RoadVitals

2002 Ford Crown Victoria Engine Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Engine reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
8
Latest Jan 24, 2022
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
14%
of 58 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2002 Ford Crown Victoria submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 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.

Owner reports naming engine

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Engine
Filed Jan 24, 2022

Driving down the roadway at 55 mph a spark plug in cylinder 2 blow out. The car started making a popping noise and started to lose power. After a while the car shut off. The car was able to restart and be driven home. Upon inspection by a mechanic they found the spark plug had came dislodged and shot out of the cylinder and caused damage to the cylinder head the ignition coil and fuel rail. A new Heli coil was installed. A year later while in Texas driving down the road around 35 mph car made a pop noise and shot a spark plug out of cylinder 5 cause the car to lose power and start smoking with a heavy smell of fuel. Car was stopped and inspected. Found a spark plug was blown out of cylinder 5 with damage to the ignition cylinder and fuel rail. repaired the heli coil and placed with new spark plug ignition coil and fuel rail. 2019 while driving down road at 75 mph vehicle makes a loud pop and starts to lose power. Upon inspection by mechanic find spark plug blown out of cylinder 1 with damaged ignition coil. Having mechanic is now replacing both cylinder heads on the engine.

NHTSA ID
11448585
Incident
Jun 12, 2019
Engine
Filed Jan 6, 2016

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD CROWN VICTORIA. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH AND PROCEEDING TO STOP AT A RED LIGHT, THE ENGINE STALLED AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESTART AFTER NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE MANIFOLD WAS FRACTURED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 81,218.

NHTSA ID
10818444
Incident
Dec 29, 2015
Mileage
81,218 mi
Engine
Filed Nov 26, 2011

THE ENGINE STALLED WHILE DRIVING, FOR NO APPARENT REASON. DRIVER (MY RETIRED MOTHER, AGE 72) HAD TO GET CAR OFF ROAD AND RESTART CAR TO CONTINUE. THE POWER STEERING DISABLED WHEN THE CAR ENGINE STALLED. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES (2-3) OVER THE PAST MONTH, AND THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP CANNOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND IS UNABLE TO CORRECT IT. ON ANOTHER OCCASION THERE WAS A THUMPING NOISE AND THE CAR SLOWED CONSIDERABLY, BUT THEN PICKED BACK UP AGAIN. THE "ENGINE HEAT/THERMOMETER" LIGHT HAS FLASHED ALSO, BUT THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE HEAT IS NORMAL. I CONSIDER THIS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR MY MOTOR IF IT WOULD HAPPEN IN A HEAVILY CONGESTED, HIGH TRAFFIC AREA AND COULD CAUSE A VEHICLE CRASHES. IT IS A VERY STRESSFUL SITUATION.

NHTSA ID
10438291
Incident
Nov 24, 2011
Mileage
40,134 mi
Engine
Filed Sep 3, 2011

I HAD BEEN DRIVING 250 MILES OR SO AND DROVE DOWN A LONG WINDING INCLINE, AS THE ROAD FLATTENED OUT I HEARD A NOISE FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE NOISE SOUNDED LIKE A HOLE IN THE FIRST PART OF THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. I FOUND A SAFE PLACE TO PULL OVER AND TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS A SLIGHT ODOR OF NATURAL GAS AS THIS VEHICLE IS FUELED WITH NATURAL GAS. AFTER THE ODOR PASSED, I OPENED THE HOOD TO FIND THAT THE #2 IGNITION COIL MOUNT WAS BROKEN, AND THE COIL AND SPARK PLUG ASSEMBLY WERE LOOSE IN THE SPARK PLUG WELL. MY INITIAL THOUGHT WAS THE SPARK PLUG HAD LOOSENED AND EJECTED. I ATTEMPTED TO RE-INSTALL THE SPARK PLUG BUT THE THREADS IN THE CYLINDER HEAD WERE INEFFECTIVE. THE SPARK PLUG HAD BLOWN OUT OF THE CYLINDER HEAD. I HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON DEFECT FOR THESE FORD ENGINES. THE REPAIR INVOLVED REAMING AND TAPPING THE SPARK PLUG HOLE AND PLACING AN INSERT IN THE HOLE. THE SPARK PLUG COIL HAD TO BE REPLACED TOO. THE REPAIR COST WAS $450 AND THE REPAIR SHOP WARNED THAT THIS MAY HAPPEN AGAIN. THIS IS A DESIGN DEFECT THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE DANGEROUS UNDER DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES. IF I WAS NOT ABLE TO STOP IN A SAFE PLACE FAIRLY QUICKLY, THERE COULD HAVE BEEN MORE FUEL AIR MIXTURE ACCUMULATION UNDER THE HOOD AND SINCE THE SPARK PLUG WAS STILL OPERATIVE, AN IGNITION SOURCE WAS PRESENT TOO. *TR

NHTSA ID
10423166
Incident
Aug 26, 2011
Mileage
116,954 mi
ElectricalEngine
Filed Mar 10, 2009

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD CROWN VICTORIA. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 55-60 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO HESITATE AND VIBRATE. IN ADDITION, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND REMAINED LIT UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND STATED THAT THERE WAS AN INTERNAL COIL SHORTAGE. THE MISFIRE CYLINDER 5, COIL PACK, AND SPARK PLUGS WERE REPLACED IN THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON A SEPARATE OCCASION FOR THE IDENTICAL FAILURE AND THE MISFIRE CYLINDER 7, COIL PACK, AND SPARK PLUGS WERE REPLACED AT THAT TIME. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,425 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 68,045. UPDATED 03-27-09 *BF UPDATED 03/31/09.*JB

NHTSA ID
10261458
Incident
Feb 10, 2009
Mileage
67,425 mi
Engine
Filed Apr 12, 2008

JUST CRUISING THROUGH A PARKING LOT ON MY WAY INTO WORK AND HAD A SPARK PLUG BLOWOUT. DAMAGED THE SPARK PLUG COIL AS WELL. HAD TO BUY A NEW COIL, AND A HELICOIL KIT TO RE-TAP THE SPARK PLUG HOLE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10224285
Incident
Apr 11, 2008
Mileage
118,000 mi
Engine
Filed Nov 25, 2003
Fire reported

COMPLAINT REGARDING COUNTY OF TUOLUMNE CALIFORNIA SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT FOUR NEW CROWN VICTORIAS.*MR (NAR) *CB

NHTSA ID
10048675
Incident
Jun 15, 2003
Engine
Filed Aug 1, 2003

DROVE CAR THROUGH LARGE WATER PUDDLE AND ACCESSORY DRIVE BELT CAME OFF. *AK

NHTSA ID
10030590
Incident
Feb 15, 2002
Mileage
12,000 mi

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .