Total Complaints
5 filings
FORD CVPI · model year
1998 FORD CVPI
5 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1998FORDCVPI carries 5 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 1998 CVPI is electrical system:ignition with 2 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe (1) and engine and engine cooling:engine (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 177 investigation files overlapping the 1998 CVPI, and 8 remain open. 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.
5
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
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
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20070312ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
IN AUGUST 2006, SECOND SPARK PLUG BLOW OUT. NO WARNING, HAPPENED AT A STOP LIGHT. SUDDEN LOUD BANG STARTLED DRIVER IN NEXT LANE. DRIVER SWERVED AND RAN TWO VEHICLES OVER THE CURB. LUCKILY NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE. WAS IN A SCHOOL ZONE AT A TIME WHEN CHILDREN WERE LEAVING SCHOOL. THIS IS A POLICE INTERCEPTOR. DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE NATION DEPEND ON THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE TO SAVE LIVES. *JB
Mileage: 155,000
20070312ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
IN AUGUST 2006, SECOND SPARK PLUG BLOW OUT. NO WARNING, HAPPENED AT A STOP LIGHT. SUDDEN LOUD BANG STARTLED DRIVER IN NEXT LANE. DRIVER SWERVED AND RAN TWO VEHICLES OVER THE CURB. LUCKILY NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE. WAS IN A SCHOOL ZONE AT A TIME WHEN CHILDREN WERE LEAVING SCHOOL. THIS IS A POLICE INTERCEPTOR. DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE NATION DEPEND ON THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE TO SAVE LIVES. *JB
Mileage: 155,000
20051201ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
2 BLOWN SPARK PLUGS IN P71 MODEL 1998 FORD CROWN VICTORIA. SPARK PLUGS WERE REPLACED AND IGNITION COILS BECAUSE SPARK PLUG BLEW RIGHT UP INTO IGNITION COIL AND DESTROYED THEM. ONE WAS REPLACED BY A MECHANIC AND THE OTHER WAS REPLACED BY ME. *NM
Mileage: 98,500
20051201ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
2 BLOWN SPARK PLUGS IN P71 MODEL 1998 FORD CROWN VICTORIA. SPARK PLUGS WERE REPLACED AND IGNITION COILS BECAUSE SPARK PLUG BLEW RIGHT UP INTO IGNITION COIL AND DESTROYED THEM. ONE WAS REPLACED BY A MECHANIC AND THE OTHER WAS REPLACED BY ME. *NM
Mileage: 98,500
20050903ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
MY 1998 FORD CROWN VICTORIA POLICE INTERCEPTOR WAS PURCHASED FROM A INDEPENDENT DEALER IN FEB. 2005, MICHIGAN. I HAD NO PROBLEM UNTIL JULY/AUGUST THEN HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE INTAKE MANIFOLD LEAKING COOLANT. I RECEIVED NO NOTICE OF THE FORD RECALL AND BY THIS TIME I WAS TOLD BY FORD, AND A FORD LINCOLN MERC. DEALER THAT MY WARRANTY WAS UP THREE MONTHS AGO. MY WHOLE PROBLEM COULD HAVE BEEN FIXED BY FORD AND THEY REFUSED. THEIR MISTAKE BUT MY PROBLEM NOW. IS THIS A FAIR WAY TO TREAT A FORD CUSTOMER?*JB
Mileage: 90,000
Compare 1998FORDCVPI to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 8 Open
EA26001Engineering AnalysisOpen
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
PE25020Preliminary EvaluationOpen
Timing Belt Failure
DP25001Defect PetitionOpen
Underbody shields detachment
PE25007Preliminary EvaluationOpen
B-Pillar Trim Detachment
PE25002Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1998 FORD CVPI have?▼
The 1998 FORD CVPI has 5 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1998 FORD CVPI?▼
The most-complained component for the 1998 FORD CVPI is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE.
Is the 1998 FORD CVPI 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.