2003 Ford Crown Victoria Engine Problems

The contact owns a 2003 Ford Crown Victoria. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the contact smelled an abnormal coolant odor. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed there was corrosion and a crack near the intake and radiator hose. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the intake manifold needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.

NHTSA ID

11518286

Incident

Nov 15, 2022

Mileage

70,000 mi

A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, #2 CYLINDER BLEW THE SPARK PLUG OUT. THIS CYLINDER WAS REPAIRED USING A THREAD INSERT. THE CAR HAD APPROX 130,000 MILES ON IT. TODAY, NO WARNING, AGAIN, BLEW OUT ANOTHER SPARK PLUG, THIS TIME #3 CYLINDER. GOING TO ATTEMPT REPAIR USING SAME TYPE OF INSERT. PLUGS HAVE BEEN REPLACED ONE TIME, WERE PROPERLY TORQUED PER FORD SPECS, THE PROBLEM, IN MY OPINION IS A DEFECTIVE DESIGN OF THE CYLINDER HEAD WHERE THERE ARE ONLY APPROXIMATELY 3 THREADS IN THE ALUMINUM HEAD THAT ACTUALLY GRIP THE PLUG OR ABOUT 1/16'TH OF AN INCH, WHERE THE PLUG HAS NEARLY 3/4 INCH OF THREAD. NATURALLY, FORD WON;T DO ANYTING TO HELP, BUT THERE ARE LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF CASES LIKE THIS, SOME OF WHICH HAVE RESULTED IN FIRES, AND EVEN THE AFTERMARKET HEADS BY TRICK FLOW ADDRESS THE PROBLEM BY FULLY THREADING THE SPARK PLUG HOLES IN THE HEADS.

NHTSA ID

10920161

Incident

Oct 31, 2016

Mileage

168,000 mi

SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT OF CYLINDER #6 AND RUINED COIL-ON-PLUG ALONG WITH IT. I HAD TO TAKE IT TO A MECHANIC AND THEY USED A TIME-SERT KIT TO RETHREAD THE CYLINDER SPARK PLUG WALL AND REPLACED ALL PLUGS WITH FACTORY PLUGS. I REPLACED THE SPARK PLUGS MYSELF 6 MONTHS BEFORE THE INCIDENT USING AFTERMARKET PLUGS AND IT RAN FINE FOR ABOUT 5,000 MILES UNTIL A PLUG BLEW OUT....UPDATED 09/22/15 *BF UPDATED 10/13/2015*JS

NHTSA ID

10731493

Incident

Mar 9, 2015

Mileage

110,000 mi

THREW A SPARK PLUG ON INTERSTATE. HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO NEAREST FORD DEALER AND REPAIRS WERE OVER $400 PLUS A RENTAL CAR TO GET HOME. I UNDERSTAND THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH FORD ENGINES. NOT GOOD FOR OLDER PEOPL TRAVELING ALONE AND OUT OF TOWN BY 3 HOURS. THIS NEEDS TO BE FIXED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10695281

Incident

Mar 18, 2015

Mileage

108,800 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD CROWN VICTORIA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT FLUID WAS LEAKING UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE INTAKE AIR MANIFOLD WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. UPDATED 12/30/14*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE ENGINE AIR MANIFOLD CRACKED AND THE THERMOSTAT ASSEMBLY FAILED ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. UPDATED 05/27/2015 *JS

NHTSA ID

10658959

Incident

Nov 14, 2014

THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON THE DASH AND THE CAR STARTED TO SLOW AND SPUTTER AS LIKE IT WAS OUT OF GAS , WHEN I HAD MY MECHANIC LOOK HE FOUND THE INTAKE TO THE MANIFOLD WAS SHATTERED ( THE PLASTIC PART THAT THE HOES GRIPS ONTO . I WAS COMING HOME FROM WORK IT WAS COLD AND THE CAR JUST STOPS WORKING AS THE LOSS OF THE FLUID FROM THE INTAKE SPRAYED ALL OVER THE MOTOR,BELT,HOOD,ELECTRICAL AND THE MOTOR LOCKED UP AS I WAS TRYING TO COST TO THE PULL OFF AS IT WAS A MAJOR TRAFFIC AREA . THE MANIFOLD INTAKE BROKE !!! IN NEW YORK " *TR

