Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
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. …
1. I had just backed out of a parking spot, finished turning the car around to face forward and began approaching exit out of parking lot. I estimate speed at the moment of failure was less than five (5) MPH. It is very fortunate that I was not going faster or I could have lost control of the Crown vic, been killed, or killed someone else. As I began to approach the exit, I heard a sound of metal dragging on the street. I thought I accidentally ran over a metal shopping cart or someone on a bicycle. This is the type of metallic, dragging sound I heard. 2. Right-front wheel fell off of car while approaching exit. I looked under my car just after the incident occurred, within approximately one or two minutes as it was then disabled in the lot. I observed ball joint had popped out. 3. …
Dt: the front suspension lower control arm lower ball joints separated. This happened while driving 35 MPH. There was a tiny bump in the road and the vehicle tilted to the right side lane. The vehicle was slanted to that side. There was a loss of steering. The vehicle was immobile at that time. A tow truck towed the vehicle to the contact's house and later to a mechanic. A recall was issued concerning the front suspension lower control arm lower ball joints. The contacts vehicle was not included in the recall due to VIN although the contact's vehicle experienced a similar problem. The mechanic replaced both lower ball joints.
1995 Crown Victoria had a blow out on the expressway at 55 MPH at about midnight after picking up our grandson from the airport don't know for sure if ball joint broke first or tire did my husband managed to get the car to the side of the road without hitting any thing. This happened May 24th 2009 the other ball joint just broke today August 16 2010 car was going about 5mph when it happened today. What are the odds this was just a coincidences or this was a defect in manufacturing someone could have been killed. We were lucky.
I have a 1995 Ford Crown Victoria with 83,000 miles on it. The control arm dropped and hit the road, causing loss of steering. Lucky for us we were going slow turning into a place of business, if we were going fast it could have been bad news. This car started a squeak on the front a little while ago, I guess it had something to do with it. I have noticed alot of 90's and some 2000's model fords have this same squeak. I contacted Ford, and they said there was no recall on my model, I told them there should be.
Tl contact owns a 1995 Ford Crown Victoria. The vehicle was a fleet. While driving between 5-10 MPH, the front end of the vehicle dropped. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and they stated that the driver side lower ball joint separated. The manufacturer stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign id number 98V322000 (suspension:front:control arm:lower ball joint). The purchase date was unknown. The failure mileage was 140,931 and current mileage was 141,000. Updated 11/15/07
Tl* the contact owns a 1995 Ford Crown Victoria. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 MPH, the driver side front fell to the ground and the tire buckled inward. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where they advised him that the ball joint had come out from the socket and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 1995 Ford Crown Victoria. The contact stated that while exiting a residential drive way, the driver's side front suspension ball joint fractured and separated from the vehicle. The manufacturer advised the contact that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign id number: 98V322000 (suspension). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 192,000.
Tl contact owns a 1995 Ford Crown Victoria. The contact was experiencing steering failure. He stated that the ball joints were loose on the vehicle and should be tighter. The VIN was excluded from NHTSA campaign id number 96V135000 (steering:linkages). The failure and current mileages were less than 140,000.
I am trying to find out if this vehicle was used as a taxi/police vehicle and if any recall services were performed on it. Hyannis Ford inc. Stated there were no recalls on this vehicle, but I saw many listed on this site, I have questions in regards to the suspension/airbags/torque converter,etc. Could you please tell me how I can find out if this vehicle has recalls on it and if I can get the work done. I had immediate problems with the vehicle when I bought it, and I don't think the dealer will give me straight answers. Thanks for any help or information you can give me.
Related recalls
Suspension › Front › Control arm › Lower ball joint
Vehicle description: certain 1996-1999 Ford crown victoria police, fleet, natural gas, and 1996-1999 Lincoln town car limousine vehicles that were produced with a lower control arm ball joint containing a one piece bearing; and 1990-1996 Ford crown victoria police, fleet, and ngv vehicles and 1990-1996 Lincoln town car…
Remedy: Dealers will replace the lower control arm ball joints (2).
NHTSA investigations
Ball joint separation
See attached report.
Suspension complaints in other Crown Victoria years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 1995 Ford Crown Victoria?
NHTSA has 35 complaints about the suspension of the 1995 Ford Crown Victoria, 14% of the model year's 250 complaints. The component named most often is front (11 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1995 Ford Crown Victoria suspension problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 98V-322 (lower ball joint, Dec 16, 1998). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1995 Ford Crown Victoria suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 94,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to suspension 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.