Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1987 Ford Crown Victoria submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 14 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
TFI MODULE SUDDEN FAILURE WHILE DRIVING. COULD NOT RESTART ENGINE. FORTUNATELY SPEED WAS ONLY 15 MPH. IF I HAD BEEN AT FREEWAY SPEEDS, LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY DANGEROUS.*AK
IGNITION SWITCH AND STEERING WHEEL COLUMN BEGIN TO HEAT UP. *AK CONSUMER STATED THAT THE DEALER REFUSE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE UNLESS THEY PAY. *YD
I OWN A 1987 FORD CROWN VICTORIA S/W WHOSE ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED IN 1998 BY A FORD DEALER IN DUNDALK, MD. IT WAS REPLACED WITH A "FORD REMANUFACTURED" UNIT ALONG WITH THE CONNECTOR. LAST WEEK I STARTED THE CAR AND DROVE ABOUT 200 YARDS WHEN I NOTICED THE "AMP" LIGHT SHOWING RED ON THE DASH PANEL AND MY WIFE CONCURRENTLY YELLING "THERE'S SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD". I DID A "U" TURN AND PROCEEDED TO MY GARAGE WHERE I OPENED THE HOOD AND SAW SMOKE POURING OUT FROM THE BACK OF THE ALTERNATOR AND THEN IT BURST INTO FLAMES. I DOUSED THE FIRE WITH A CO2 EXTINGUISHER BUT THE FLAMES RE-APPEARED. I CUT THE POSITIVE BATTERY TERMINAL CABLE AND THE FLAMES BECAME EXTINGUISHED. THE WIRES ON THE HARNESS ARE "COOKED".*AK
MOTOR WON'T START SOMETIMES. AKSO, WHEN DRIVING ON FREEWAY MOTOR WILL COMPLETELY DIE. CONSUMER FEELS THIS IS UNSAFE. *AK
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT IGNITION SWITCH CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE THE CAR WAS OFF . THE DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. AK
IGNITION MODULE MALFUNCTIONED FOUR TIMES. *AK
WHILE PARKED NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM STEERING COLUMN, AFTER DISCONNECTING BATTERY FOUND 1/4 OF IGNITION WIRING HAD BURNT.*AK
DIFFICULT TO INSERT KEY IN IGNITION AS WELL AS TURNING KEY. *AK
IGNITION SWITCH FIRE PRIOR TO RECALL.
IGNITION SWITCH FIRE. *SD
IGNITION SWITCH FIRE. *SD
IGNITION SWITCH FIRE. *SD
VEHICLE PARKED, KEY OUT OF IGNITION SWITCH; NO INDICATION OF ANY PROBLEMS; FIRE STARTED AROUND IGNITION AREA; VEHICLE TOTALED. *AK
THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AN IT WENT UP IN FLAMES. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Data on this page last refreshed .