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1986 Ford Crown VictoriaProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 27 owner complaints about the 1986 Ford Crown Victoria, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 1 safety recall.

69
CarFlaw IndexOne of the best years54% below the Crown Victoria median · #24 of 27 years by complaints
Safety recalls1Free fix at dealersOwner complaints2713 with a crash, fire or injuryTop problem14Electrical system

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through September 5, 2001. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1986 Ford Crown Victoria has problems

27 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Electrical system149
Seat belts40
Engine and engine cooling30
Steering22
Vehicle speed control21
Power train10
Structure11

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

1 recall

1986 Ford Crown Victoria recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

–no report yet

Delivery: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings

Recall 87V-139 · Sep 4, 1987 · 3,600,000 vehicles

Risk. COUPLING COULD DISENGAGE DUE TO FUEL PRESSURE,VIBRATION, AND ENGINE MOVEMENTS; THIS WOULD CAUSE LOSS OF FUEL WHICH, INPRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, CREATES A…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Ford.

Best & worst years

1986 vs. every other Crown Victoria year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Crown Victoria median. How we score

'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
3 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1986 Ford Crown Victoria, and the recalls they led to.

  1. FIRESPE87055 · closed Mar 10, 1988
    No recall
  2. ENGINE COMP FIRESPE88101 · closed Jan 3, 1989
    No recall
  3. BRAKE LINE PUNCTURESPE91125 · closed Jan 15, 1992
    No recall
In owners' words

What Crown Victoria owners report

Recent electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

DROVE VEHICLE TO RESTAURANT PARKING LOT, WENT INSIDE RESTAURANT, LOOKED OUT, VEHICLE FILLED WITH SMOKE AND IN FLAMES, SOUNDE LIKE IT WAS STARTING BY ITSELF. *AK
Complaint 983932 · Apr 30, 1996
WHILE PARKED IN PARKING LOT, FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH CAUSED FIRE IN AREA OF STEERING COLUMN; PARKED FOR 5 MINUTES; NO WARNING; VEHICLE TOTALED. *AK
Complaint 983020 · Apr 18, 1996
WHEN TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY VEHICLE SHUTS OFF WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. IT TAKES THIRTY MINUTES BEFORE STARTING BACK UP. DEALERSHIP AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK
Complaint 895764 · Sep 5, 2001

Own a 1986 Crown Victoria?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.