Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2003 Ford Crown Victoria owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
While in motion, car began making a grinding noise from rear. What I though might be a bad tire or failed brake turned out to be a leaking rear axle seal , damaged axle shafts and bearings. This is the exact recall under 04s16 which applies toward 2003 fleet cv's. Ford continually disappoints as I was told that my car VIN is not included. I had a similar incident with my lcm (lighting control module)-- had to pay repair and save receipts for 2 years until Ford fessed up and expanded recall and finally got a refund. As of this incident, the car is a passenger family vehicle in great shape/care with approximately 110,000 miles on it. 4.6 v8 engine. I expect a full refund for this repair which is effecting others and could have killed me and my family. I called [phone] Ford customer relations and was told to tuck my receipt in wallet and wait to see if a recall is ever issued. …
I bought my Ford Crown vic 3 years ago paid 6000 dollars, within two weeks the windshield wipers stopped working, then the transmission went out cost me 2500, then horn would go off and would not turn off till I pulled the positive battery cable off. Two weeks later the blinkers stopped working, then the lighting control module started making a loud beeping sound, then my headlights and tail lights stopped working. I revived a recall letter from Ford and it says take my car to Ford dealership and they would fix it free of charge. I went to dealership and they said I had to pay 85 dollars to check and see if the lighting module was bad or not if it was they said they would replace it for free, but there could be additional cost to pay and I would not get my 85 dollars back no matter what. …
Dealer, who I had bought the car from and who had been servicing it, said bearing noise in r/r (mileage 44850). Repaired it for $694.57 dollars. Police and fleet crownvics were manufactured at the same time in the same plant in Canada and were recalled for wheel bearing and axle problems via Ford recall number 04s16. Dealer said recall only applied to fleet vehicles so I had to pay for the work. Ford customer relations simply sent me back to the dealer. Is there any possibility the l/r bearing/axle May fail? Shouldn't the dealer/Ford consider this vehicle as part of the original recall? You have a number of complaints similar to mine on your website under different headings such as axle assembly, suspension rear, power train, axle shaft for the same model, year of manufacture, place of manufacture and low mileage. Just what role does your organization have in these situations? …
2003 Crown Victoria 57000 miles. My Crown Victoria was manufactured at the st thomas assembly plant during time frame in question in regards to recall number 04s16. At 57000 miles it developed a noticeable noise and vibration emanating from the rear differential. Upon inspection the axles were shown to be worn severely. Ford has recalled "only police and fleet" Crown Victoria due to there "severe" use and has deemed all other models built on the same assembly line, with the same defective parts unworthy of attention. This is a blatant disregard for consumer safety, the the general public. The parts are known, and have shown to be defective if place under heavy load. This recall should be extended to all Crown Victoria models, not just p70,p71,p72 as they all use the same exact axle shaft.
Tl contact owns a 2003 Ford Crown Victoria. The differential on the vehicle is worn out. The rear bearings were worn and caused the axle to separate from the housing. While driving 45 MPH, the bearings began smoking and smelled like hot asphalt. Smoke also rose from the rear of the vehicle. The gear oil leaked out of the bearings and onto the brakes. The dealer inspected the vehicle and stated that permission was needed from the manufacturer because the vehicle was out of warranty. Afterwards, the dealer repaired the failure under recall number 04V328000 (suspension:rear). The differential failed six months later and the dealer currently refuses to work on the vehicle unless the contact pays for the repairs. The current mileage was 94,000 and failure mileage was 80,344.
I have a 2003 Ford Crown Victoria with a 4.6l v8 and automatic transmission. In the last 44,000 miles I have had two rear axle failures that necessitated the replacement of the axle shafts, seals etc. The first failure was at 57,902 mi and was covered under warranty. The second at 102,753mi - 44,851 miles. I have found that Ford does have a recall on these vehicles but will not cover my vehicle as it is not a taxi/police/fleet vehicle. I am nearly 60, drive mostly freeway and country roads, do not race anyone, do not tow anything and work to get the best gas mileage I can from my car. I drive it gently. I have had the rear axle serviced per the schedule and it was only about 3,000 miles after my last axle service that this new failure occurred. I saw fluid all over the wheel well and upon removing the tire saw fluid coming out of the hub area. …
Noise in rear of car. When I looked at right rear wheel I saw oil. I then took it to the closes auto repair shop in midland texas which was allen s auto repair. They tore the rear end down and found that both rear axles were worn considerably they also told me there was plenty of oil still in the rear end. They also showed me a bulletin that Ford motor co. Put out on this problem, so apparently they have had problems in the past. When I got home in bander texas after getting the repairs that cost me $677.00 two different people told me that they ha d the same problem one even lost a wheel. The car had less than 70,000 miles when this happened. I had just delivered 5 grand children to the air port. This could have locked up or ran a wheel off. The axles were worn down quite a bit.
For over a year I heard a rumbling from the rear right of my car which a mechanic originally thought was a tire noise. On 3/2/10 the dealer reported hearing a bearing noise and on 3/11/10 "replaced right rear wheel brg and seal also replaced axel was damaged fill rear diff ..." I have the axle and bearings that were replaced in case you want to inspect them. At repair the car had 44884 miles on it. It cost me $694.57 to repair. The car was assembled at st. Thomas and is not a police or fleet car. Unfixed, the loss of drive function could have resulted in a crash. How many other units of this model have been involved in a crash or are a disaster waiting to happen?
2003 Ford p71 interceptor: right rear wheel bearing and axel shaft problem. Rumble reported to Ford. They said it was fixed on recall when owned by san antonio police dept. Before I bought it. My mechanic found a broken bearing and worn axel shaft. Both on recall. Car only has 68,000 miles. Ford says they fixed it once so too bad. I said you did not fix it right and put bad parts in again because it failed in 30K miles. They said too bad. Replacing a defective part with a defective part is '!@#$%. Please get these '!@#$%.
Went to midland texas from bandera tx. Which was around 300 mi. Was having noise in left rear wheel upon inspection saw oil on wheel. It was on week end I had a reputable auto shop check it out and found both rear axles were worn real bad. Their was plenty of oil in differential. They had abulletin making them aware of the problem so Ford knew their is a problem. Since I have had two more people in bandera tx. That had the same problem one had a wheel come off.
NHTSA investigations
Rear axle fracture
This pe was opened after odi became aware of two allegations concerning rear axle fracture and partial wheel separation involving my 2003 Ford crown victoria police interceptors (cvpi).initially, the pe's scope involved all my 2003 grand marquis, crown victoria, and Lincoln town cars (I.e., panther platform) produced through January 2003.while gathering information about this issue, it became evident that the…
Transmission complaints in other Crown Victoria years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2003 Ford Crown Victoria?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2003 Ford Crown Victoria, 10% of the model year's 249 complaints. The component named most often is axle assembly › axle shaft (7 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Ford Crown Victoria transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 2003 Ford Crown Victoria, though it has 5 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2003 Ford Crown Victoria transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 69,000 miles, and 10% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries to transmission & drivetrain 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.