FORD · vehicle model

FORD CROWN VICTORIA

3,971 NHTSA complaints and 24 safety recalls across model years 1980–2011.

Complaints
3,971
Recalls
24
Model years
32

The FORDCROWN VICTORIA appears in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database with 3,971 consumer safety complaints and 24 recall campaigns across 32 model years (1980–2011). That averages roughly 124 complaints per model year. Report counts can differ between model years for many reasons; this dataset does not establish the cause of a difference.

Complaint volume on a nameplate alone is not a reliability verdict: a long-running bestseller can accumulate more filings than a low-volume niche model because more vehicles are on the road. The table below shows report counts and published NHTSA crash-test ratings side by side for each model year. The filing-year histogram shows the timing of submitted reports, not a causal trend.

NHTSA has 3 investigation files tied to this model. Investigation records, complaint reports, and recall campaigns each provide different context. Use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and the underlying notices to research a specific vehicle; PlainCars does not infer a vehicle-risk or pricing conclusion from these records.

Complaints by Year

YearComplaints
201132
201014
200959
200864
200774
200665
2005239
2004175
2003302
200271
200170
2000103
1999174
1998138
1997340
1996358
1995318
1994252
1993247
1992482
199170
199058
198986
198849
198748
198635
198524
19848
19838
19824
19812
19802

Complaint Filing Trend

NHTSA complaint volume by year filed (not model year).

Filings moved from 217 in 2017-2021 to 49 in 2022-2026, a fall of 77.4%. That is the 19th percentile of change across the 772 nameplates with enough filings in both windows to compare, where 0 is the steepest fall and 100 the steepest rise.

Filing volume, not a reliability verdict: counts also move with how many vehicles are on the road, how old they are, and whether a recall drew attention. Computed from this portal's NHTSA filing-year records over the same two windows the trend rankings use.

252
’95
445
’96
133
’97
244
’98
377
’99
302
’00
230
’01
211
’02
192
’03
147
’04
104
’05
96
’06
101
’07
106
’08
76
’09
109
’10
83
’11
144
’12
102
’13
110
’14
68
’15
73
’16
65
’17
60
’18
47
’19
34
’20
11
’21
13
’22
18
’23
2
’24
16
’25

Year filed (bar labels show the complaint count).

View all trending models →

Compare FORDCROWN VICTORIA to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How reliable is the FORD CROWN VICTORIA?
The FORD CROWN VICTORIA has received 3,971 NHTSA complaints spanning model years 1980 to 2011, with 24 recalls. That averages about 124 complaints per model year.
What years of FORD CROWN VICTORIA are available?
PlainCars has complaint and recall data for the FORD CROWN VICTORIA from 1980 to 2011 (32 model years). Select any year to see component-level complaint breakdowns and safety ratings.
Does the FORD CROWN VICTORIA have safety ratings?
NHTSA safety ratings (NCAP 5-star program) are available for many FORD CROWN VICTORIA model years from 2011 onward. Select a specific year to see front crash, side crash, and rollover ratings where available.
What are the most common FORD CROWN VICTORIA complaints?
NHTSA complaints for the FORD CROWN VICTORIA are categorized by component, common areas include engine, transmission, electrical system, airbags, and brakes. Select a model year for a detailed component-by-component breakdown.
How do I check if my FORD CROWN VICTORIA has been recalled?
Visit the year-specific page on PlainCars to see all recalls for your model year, or enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov for official recall status and available remedies.
Data sources

Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.

Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. FORD CROWN VICTORIA totals are aggregated from the linked NHTSA model-year rows; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.