Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1995 Ford Crown Victoria owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl contact owns a 1995 Ford Crown Victoria. The vehicle had the same failure as mentioned in recall # 96V135000. In 2003, the vehicle accelerated, but the contact was unable to turn the steering wheel. The contact shut the vehicle off, and had it towed to the personal mechanic. The mechanic stated that the ball joints were corroded and detached from the sockets. In addition, the pitman arms were not lubricated. The manufacturer stated that there were no recalls on the vehicle. On April 8, 2007, the vehicle was involved in a crash. The insurance company checked the vehicle's history and stated that the vehicle was included in a recall. The contact called the manufacturer again, and was still being informed that there was never a recall on the vehicle. The current mileage was 89,200, and failure mileage was 49,200. …
Steering wheel is loose, feels like it could come. Air bag light is on, cruise controlnot working correctly. All these things are safety related and should be fixed. I think steering wheel should be repaired free of charge, since it's a major problem.
I saw smoke coming from a cylinder under the brake booster. I then checked under the hood,the smoke simmerd and went out. Just ariving home from work ,I said ill get it checked out tomorow. Two hours later a neighbor knocked at the door, and said your car is on fire.
Loss of steering control, especially when changing lanes at highway speeds or making tight turns. Can also occur when holding steering wheel straight. Vehicle will have a noticeable "drift" or "shift" to either side, and seems quite dangerous. Dealer found that a recall had been done (96s45), but that this VIN was not included. The symptoms are exactly as described in recall 96s45. Visuall inspection by mechanic verified that this was the problem, and that the vehicle is probably dangerous to drive.
Pe96-029; 1 out 3 police vehicles have had pitman arm failures. Durnign normal maintanence it ws discovered the pitman arm was loose at the ball socket so the dealer was contacted and they saud they would replace it, also the steering gear assembly was overhauled and idler arm and bracket assembly replaced, because the front end had to much slack and wanders, spool valve did not have all the balls betwern worm and rack.
Bearing in the pitman arm of the steering system May become excessively worn allowing the pitman arm to separate from the center link of the steering system without warning. Driver would likely experience loss of steering control of vehicle - as per recall. Two hours after scheduled appointment time for recall service, owner was informed that repairs could not be performed because they had no information on the recall.
Headlight lenses constantly turn yellow and cloudy, power window regulator cables constantly snap, excessive play in steering wheel, horn buttons too small and inconvienient and pop out at times, EGR chamber always clogs every 40K miles and causes stalling condition.
Front driver ball joint design designed for failure, under normal use lower ball joint rapidly deteriorates and causes an unsafe environment for vehicle. Steering becomes erratic and steering wheel feels loose.
While driving ball joints/pitman arm malfunctioned. Was no prior warning. Vehicle was serviced by dealership before problem happened. Steering linkages were defective after having vehicle checked.
Steering shaft is bad, excessive rust to the u joint is causing vary stiff steering and steering wheel lock up in turns
Related recalls
Steering › Linkages
The pitman arms were not fully lubricated at the assembly plant. The "ball joint" at the outer end of the pitman arm can become contaminated and corrode.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the vehicles and if the joint is found to have significant wear, the arm will be replaced. Those pitman arms not replaced will have the "ball joint" fully greased.
NHTSA investigations
Steering gear sector shaft arm (pitman a
There is no summary currently available
Steering complaints in other Crown Victoria years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 1995 Ford Crown Victoria?
NHTSA has 99 complaints about the steering of the 1995 Ford Crown Victoria, 40% of the model year's 250 complaints. The component named most often is linkages (72 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1995 Ford Crown Victoria steering problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 96V-135 (linkages, Jul 18, 1996). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1995 Ford Crown Victoria steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 116,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 1 fire and 4 injuries to steering problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.