FORD CROWN VICTORIA · model year

1983 FORD CROWN VICTORIA

8 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1983FORDCROWN VICTORIA carries 8 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1983 CROWN VICTORIA is electrical system:ignition:switch with 3 filings, followed by vehicle speed control (1) and power train:automatic transmission (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 3 investigation files overlapping the 1983 CROWN VICTORIA. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

8
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

8 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH3
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL1
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE1

Recent Complaints

20020510ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

VEHICLE STALLS INTERMITTENTLY AFTER A LONG DRIVE AND WHEN SLOWING DOWN.*AK

20010110POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

20010110ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

20010110ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

19990511VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

WHEN VEHICLE IS STARTED IT SURGES FORWARD. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

19961231ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

VEHICLE WON'T START OCCASIONALLY DUE TO IGNITION SWITCH FAILURE. *DH

19960429ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

UPON STARTING, LEFT VEHICLE TO WARM UP, MOMENTS LATER WHEN OPENED DOOR FOUND INTERIOR ENGULFED IN SMOKE.. *AK

19960429ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

UPON STARTING, LEFT VEHICLE TO WARM UP, MOMENTS LATER WHEN OPENED DOOR FOUND INTERIOR ENGULFED IN SMOKE.. *AK

Compare 1983FORDCROWN VICTORIA to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1983 FORD CROWN VICTORIA have?
The 1983 FORD CROWN VICTORIA has 8 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1983 FORD CROWN VICTORIA?
The most-complained component for the 1983 FORD CROWN VICTORIA is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL and POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.
Is the 1983 FORD CROWN VICTORIA safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. 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.