2003 Ford Crown Victoria Problems, Recalls & Reliability
303 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2003 Ford Crown Victoria, alongside 7 recall campaigns and 9 defect investigations. It scores 54/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 114,500 miles.
Below average
Where 2003 sits among all Crown Victoria years
What owners report
“Nhtsa recall 16v-861 the lighting control module (lcm) has problem. The headlights are not equal.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 Crown Victoria
“It happened on 12/17/2015 in the day time around 12 noon with a 2003 ford crown victoria lx with a set of 4 brand: firestone tires, tire line: precision touring, size: 235/60r16 99t, dot: 2rku, date code djc3413 --- in light rain the car was making a right hand turn at a speed under 30mph and lost…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 Crown Victoria
“The rear axle went out on the passenger side approximately 8 months or so before the driver side rear axle started going. There have been recalls for this same thing on the same make, year and model as my car. We replaced the passenger rear axle and are now facing having to replace the driver's…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 Crown Victoria
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 202 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 98,500 miles. Half of those reports fall between 54,000 and 139,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (7)
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…
Fix: 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…
CERTAIN AFTERMARKET FUEL FILTERS SOLD UNDER THE PUROLATOR BRAND NAME, P/N F65277, SHIPPED FROM JANUARY 16 THROUGH JUNE 2, 2006, FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. DUE TO INCORRECT DESIGN, THE QUICK CONNECTORS MAY NOT FULLY SEAT WITH THE TUBE…
Fix: UFI WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE FILTERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 4, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT UFI FILTERS USA AT 800-230-5876.
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…
Fix: 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.
CERTAIN POLICE, COMMERCIAL, AND PASSENGER VEHICLES SOLD TO FLEETS TYPICALLY INPUT HIGHER LOADS INTO THE VEHICLE CHASSIS OVERLOADING THE WHEEL BEARINGS AND AXLES.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE REAR WHEEL BEARINGS, SEALS,AND AXLE SHAFTS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 15, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
ON CERTAIN NATURAL GAS VEHICLES, IF A FLAME FROM A VEHICLE INTERIOR FIRE BECOMES LOCALLY DIRECTED AT THE NATURAL GAS FUEL TANK LOCATED IMMEDIATELY BEHIND THE REAR SEAT, THE FLAME COULD DAMAGE THE FIBERGLASS WRAP ON THE TANK WEAKENING THE TANK.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL AN INSULATOR BEHIND THE CURRENT SEAT BACK. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON JANUARY 7, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
ON CERTAIN POLICE AND TAXI 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.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE FOUR ROAD WHEELS AND SPARE WHEEL WITH THE MANUFACTURING DATE CODES OF AUGUST 18, 2001 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 22, 2002. IN ADDITION, FORD IS PROVIDING EXTENDED…
IN ORDER TO ENHANCE POLICE OFFICE SAFETY, MODEL YEAR 1992-2003 CROWN VICTORIA POLICE INTERCEPTOR (CVPI) VEHICLES WILL BE EQUIPPED WITH SHIELDS DESIGNED TO HELP PROTECT THE FUEL TANK IN HIGH-SPEED REAR-IMPACT CRASHES. FORD ALSO WILL BE OFFERING AN OPTIONAL…
Fix: FORD HAS ADVISED US THAT SHIELD KITS HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE SINCE LATE OCTOBER AND WILL BE INSTALLED ON POLICE INTERCEPTOR VEHICLES AT NO COST. THE OPTIONAL TRANK PACKAGE WILL BE AVAILABLE BY THE END…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 15V861000.
Led to recall campaign 04V328000.
Led to recall campaign 03V279000.
Led to recall campaign 03V472000.
Technical service bulletins
118 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2003 Ford Crown Victoria. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2003 Crown Victoria TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2003 Ford Crown Victoria reliable?
The 2003 Ford Crown Victoria drew 303 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 54/100, scored against the model's worst year (1992).
What are the most common 2003 Ford Crown Victoria problems?
The top reported problems for the 2003 Ford Crown Victoria are electrical (117 complaints), wheels & tires (51), and suspension (27).
At what mileage do 2003 Ford Crown Victoria problems show up?
Owners most often report 2003 Ford Crown Victoria problems around 98,500 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 54,000 and 139,000 miles.
Does the 2003 Ford Crown Victoria have recalls?
7 recall campaigns apply to the 2003 Ford Crown Victoria. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.