2004 Ford Crown Victoria Problems, Recalls & Reliability

175 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2004 Ford Crown Victoria, alongside 3 recall campaigns and 6 defect investigations. It scores 32/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 92,000 miles.

175Complaints
32/100Trouble index
3Recalls
91,000Typical trouble mileage

Typical

Where 2004 sits among all Crown Victoria years

Darker = quieter yearsBrighter amber = more trouble

What owners report

Electrical 106 complaints (61%) · typically ~92,000 miles
“Taillight failure and corner light failure likely caused by faulty wiring as mentioned in 2015 lcm recall”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Crown Victoria
Steering 19 complaints (11%) · typically ~122,429 miles
Wheels & tires 12 complaints (7%) · typically ~101,000 miles
Engine 12 complaints (7%) · typically ~87,106 miles
Transmission & drivetrain 5 complaints (3%)
Suspension 4 complaints (2%)

Mileage when trouble shows up

Among the 159 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 91,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 61,000 and 126,298 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.

Recalls (3)

EXTERIOR LIGHTING 15V861000 2015

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…

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 06E056000 2006

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.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 05V206000 2005

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.

Federal defect investigations

Loss of headlights PE15028 opened 2015, closed 2016

Led to recall campaign 15V861000.

Loss of headlamp/exterior lighting DP15002 opened 2015, closed 2015
Steering Column Shaft Obstruction PE14021 opened 2014, closed 2014
LOSS OF HEADLIGHT FUNCTION PE08066 opened 2008, closed 2009
SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD DP05005 opened 2005, closed 2006
FRACTURE OF THE STEEL WHEEL RIM RQ04007 opened 2004, closed 2004

Technical service bulletins

63 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2004 Ford Crown Victoria. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.

See the 2004 Crown Victoria TSB list →

Complaint history for this model year

When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.

2004peak 23 in 20112022

Questions buyers ask

Is the 2004 Ford Crown Victoria reliable?

The 2004 Ford Crown Victoria drew 175 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 32/100, scored against the model's worst year (1992).

What are the most common 2004 Ford Crown Victoria problems?

The top reported problems for the 2004 Ford Crown Victoria are electrical (106 complaints), steering (19), and wheels & tires (12).

At what mileage do 2004 Ford Crown Victoria problems show up?

Owners most often report 2004 Ford Crown Victoria problems around 91,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 61,000 and 126,298 miles.

Does the 2004 Ford Crown Victoria have recalls?

3 recall campaigns apply to the 2004 Ford Crown Victoria. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.

← 2003 Crown Victoria All Crown Victoria years 2005 Crown Victoria →
Data updated 2026-08-20 from NHTSA's public records

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.