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1997 Ford Crown Victoria engine problems

85 complaints (30% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 82,035.

owner complaints
85
of this car's complaints
30%
typical mileage
82,035
crashes
0
recalls
0

Which part fails

  • Exhaust system: manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe
    37
  • Cooling system
    16
  • Engine
    10
  • Engine: gasoline
    4
  • Exhaust system: emission control
    1
  • Engine: gasoline: belts and associated pulleys
    1
  • Cooling system: hoses/lines/piping/fittings
    1

At what mileage

Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.

0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+

Ford Crown Victoria engine problems in other years

19901995200020052011

Specific symptoms reported on the 1997 Ford Crown Victoria engine

Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.

Overheating 27Stalling 6

Related recalls

No recalls on record for this model year.

Related investigations

Spark plug ejection from cylinder headOpened September 22, 2005, closed January 4, 2006

On september 6, 2005, odi received a petition requesting that the agency investigate allegations of engine spark plug ejection in certain model year 1997 through 2004 ford vehicles with triton v-8 and v-10 engines.odi received a total of 474 non-duplicative complaints on the subject vehicles where the complainant, or the dealer repairing the vehicle, reported that a spark plug detached from the cylinder and/or ejected from the engine.as of december 8, 2005, odi is not aware of any allegations where the alleged defect resulted in a loss of vehicle control, a crash, an injury, or a fatality in any of the 10,319,810 subject vehicles.in addition, odi is aware of only two incidents where the vehicle stalled without restart.information contained in the odi consumer complaints and obtained from 72 telephone interviews with complainants showed the following:(1) 99% of the complaints were on my 1997 to 2002 subject vehicles.(2) most the complainants reported hearing a loud pop while driving or upon starting up the vehicle followed by a loud, repetitive clicking or popping sound.(3) many of the complainants reported that the popping sound was accompanied by some loss of vehicle power; however, in 99% of the incidents reported, the vehicle did not stall.in the very few incidents where the vehicle did stall, most vehicles could be restarted.(4) only a small percentage of the complainants cited that they smelled gas or a slight burning smell when the incident occurred.(5) in all but a very few incidents, vehicle damage was limited to the engine.in one incident, the complaint reported that the fuel rail was damaged and replaced after one of the spark plugs ejected from the engine; however, the complainant reported that the damage did not result in any type of fuel leak or fire.in another incident, the only incident where a fire was alleged, the complainant reported that no fluid leak was observed, but that a fire resulted after the spark plug had ejected from the engine and he had restarted the vehicle and driven to another location.none of the complainants reported any damage to the vehicle hood.(6) only two complainants reported that they observed what appeared to be some drops of fuel coming from the cylinder where the spark plug had failed or on the spark plug itself; however, each of these complainants reported that there was no smoke or flames as a result of his incident.as the petitioner noted, and odi?s analysis showed, it is possible for a spark plug to detach from the engine cylinder threads in the subject vehicles.however, odi?s analysis of 474 complaints describing such incidents found only a very few alleged any safety-related consequences.none of these showed any evidence of a serious safety consequence.given the large population and relatively long exposure time of the subject vehicles, the complaint analysis indicates that the risk to motor vehicle safety from the alleged defect is very low.in view of the foregoing, it is unlikely that the federal safety agency would issue an order for the notification and remedy of the alleged defect at the conclusion of the investigation requested in the petition.therefore, in view of the need to allocate and prioritize the federal safety agency?s limited resources to best accomplish the agency?s safety mission, the petition is denied.

DP05005

Speed control deactivation switch firesOpened September 6, 2002, closed June 30, 2004

Based on the low rate of fire incidents (2.5 incidents per 100,000 vehicles sold) where failure of the scds is involved and the age of the vehicles ? 7 to 11 years ? A safety-related defect trend has not been identified and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that no safety-related defect exists.the agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.for additional information, see the attached closing report.

EA02025

What 1997 Ford Crown Victoria owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Feb 3, 2017 · Engine · 75,000 miles · NC

The car has a fiber glass intake and my car has about 75,000 miles..a fiberglass intake is a defected product for this part of a engine,because of the heat.I bought this car new and even paid for the extended warrenty..ford motor co. Should replace this defect part,,for free..I had to park my car over 3 years ago..

Filed Nov 29, 2010 · Engine · 97,500 miles · NJ

While driving in nj, the manifold blew and made the vehicle inoperative. Luckily, my mechanic came and towed the car to his garage. The mechanic performed a pressure test and determined that the 'plastic manifold' had blown. The origin of the fluid leak was behind the alternator. Then we did some research and found out that this was a problem back in 2004-5. I never knew, nor was I notified about this problem. I am the original owner of the car. The car was just into the ford dealership to diagnose a "check engine" light on, no discussion was made about this manifold problem ... They even checked for any previous technical bulletins. So, now what happens?