NHTSA ID

10651955

Incident

Nov 1, 2014

Mileage

155,000 mi

I WAS ON VACATION COMING HOME AND THE CAR STARTED TO PULL THEN LET GO AND THE ENGINE LIGHT CAM ON THEN CAR LOCKED UP ON THE HIGH WAY FEW SECONDS LATTER THEIR WAS THICK WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM THE HOOD OF THE CAR AND THREW THE VENTS INSIDE THE CAR. I TURNED THE HAZARD LIGHTS ON AND GOT OUT OF THE CAR ON A HEAVY HIGH WAY THE CAR SMOKED FOR ABOUT 20-40 MINUTES, AFTER IT FADED I OPENED THE HOOD TO FIND THE ( MANIFOLD INTAKE ) BROKE SPRAYING THE COOLANT ALL OVER THE ENGINE AND ELECTRICAL UNDER THE HOOD OF THE CAR. I SEE ONLINE THEIR HAS BEEN OTHER COMPLAINTS AND FORD FIXING THEM ONLY IN THE HOTTER STATES AS I LIVE IN NY BUT WAS IN TEXAS WHEN THIS HAPPENED. ALSO WHEN THIS HAPPENED I HAD NO PLACE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD AS I WAS IN CONGESTED TRAFFIC / BUSY HIGHWAY - I AM LUCKY I DIDN'T GET HIT BY A CAR. FORD MOTOR COMPANY I KNOW YOU KNOW OF THE ISSUE !!! *TR

NHTSA ID

10650917

Incident

Oct 15, 2014

Mileage

199,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD CROWN VICTORIA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THICK WHITE SMOKE STARTED EMITTING FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR WAS THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000.

NHTSA ID

10648484

Incident

Oct 17, 2014

Mileage

200,000 mi

2003 FORD CROWN VICTORIA P71 UPON STARTING THE CAR, A SPARK PLUG WAS EJECTED FROM THE ENGINE. NECESSITATED REPAIR OF ENGINE. THIS IS THE SECOND CYLINDER TO HAVE THIS OCCUR. *TR

NHTSA ID

10225554

Incident

Apr 24, 2008

Mileage

135,630 mi

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A BRAKE PROBLEM. WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE ACCELERATED WHENEVER THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED.*AK *TC

