Most common 1999 Ford Crown Victoria problems
Share of the 134 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 →
1999 Ford Crown Victoria recalls (5)
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.
Equipment › Mechanical › Integrated jack/leveler/stabilizer
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. These vehicles have jacking instructions which, if followed, could cause the vehicle operator to place the jack on a frame weld when attempting to raise a rear wheel.
Remedy: Owners will be provided with a revised jack instruction and stowage card and jack warning label, as well as a supplement to the owner guide.
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.
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 defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 7 possible defects involving the 1999 Ford Crown Victoria:
Post rear end collision fires
There is no summary currently available
Blow back during refueling
There is no summary currently available
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 axle trailing arm frame mounting
There is no summary currently available
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…
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 1999 Ford Crown Victoria owners say
Engine & cooling all 27 →
My parents picked my daughter up from the school bus and proceeded down my driveway slowly. The vehicle suddenly accelerated even as my father had both feet on the brake. There were visible signs of the front wheels dragging up debris as the front wheels were locking up. He attempted to shift into neutral and turn the key but was unable to do so as the vehicle must have reached a speed in excess of 50 MPH before he slammed it into park and then ran head on into a tree. Both parent were injured severely even with the air bags deploying. The car was destroyed.
Tl contact owns a 1999 Ford Crown Victoria. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH he smelled anti freeze. He took the vehicle to the dealer and was advised that there were no recalls on the vehicl. He had previously received a recall letter for the intake manifold but the dealer did not perform the recall repair. The vehicle had three transmission replacements for this failure, two by the dealer and one the contact . He stated that there was anti freeze all over his engine. He stated he has taken the vehicle to the dealer three times and they advised him that he has to pay for the repairs. The dealer stated the failure was due to the intake manifold. The vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000 and the current mileage was 142,000.
Fuel & propulsion system all 20 →
My parents picked my daughter up from the school bus and proceeded down my driveway slowly. The vehicle suddenly accelerated even as my father had both feet on the brake. There were visible signs of the front wheels dragging up debris as the front wheels were locking up. He attempted to shift into neutral and turn the key but was unable to do so as the vehicle must have reached a speed in excess of 50 MPH before he slammed it into park and then ran head on into a tree. Both parent were injured severely even with the air bags deploying. The car was destroyed.
I am concerned about fuel tank fires started by rear end collisions. All research I have done states that Ford is recalling police cars only. As a consumer I think Ford owes it to the public to recall all Ford Crown Victoria's. My family is more important then their bottom line. My wife and I do not feel safe driving our children around in this car. Ford needs to acknowledge they are putting out an unsafe product.
Suspension
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 Ford Crown Victoria. While driving at 50 MPH, the contact suddenly lost control of the vehicle. The contact was able to engage the brake pedal in order to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the ball joint fractured. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 83,000.
Previously reported under recall # 98V322000. This recall was limited to 1994-1999 Crown Victoria fleet vehicles, natural gas, and Lincoln towncar limo's. A part search shows all Crown victorias from 1994-1999 use the exact same part number for the ball joints. There is no distinction between fleet, passenger,cng, or limo's. This defective ball joint was apparently used on all 1994-1999 Crown victorias either solely, or intermittently, but not limited to only fleet/commercial vehicles. Ford is developing a record for performing recalls and/or repairing defects for their "fleet customers" while ignoring the average consumer who is experiencing the same problem. In this case, however, the issue is one of safety, both to the occupants of the defective vehicle and to all other vehicles on the road. …
1999 Ford Crown Victoria engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.6L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 15 / 22 / 18 |
EPA ratings. Class: Large car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1999 Ford Crown Victoria a good car?
Based on 134 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1999 Crown Victoria rates avoid: 2.0× 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 1999 Ford Crown Victoria?
The engine & cooling — 27 complaints, 20% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine › gasoline. Next are the fuel & propulsion system (20) and suspension (18).
How many recalls does the 1999 Ford Crown Victoria have?
There are 5 recalls for the 1999 Ford Crown Victoria, the most recent from November 6, 2003 (tank assembly). 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 1999 Ford Crown Victoria problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 81,000 miles; 20% 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.