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2004 Ford Crown VictoriaProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 138 owner complaints about the 2004 Ford Crown Victoria, most often about the exterior lighting. It is covered by 2 safety recalls, and for recall 15V-861 the manufacturer reports only 40% of affected cars repaired.

2004 Ford Crown Victoria
43
CarFlaw IndexSolid year1.4× the Crown Victoria median · #10 of 27 years by complaints
Safety recalls2Lowest repair rate 40%Owner complaints1389 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage92kExterior lighting, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through September 12, 2022. Updated daily. Photo: Mister Falcon, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2004 Ford Crown Victoria has problems

138 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
Exterior lighting811
Electrical system232
Steering192
Wheels90
Engine and engine cooling83
Power train50
Suspension40
Vehicle speed control41
Structure30
9 other systems151

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

2 recalls

2004 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.

40%repaired · 2018 Q3

Exterior lighting: headlights

Recall 15V-861 · Dec 22, 2015 · 296,004 vehicles · 119,249 repaired

Risk. A loss of headlights can reduce driver visibility and increase the risk of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Wiring: interior/under dash

Recall 05V-206 · May 9, 2005 · 132,800 vehicles

Risk. IF THIS OCCURS, THE INSULATOR MIGHT EXPERIENCE CHARRING OF THE OUTER LAYER, BURNING ODOR, OR SMOKE WHICH MAY ULTIMATELY RESULT IN A FIRE.

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.

Mileage at failure

When do exterior lighting problems start?

92kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 72 exterior lighting complaints. 56% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
3under 30k miles40under 100k miles32100k miles or more
Best & worst years

2004 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
NHTSA crash tests

2004 Ford Crown Victoria safety ratings

2004 Ford Crown Victoria 4-DR. w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

2004 Ford Crown Victoria frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crashNot rated
  • Stability control: No
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
6 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2004 Ford Crown Victoria, and the recalls they led to.

  1. SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEADDP05005 · closed Jan 4, 2006
    No recall
  2. Loss of headlamp/exterior lightingDP15002 · closed Aug 11, 2015
    No recall
  3. LOSS OF HEADLIGHT FUNCTIONPE08066 · closed Mar 24, 2009
    No recall
  4. Steering Column Shaft ObstructionPE14021 · closed Nov 21, 2014
    No recall
  5. Loss of headlightsPE15028 · closed Jan 8, 2016
    Led to recall 15V-861
  6. FRACTURE OF THE STEEL WHEEL RIMRQ04007 · closed Dec 20, 2004
    No recall
In owners' words

What Crown Victoria owners report

Recent exterior lighting complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

THE NEAD LIGHTS SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT AT 65 MILES A HOUR STOPED ON THE SIDE OF THE HIWAY SHUT OFF THE CAR PLAYED WITH THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH THE LIGHTS CAME BACK ON BUT NOW THEY WILL NOT SHUT OFF SO THE BATTERY MUST BE DICONECTED WHEN NOT IN USE WORKING ON FINDING A REPAIR SHOP T FIX IT
Complaint 11377413 · Dec 2, 2020 · 117,000 miles
2004 FORD CROWN VIC HEADLIGHTS STOPPED WORKING. I ORDERED AND REPLACED THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH AND MY HEADLIGHTS STILL DON'T WORK. I CAN'T DRIVE AT NIGHT ANYMORE. I HAVE CONTACTED FORD DEALERSHIP ABOUT A RECALL AND HAVE NOT RECEIVED A CALL BACK.
Complaint 11372311 · Oct 29, 2020 · 124,000 miles
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD CROWN VICTORIA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V861000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR.…
Complaint 11361504 · Sep 28, 2020 · 120,000 miles

Own a 2004 Crown Victoria?

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