by complaint volume — 1992 draws the most.
Filings have fallen off, 6 in the last three years against 10 in the three before. That is normal as a generation leaves the road.
The median odometer reading at the time of complaint was 86,000 miles.
In owners' own words
Engine has never overheated. Cooling system very clean. Spontaneous crack developed in plastic intake manifold croosover tube, directly behind alternator. Immediate coolant loss through 3.5" Crack. Replacement part looks identical, no visible improvement. Ford admits to faulty component through service bulletins,and has made repairs to fleet vehicles. Dealer states they will do nothing for individual owners. Engine and engine cooling
Composite intake manifold developed fatigue cracks at the coolant crossover duct which created a loss of engine coolant ,heating the engine and cracking the heads. Ford knows about this problem(Ford tech bulletin dated 02/02/02 & special service message #10379) Ford admits to faulty component and has made repairs to taxi`s & police vehicles ,but will do nothing for an individual with the same engine! *Nlm Engine and engine cooling · reported at 82,035 miles
This is a complaint about my 4.6 V-8 crown vic. The intake manifold cracked resulting in a loss of coolant and a 750.00 Repair bill. The manifold is made of a composite not metal.So this could happen again. Sounds like a design flaw. Also, why is Ford replacing the police and municipal cars manifolds and not private citizens?? This information came straight from the mechanic at the Ford dealership. Engine and engine cooling · reported at 77,450 miles
Verbatim from NHTSA filings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.
Safety recalls
Checking NHTSA for open recalls…