Most common 1997 Ford Crown Victoria problems
Share of the 288 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Ford Crown Victoria complaints by model year
Best Crown Victoria years: 2010, 2011, 2006. Years to avoid: 1996, 1997, 2003, 2005, 1999. Compare all years →
1997 Ford Crown Victoria recalls (8)
Vehicle speed control › Cruise control
Ford is recalling 225,000 my 1992-2003 econoline, my 1993-1995 taurus sho, my 1992-1998 crown victoria, my 1993 bronco, f-series, my 1995-1997 f-series super duty stripped chassis, my 1992-1998 Mercury grand marquis, and my 1992-1995 Lincoln town car vehicles.
Remedy: Dealers will install a new wiring harness, or replace the mating electrical component. The recall began on February 18, 2008. Owners May contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Vehicle speed control
On certain pickup trucks, passenger vehicles, sport utility vehicles, and motor homes chassis, the speed control deactivation switch May, under certain conditions, leak internally and then overheat, smoke, or burn.
Remedy: Dealers will install a fused wiring harness. Owners of the passenger cars included in this campaign will be instructed to return their vehicles to their dealers to have the speed control deactivation switch disconnected…
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
On certain passenger vehicles built with electronic traction control, the rear brake line May chafe due to contact between it and a floor pan stiffening rib, and a brake fluid leak May occur.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the subject vehicles for contact between the brake tube and floor pan stiffening rib. If contact is evident, but no abrasion or leaks exist, the brake tube will be repositioned to preclude further…
Fuel system, other › Storage › Tank assembly
On certain natural gas vehicles, if a flame from a vehicle interior fire becomes locally directed at the natural gas fuel tank located immediately behind the rear seat, the flame could damage the fiberglass wrap on the tank weakening the tank.
Remedy: Dealers will install an insulator behind the current seat back. Owner notification began on January 7, 2004. Owners should contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Seat belts › Front › Anchorage
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles using aftermarket driver's seat belt assemblies that were sold by Ford parts departments from January 1, through June 13, 2000. These seat belt assemblies fail to comply with the requirements of FMVSS no.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect these vehicles and replace the service seat belt assemblies that were installed in these vehicles from January 1 through June 13, 2000.
Seat belts › Front › Anchorage
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles using aftermarket front passenger side seat belt assemblies that were sold by Ford parts departments from January 1, through June 13, 2000. These seat belt assemblies fail to comply with the requirements of FMVSS no.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect these vehicles and replace the service seat belt assemblies that were installed in these vehicles from January 1 through June 13, 2000.
Show 2 more 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).
Latches/locks/linkages › Hood › Latch
Vehicle description: police and taxi vehicles. The hood latch striker can wear or become detached from the hood.
Remedy: Dealers will install an improved hood latch striker (vehicles with 1992 model hoods) or revised striker plate attaching fasteners (vehicles with 1993-1997 model hoods).
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 10 possible defects involving the 1997 Ford Crown Victoria:
Post rear end collision fires
There is no summary currently available
Rear brake line failure
Odi has received 40 complaints alleging rear brake line failure in the subject vehicles, including 8 that have been received this year.an additional 192 reports and 478 warranty claims have been received from Ford.a leak in the rear brake line can cause extended stopping distance.a search of odi's complaint database for peer vehicle complaints, using the same brake line failure criteria as for the subject vehicles…
Ball joint separation
See attached report.