Filed Jun 14, 2010 · Engine · 90,000 miles · KY

I own a 1997 crown vic less than 100 thousand miles. Bought the car 2 years ago at dealership in louisville ky. Found out there was recalls on vehicle after purchase was told carmax was good. Now here I sit with a cracked intake manifold which was recalled, but noone every fixed it. Someone should be responsible for this, yes was a recall shouldn't there be a law to make someone stand behind the crack intake manifold this was a 1 owner when I bought it with only like 60000 miles,.

Filed Dec 8, 2009 · Engine · 60,140 miles · NY

I was driving home from work and thought a coolant hose had ruptured but after having the vehicle towed to my mechanic's place of business was told that the intake manifold had cracked and required replacement. After researching I found that ford had issued a recall for only a few models even though most of their 8 cylinder 4.6 engines utilized the same defective "composite" intake manifold. My crown victoria is a 1997 with 60,000 original miles!

Filed Dec 29, 2008 · Engine · 201,000 miles · TN

While checking the oil in the car, we noticed a crack in the intake. I was wondering if there has been a recall for this problem like with the firebird intake recalls.

Filed Sep 27, 2008 · Engine · 67,660 miles · AR

Intake plastic manifold cracked causing loss of coolant. Vehicle had 67660 miles on it. This is the second crown vic we have owned and it will be the last. The first one's transmission went out just after the warranty ran out. We had to buy a second crown vic due to the steering modifications necessary for my wife to drive and the crown vic is the only car at the time that could be modified to the necessary standards.

Filed Aug 28, 2008 · Engine · 91,000 miles · VA · fire

Tl*the contact owns a 1997 ford crown victoria. While driving approximately 45 MPH, the engine warning light illuminated on the instrument control panel. The engine then began to overheat. The contact pulled over to further inspect the vehicle and noticed steam near the engine. The vehicle was towed to a dealer and they stated that because the intake manifold was made out of plastic, it failed. The contact would have to pay over $3,000 to have the engine replaced. The vehicle has not been repaired. The failure and current mileages were 91,000.

Filed Jun 3, 2008 · Engine · 65,500 miles · MD

I recently determined that I now have a leaking front cover/intake manifold gasket/cracked intake manifold on my 1997 ford crown victoria 4.6 liter v-8 which will require immediate repair. Had this defect manifested itself back in 2005, I would have been covered by the chamberlan v. Ford settlement but class members had to seek reimbursement by march 16, 2006. Since my 1997 ford crown victoria has only recently started leaking coolant, I guess I will have to fork over the repair monies myself. Is there any chance of ford repairing this manufacturing defect gratis? F

Filed May 14, 2008 · Engine · 100,000 miles · NC

Tl*the contact owns a 1997 ford crown victoria. While driving approximately 55 MPH, the contact felt a strong gust of heat coming through her vents. She pulled over to the side of the road and had the vehicle towed back to her residence. The vehicle was unable to be driven. A local mechanic came to service the vehicle and informed her that the plastic intake manifold cracked and needed to be replaced with an iron intake manifold. The vehicle was repaired at the contact's expense. The manufacturer has not yet been notified. The failure and current mileages were 100,000. Updated 06/17/08.

Filed Sep 13, 2007 · Engine · 100,000 miles · AL · fire

Tl*the contact owns a 1997 ford crown victoria. While driving 50 MPH, the contact noticed smoke coming from the vents. She pulled over and exited the vehicle before it caught fire. The vehicle did not have insurance and was taken to the junk yard. The current and failure mileages were 100,000.

Questions about the 1997 Ford Crown Victoria engine

Does the 1997 Ford Crown Victoria have engine problems?

Owners have filed 85 complaints about the engine of the 1997 Ford Crown Victoria, 30% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.

At what mileage do 1997 Ford Crown Victoria engine problems start?

The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 82,035 miles.

Was there a recall on the 1997 Ford Crown Victoria engine?

There is no recall for this problem on this model year.

What year does the Ford Crown Victoria have bad engine?

The Ford Crown Victoria model years with the most engine complaints are 1997 (85 complaints), 1996 (84 complaints) and 1992 (48 complaints).

Other 1997 Ford Crown Victoria problems

Brakes 57Suspension 45Fuel system 29Acceleration 23Electrical 14Steering 11Visibility 11Lights 10Body 8Transmission 7Locks 3Seats 3Tires 3Airbags 2Seat belts 2Wheels 2

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