NHTSA ID

10099984

Incident

Nov 6, 2004

I PURCHASED A 2003 CROWN VICTORIA NEW. THE ENGINE DEVOLOPED A PINGING NOISE WHICH WAS RECOGNIZED BY THE DEALER. THE CAR IS UNDER WARRANTY. I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE DEALER STATING IT WAS AN ENGINE PROBLEM AND THEY WERE ON THE PHONE WITH THE FORD HOTLINE TECH TRYING TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION. THEY FELT THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING "TOO LEAN" BUT THEY WEREN'T SURE. THEY NEEDED THE ADVISE FROM FORD MOTOR COMPANY. AN HOUR LATER ANOTHER CALL WAS RECEIVED FROM THE DEALER STATING FORD TOLD THEM THEY HAD MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE PINGING PROBLEM IN CROWN VICTORIAS ON THE EAST COAST. IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY THAT IT IS A PROBLEM WITH THE GASOLINE ON THE EAST COAST AND THEREFORE, THE PROBLEM CANNOT BE FIXED. I WAS TOLD I COULD TRY A HIGHER OCTANE GAS, ALLTHOUGH THIS WAS NOT RECOMMENDED BY THE OWNERS MANUAL. WHEN FIRST DISCUUSING THIS PROBLEM WITH THE DEALER, I TOLD HIM I HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH MY PREVIOUS CAR, A 1999 FORD WINDSTAR, AND HAD BEEN TOLD BY THE PREVIOUS DEALER TO USE A HIGHER OCTANE GASOLINE. THE RESPONSE FROM THIS DEALER IS "THAT WON'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM." FRUSTRATED, I CALLED FORD'S CUSTOMER SERVICE. AFTER EXPLAINING MY PROBLEM I WAS TOLD I HAD A GOOD QUESTION AND THEY WOULD HAVE TO PUT ME ON HOLD WHILE THEY RESEARCHED THE ANSWER. THE ANSWER WAS "AS THIS IS CAUSED BY CONTAMINATED GAS, THE REPAIR IS NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. I'M NOW COMPLETELY CONFUSED AS THE DEALER WANTS TO FIX THE PROBLEM BUT CAN'T BECAUSE FORD HAS DETERMINED ITS THE EAST COAST GAS. THE TREATMENT OF THE FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE WAS APPALLING. MY WAY OF THINKING IS IF ITS A GASOLINE PROBLEM, WOULDN'T ALL CROWN VIC'S PING. IN THE FINAL ANAYLSIS, THE CONSUMER(ME) IS STUCK AGAIN. THIS WHOLE EPISODE TO ME IS SO LUDICROUS, THAT MAYBE I WRITE A PLAY ABOUT THE INCIDENT BUT I DOUBT ANYONE WOULD BUY IT. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO READ THIS COMPLAINT. IF NOTHING ELSE I HOPE IT ADDS A LITTLE CHUCKLE TO YOUR DAY. *LA

NHTSA ID

10043392

Incident

Oct 22, 2003

VEHICLE HAS HAD REPEATED COMPUTER PROBLEMS, VIBRATION, EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION, LOW GAS MILEAGE, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, MIRRORS, CRUISE CONTROL, SURGING ENGINE,ENGINE DIES, ALL OF THESE HAVE BEEN REPEAT COMPLAINTS.THESE COMPLAINTS ARE OVER THE LAST 16 MONTHS.*AK

NHTSA ID

10025230

Incident

Jun 27, 2003

Mileage

400 mi

2003 FORD CROWN VICTORIA PURCHASED IN 1/03 HAS REPEATED ENGINE VIBRATIONS THAT ARE NOTICED WHILE IDLING IN DRIVE AND APPLYING THE BRAKE. THE INDICATIONS FEEL LIKE THE ENGINE IS MISSING AND GETS WORSE AFTER DIRVING MORE THAN THIRTY MINUTES. THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THREE DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS WITH NOT RESOLVE. THE ONE HONEST DEALSHIP WAS FRIENDLY FORD IN CROSBY TEXAS AND THEY TOLD ME THAT FORD ENGINEERING WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND I WOULD HAVE TO PUT UP WITH THE VIBRATION UNTIL THEY FOUND A SOLUTION. THE ENGINEER TOLD THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT THEY HAVE TO LOWER THE IDLE "THE CAUSE" TO MEET FEDERAL EMMISSION CONTROL STANDARDS. I HAVE JUST RETURNED FROM SETTING IN A BRAND NEW CROWN VICTORIA THAT DOES NOT MISS LIKE MIND DOES. IT SEEMS THAT FORD KNEW WHAT THEY WERE DOING AND DID NOT CARE WHAT THE CONSUMER HAD TO PUT UP WITH. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT FORD IS HAVING ALOT OF ENGINE PROBLEMS WITH THE CROWN VICTORIA POLICE INTERCEPTOR. HOW CAN FORD SELL A CAR THAT IS BELOW PAR AND MISLEAD CONSUMERS. I PAID ALMOST THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR A CAR THAT FEELS LIKE IT IS RUNNING ON SEVEN OF THE EIGHT CYLINDERS. CAN YOU PLEASE ADVISE ME OF WHERE I CAN GO FROM HERE. REGARDS, TED MATUSZEWSKI

NHTSA ID

10016859

Incident

Feb 21, 2003

Mileage

98 mi