Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (fuel pump, injectors, fuel tank, hybrid and EV propulsion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1999 Ford Crown Victoria owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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.
The arizona dept public safety & phoenix police dept are reporting high occurences of fires associated with rear-end collision of the Crown Victoria vehicles, an officer was killed when his vehicle was struck from behind and burst into flames, the officers vehicle was stopped for a traffic stop and the other vehicle was traveling in excess of 81 MPH at impact, authorities suspect fuel system related (no VIN given)
Anytime I put a half a tank in gas in car it smells bad in truck so when this does happen I look in the truck,there's this foam in the back that's co bed with gas,n the small is bad.I don't let me kids in the gas,ntil its gone..will it catch in 🔥.it happens all the time since I bought the car.help plz
Under normal driving conditions at approximately 25 MPH I began to smell a sweet burning scent that I quickly recognized as coolant. I pulled over & inspected the engine compartment. The first thing I observed after removing the plastic facia from the top of the engine was a crack in the water temperature sensor housing right in front on the top passenger side of the intake manifold. I was less than a block from my home so I drove home and had it towed into harvey's auto the next day. [redacted] has told me that there was a recall on this intake manifold and as the original owner I should have been notified about this recall. I was never informed of any recalls. …
The inner fender protection is completely inadequate, allowing road salt to completely cover the entire engine and wiring. The suspension, master cyclinder, fuel injection, and other parts are coated completely. This could cause deteriorationg and failure of the engine possibly leading to an accident. This has been reported to Ford, acknowledging that this is happening, but refusing to fix the situation. They stated if something happens my compliant is on file for future reference. In the 5,000 miles I've put on the car I have washed the engine compartment down 4 times to prevent corrosion or failure. Your help in this matter would be appreciated and could prevent an accident due to a mechanical failure in the future.
Intertia fuel cut-off activated after rumble strips and a pothole while on interstate exit ramp. Dealer replaced front disk pads that were "mismatched" and occasionally caused loss of control during moderately hard braking. Steering wheel makes creaking noise that could/possibly be a sign that air bag circuit May not function reliably if needed.
Vehicle experienced a loss of power while on the highway, was able to pull off onto the shouder safely, and had vehicle towed to the dealer. Dealer informed consumer that the emergency fuel cut off valve was activated. Consumer was concerned how did it get activated if no one was in the trunk. The right rear seat belt failed.
Ltr FWD from consumer re defective automatic fuel cut off switch for a 1999 Ford Crown Victoria. The fuel cut off switch would cut off every 10,000 to 12,000 miles for no reason. The consuemr was traveling on the highway when this occured and luckily no accident occured.
Consumer has been the unlucky owner of a Ford Crown Victoria. She does not feel secure in the vehicle until Ford makes a recall to get them fixed. The consumer was concerned about a possible gas tank explosion in an event of a rear end collision.
Related recalls
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.
NHTSA investigations
Post rear end collision fires
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…
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…
Fuel System complaints in other Crown Victoria years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 1999 Ford Crown Victoria?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 1999 Ford Crown Victoria, 15% of the model year's 134 complaints. The component named most often is delivery › hoses, lines/piping, and fittings (7 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Ford Crown Victoria fuel system problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 03V-472 (tank assembly, Nov 6, 2003). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1999 Ford Crown Victoria fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 75,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 1 fire and 2 injuries and 1 death to fuel & propulsion system 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.