Most common 2004 Ford Crown Victoria problems
Share of the 138 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 →
2004 Ford Crown Victoria recalls (2)
Exterior lighting › Headlights
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2003-2005 Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis vehicles manufactured October 3, 2001, to August 2, 2005. The affected vehicles have a lighting control module (LCM) that may fail, resulting in a loss of headlights.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the LCM, free of charge. The recall began April 14, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S39.
Electrical system › Wiring › Interior/under dash
On certain police interceptors (cvpi) and commercial heavy duty (taxi) vehicles, at extremely high operating temperatures, the sound insulating panel, located under the vehicle positioned between the exhaust system and the underbody, could sag and possibly contact the surface of the catalytic converter.
Remedy: Dealers will remove the existing dash insulator and install a revised design insulator pad free of charge. The recall began on June 3, 2005. Owners May contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 6 possible defects involving the 2004 Ford Crown Victoria:
Fracture of the steel wheel rim
During a September 23, 2004 meeting and in subsequent discussions in November, Ford advised the office of defects investigation (odi) of their plans to introduce an improved steel wheel for manufacturing and service component use on the subject vehicles, indicating this would occur in December 2004.the new wheel design incorporates an additional manufacturing process (shot peening) which lowers tensile stress in the…
Loss of headlights
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened an investigation concerning the loss of headlights in model year (MY) 2003-2005 Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis vehicles. The subject vehicles share the same architecture and major components.ODI has received 636 unique reports (for all submission dates) related to the alleged defect, with owners describing a loss of both low and/or high beam headlights…
Steering Column Shaft Obstruction
On July 7, 2014 the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a preliminary evaluation based on five complaints (VOQs) alleging incidents ofinterference between dislodged exhaust manifold heat shields and the lower steering shaft/knuckle, including one alleging the interference resulted in a crash on a highway entrance ramp.
Loss of headlight function
The agency has closed this investigation based on its review of complaint reports, field and technical data provided by Ford and complainant interviews. Ford found that some lighting control modules (lcm) in the subject vehicles contained defective solder joints on the printed circuit board.this condition can lead to poor headlight performance ranging from intermittent outage and dimming to eventual headlights…
Loss of headlamp/exterior lighting
In a letter dated October 2, 2014 the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) was initially petitioned by the North Carolina Consumers Council, Inc. requesting a defect investigation of an alleged defect condition resulting in headlight and/or exterior lighting failure on 2003-2005 Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis vehicles.ODI analyzed Vehicle Owner Questionnaire (VOQ) complaints received from consumers…
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…
What 2004 Ford Crown Victoria owners say
Lights all 81 →
Recall # 15s39, pertaining to headlight module and soldering problems causing the headlights to go out. My headlights have gone out. It has been checked for fuse problems and bulbs burnt out. Not the problem. Contacted the manufacturer and 2 dealerships. All said the part is not available and they do not know when it will be available. Their remedy was that I walk. It has been since December 21, 2015 since the recall letter was sent out. It too had no remedy, or when the part would be available. Ford has no plans to fix the problem. My headlights went out when I was driving at night on the freeway. With no headlights I can not drive at night, during foggy weather, or during rain.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Ford Crown Victoria. While driving 45 MPH, the running lights in the front and rear of the vehicle became inoperable. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer (thomasville Ford Lincoln 1515 east jackson street, thomasville, ga 31792) where it was diagnosed that the lcm harness failed and needed to be repaired. The vehicle was repaired per NHTSA campaign number: 15V861000 (exterior lighting), but the failure recurred. The contact also stated that he witnessed visible smoke coming from under the dashboard. The manufacturer was contacted and provided case number: cas12683333. The failure mileage was approximately 127,152.
Electrical system all 23 →
I have a 2004 Crown Victoria. Ford has a recall out for 2003-2005 grand marquis and Crown Victoria's for their light control module (lcm) because of solders breaking causing exterior lighting not to work. I took my car to my local Ford dealership (April 22, 2017) to have such recall done because my exterior running lights were not working. (parking lights front and running lights rear) I also advise the dealership of this. Which is documented on the receipt I have kept. Ford doesn't replace the actual lcm, all they do is install a "bypass harness" to bypass the issue which does not fix the problem. I left the dealership with the same lights still not in working condition. Again, stated on receipt. The problem fixed itself and I assumed it went away. Now it's back but even worse. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Ford Crown Victoria. The contact stated that the electrical system indicator illuminated. The vehicle was serviced per NHTSA campaign number: 15V861000 (exterior lighting) at country Ford [phone] (95 goodman rd e, southaven, ms 38671), but the remedy failed to repair the vehicle. The contact mentioned that the electrical system indicator illuminated after the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 227,201.
Steering
I was informed by my mechanic that my steering column shaft needs to be replaced on my 2004 primary vehicle. Ford says they do not have a recall and will not cover the service. I have a recall for THE SAME ISSUE for my (not currently driving) 2005 Ford Crown Victoria Interceptor made in the SAME LOCATION (St. Thomas). 2005 Manufacturer Recall Number 13S08, NHTSA Recall Number 13V385000). The recall includes cars originally sold in NH (both of mine) and says: SEVERE CORROSION CAN SEIZE THE LOWER INTERMEDIATE SHAFT WHICH MAY CAUSE THE UPPER INTERMEDIATE SHAFT TO COLLAPSE AND THE STEERING COLUMN LOWER BEARING TO SEPARATE. Safety Risk: IF THE LOWER BEARING SEPARATES, THE VEHICLE MAY EXPERIENCE A LOSS OF STEERING, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. How can Ford say there is no issue when there is an active recall for it on model years 2005-2011? …
Vehicle became increasingly hard to steer at all speeds over a period of several months. The steering wheel would bind and become stiff at multiple positions during turns, but could still be steered with additional effort. During low speed turning it would take an unreasonable amount of effort to steer the vehicle. Investigation and inspection revealed that the multiple universal joints on the steering linkages in the engine compartment were heavily rusted and corroded, resulting in poor movement and the stiff steering. Linkages were cleaned and lubricated and steering returned to normal. During repair it was noticed that the exhaust heat shield was also heavily corroded and beginning to separate from the mounting hardware. If the heat shield separates from the exhaust manifold it will interfere with the steering linkages. The heat shield was removed. …
2004 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 2004 Ford Crown Victoria a good car?
Based on 138 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2004 Crown Victoria rates average: 1.4× as many complaints as a typical year of the Crown Victoria at the same age. 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 2004 Ford Crown Victoria?
The lights — 81 complaints, 59% of all complaints for this model year, most often about headlights. Next are the electrical system (23) and steering (19).
How many recalls does the 2004 Ford Crown Victoria have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2004 Ford Crown Victoria, the most recent from December 22, 2015 (headlights). 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 2004 Ford Crown Victoria problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 92,000 miles; 17% 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.