Most common 2005 Ford Cvpi problems
Share of the 20 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Ford Cvpi complaints by model year
Best Cvpi years: 2004, 2005. Years to avoid: 2003. Compare all years →
2005 Ford Cvpi recalls (2)
Wheels
On certain police vehicles equipped with steel wheels, some of the wheels May develop cracks in the rim near the weld line that connects the rim to the disk.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the four road wheels and spare wheel based on the wheel part number. The recall began on March 15, 2007. Owners should contact Ford at 1-800-343-5338.
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 3 possible defects involving the 2005 Ford Cvpi:
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 Steering Control
In its recall notice dated August 26, 2013, Ford Motor Company (Ford) notified NHTSA of a safety defect condition that may result in loss of steering in approximately 355,000 model year (MY) 2005 through 2011 Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis vehicles built at the St.
Fracture of the steel wheel rim
Fracture (cracking) of the subject vehicle (sv) wheel, which was previously investigated under preliminary evaluation pe03-009 (safety recall 03v-279), occurs in the model year (my) 2003 to 2005 police interceptor vehicles only; civilian specification and other my vehicles are unaffected by this condition.for the affected subject wheels, a fatigue crack occurs in the heat affected zone of the rim material adjacent…
What 2005 Ford Cvpi owners say
Lights
Driving a 2005 crown victoria in the early am (it was dark) on a city street without street lights. The headlights went off. Stopped the car immediately. Turned lights off and back on. All lights except the headlights worked. Experimented with the light switch and turn signal lever. Discovered the brights worked when pulling the lever (manual operation of the brights). After about three minutes the headlights turned themselves back on. Took the car to a Ford dealership. Told them what had happened. They reported later in the day that nothing could be found that was wrong. I googled the problem and was overwhelmed with hits. When I got the car after work I asked the service manager if anyone else had encountered the same problem. At first he was reluctant but after informing him I had googled the problem and had discovered that it had happened to others. …
Headlight control modules on Ford crown victoria police cars. Lights go out while driving down the road at night. We have had approximately 15 of these fail in our area which only involves 4 police agencies. We have had 2 unexplained fatalities in Ford crown victoria police interceptors which occurred at night while running lights and sirens. The lights go out and an engineer in Canada told me to push on the box located above the gas pedal with my foot. While doing this the lights came back on. Take foot off they go out. Ford will not reconize this as a problem and will not warranty this even though the car only had 30000 miles on it and 3yrs 2 months old. Cost us $690.00 for repairs
Wheels & tires
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Ford Cvpi. Since purchasing the vehicle the contact noticed that the wheels on the vehicle had begun to show signs of rust. The contact called the dealership regarding NHTSA recall #07V079000 component: wheels and was informed that the recall did not apply to his vehicles VIN number. The vehicle had not been diagnosed by the dealership at the time of the complaint. The current and failure mileages were 172000.
Lingering problem with 2005 Ford crown victoria police interceptor with suspected cracked wheels. Vehicle has all symptomology vehicle was manufactured for the 2005 my in 08/2004. NHTSA campaign id number: 07V079000 . Ford refuses to address the problem.
Brakes
Wakemed police department own several crown victoria police interceptor vehicles. Two of the vehicles, my 2005, have developed worn areas (and subsequent holes) on the right front brake hose leading to the brake caliper. These defects were discovered after the vehicles lost power brake assist in heavy traffic during patrol operations. The other three brake lines on each vehicle show no evidence of any such wear. While it does not appear that there are any components in direct contact with the brake line, it seems as if the likely point of contact is the front right lower control arm.
Wakemed police department own several crown victoria police interceptor vehicles. Two of the vehicles, my 2005, have developed worn areas (and subsequent holes) on the right front brake hose leading to the brake caliper. These defects were discovered after the vehicles lost power brake assist in heavy traffic during patrol operations. The other three brake lines on each vehicle show no evidence of any such wear. While it does not appear that there are any components in direct contact with the brake line, it seems as if the likely point of contact is the front right lower control arm.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2005 Ford Cvpi a good car?
Based on 20 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2005 Cvpi rates better than average: 55% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Cvpi at the same age. It is one of the best Cvpi years by this measure. 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 2005 Ford Cvpi?
The lights — 6 complaints, 30% of all complaints for this model year, most often about turn signal › switch. Next are the wheels & tires (4) and brakes (3).
How many recalls does the 2005 Ford Cvpi have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2005 Ford Cvpi, the most recent from March 6, 2007 (wheels). 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 Cvpi?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2004 and 2005. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2003. See the full Ford Cvpi years comparison.
At what mileage do 2005 Ford Cvpi problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 71,000 miles; 35% 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.