Front seat anchor bolt failure
The driver's seat, of the subject split-seat configuration, is secured to the vehicle floor pan with four bolts.a single bolt is located at both the front and rear of each of the two seat tracks.these tracks are located on each side of the seat.if the outboard-forward bolt fails, the seat is retained by 3 remaining bolts.when retained by 3 bolts, the rearward movement of the left side of the seat back is limited to…
Cng tank exploding in a fire
An explosion of a compressed natural gas (cng) tank should not be able to occur, as the tank is fitted with a pressure relief device (prd). This prd should release the cng in the tank, prior to the pressure reaching the tank burst pressure.the prd did not release in the subject wisconsin police cruiser explosion.NHTSA has recovered the prd valve from the tank that exploded and testing will be necessary to establish…
Rear brake line failure
In a letter dated February 25, 2005, Ford motor company (Ford) notified odi that it would be conducting a customer satisfaction program (Ford no. 04b26) to correct a rear brake line chafing concern in approximately 44,000 model year (my) 1997 Ford crown victoria and grand marquis non-fleet vehicles equipped with electronic traction control that werebuilt after March 19, 1997.these vehicles have an additional rear…
Cng tank explosion
In September 2002, a fuel cylinder in a natural gas powered vehicle (ngv) exploded during a fire.Ford and vrtc test engineers jointly examined the incident vehicle and reviewed testing to determine whether the performance of the pressure relief valve (prd) was proper.the purpose of a prd is to protect a compressed natural gas tank from overpressure by allowing the cng to vent when the temperature reaches a specific…
Speed control deactivation switch fires
Based on the low rate of fire incidents (2.5 incidents per 100,000 vehicles sold) where failure of the scds is involved and the age of the vehicles ? 7 to 11 years ? A safety-related defect trend has not been identified and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that no safety-related defect exists.the agency reserves…
Spark plug ejection from cylinder head
On September 6, 2005, odi received a petition requesting that the agency investigate allegations of engine spark plug ejection in certain model year 1997 through 2004 Ford vehicles with triton v-8 and v-10 engines.odi received a total of 474 non-duplicative complaints on the subject vehicles where the complainant, or the dealer repairing the vehicle, reported that a spark plug detached from the cylinder and/or…
Fuel-fed fires
The fars data shows that the risk of fire from impact in all directions in the subject vehicles is the same as all other sedans.the subject vehicles are not over represented with respect to the risk of fire in real-world high-energy crashes.a further discussion of issues related to post crash fires in the subject vehicles is set out in the closing report for sq 01-014 and that report is in the docket for this…
What 1997 Ford Crown Victoria owners say
Engine & cooling all 85 →
Tl contact owns a 1997 Ford Crown Victoria. While driving approximately 45 MPH, the engine warning light illuminated on the instrument control panel. The engine then began to overheat. The contact pulled over to further inspect the vehicle and noticed steam near the engine. The vehicle was towed to a dealer and they stated that because the intake manifold was made out of plastic, it failed. The contact would have to pay over $3,000 to have the engine replaced. The vehicle has not been repaired. The failure and current mileages were 91,000.
The car has a fiber glass intake and my car has about 75,000 miles..a fiberglass intake is a defected product for this part of a engine,because of the heat.I bought this car new and even paid for the extended warrenty..Ford motor co. Should replace this defect part,,for free..I had to park my car over 3 years ago..
Brakes all 57 →
While driving, driver applied the brakes. They did not hold, which resulted in the vehicle having an extended stopping distance. This almost caused an accident. Upon inspection of vehicle, the driver noticed that the brake fluid had leaked out because of a hole in the brake line. Mr a recall was issued, but has not been extended to the general public. Referenced in rq03-004
Hydraulic line to rear brake failed (ruptured) causing immediate release of brake fluid underneath driver front floor pan at location of interest mentioned in recall/"safety improvement program". Owner was not contacted regarding notice which includes inspection of brake lines, replacement of clips (to avoid wear) and possible replacement of brake line and bleeding if needed.
Suspension all 45 →
The contact owns a 1997 Ford Crown Victoria. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel jerked, and the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. Additionally, the contact stated that the seat belt warning light was illuminated, and other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the lower ball joints failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.
While traveling 55 MPH, the frame control arm bracket pulled away from the vehicle and caused a collision. (pulled a "big chunk" out of the frame) the consumer requested that Ford cover the expenses for the repair. Recall# 98V322000.
1997 Ford Crown Victoria engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.6L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 15 / 23 / 18 |
EPA ratings. Class: Large car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1997 Ford Crown Victoria a good car?
Based on 288 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1997 Crown Victoria rates avoid: 4.2× as many complaints as a typical year of the Crown Victoria at the same age. It is one of the Crown Victoria years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1997 Ford Crown Victoria?
The engine & cooling — 85 complaints, 30% of all complaints for this model year, most often about exhaust system › manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe. Next are the brakes (57) and suspension (45).
How many recalls does the 1997 Ford Crown Victoria have?
There are 8 recalls for the 1997 Ford Crown Victoria, the most recent from February 4, 2008 (cruise control). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Ford Crown Victoria?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2010, 2011 and 2006. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1996, 1997, 2003, 2005 and 1999. See the full Ford Crown Victoria years comparison.
At what mileage do 1997 Ford Crown Victoria problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 86,000 miles; 13% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.