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1998 Ford Crown Victoria engine problems

30 complaints (25% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 100,200. 1 crash reported.

owner complaints
30
of this car's complaints
25%
typical mileage
100,200
crashes
1
recalls
0

Which part fails

  • Exhaust system: manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe
    9
  • Engine: gasoline
    9
  • Engine
    4
  • Exhaust system
    1
  • Cooling system: hoses/lines/piping/fittings
    1
  • Cooling system: fan
    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 1998 Ford Crown Victoria engine

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

Overheating 9

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

What 1998 Ford Crown Victoria owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Feb 28, 2018 · Engine · 160,000 miles · LA · fire

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 ford crown victoria. While driving approximately 45 MPH, the contact noticed smoke under the hood of the vehicle. The contact coasted the vehicle to the side of the road and notice flames underneath the vehicle. The fire was extinguished by the fire department. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a towing lot. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 160,000.

Filed Nov 3, 2016 · Engine · CA

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 ford crown victoria. While driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle overheated without warning. The failure recurred twice. 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 notified of the failure. The VIN and failure mileage were unknown. Updated 04/05/17*lj the consumer stated car overheating due to intake manifold, had to replace intake manifold. Vin failure updated 7/3/18*jb

Filed Jun 27, 2016 · Engine · 209,026 miles · PA

My intake manifold for my thermostat is completely broken when I looked up online to see how much the part would cost me to have fixed it said there was a recall on the part because in between the years 1997-2006 ford used generic plastic to make the part I just purchased the car off a guy like 6 months ago so if there were any recalls on the vehicle I had no idea till it broke on me and I looked it up I called a few ford dealerships and also the main ford headquarters in detroit and everyone's giving me the run around and telling me there were never any recalls on my car and that I have to pay to have it fixed meanwhile its there fault for putting the wrong part in the car in the first place I need your help getting these people to fix my car please contact me at [xxx] or if I can't be reached on that number [xxx] thank you. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).

Filed Apr 16, 2010 · Engine · 114,000 miles · FL

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford crown victoria. The contact took the vehicle for inspection and was advised by the independent mechanic that the intake manifold gasket was leaking antifreeze. The vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. The current and failure mileages were approximately 114,000.

Filed Feb 8, 2010 · Engine · SC · fire

The spark on the engine blew out of the engine and damaged the engine

Filed Sep 22, 2009 · Engine · 128,644 miles · TX

I own a 1998 ford crown victoria with a v-8 (4.6 ) that has a plastic intake manifold which is cracked and leaking coolant . It is unrepairable and must be replaced . This plastic should have never been used and intake manifolds are not supposed to fail like this and they should all be recalled .

Filed Mar 5, 2008 · Engine · 59,000 miles · GA

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford crown victoria. The vehicle was taken to the dealer because the contact was informed of a safety recall. The dealer stated that the intake manifold failed. All of the engine coolant leaked from the reservoir. The copper tubing connected to the intake that went to the reservoir failed and caused the vehicle to begin steaming. The purchase date, powertrain, and recall number were unknown. The current mileage was 60,078 and failure mileage was 59,000. Updated 03-25-08 *bf updated 03/25/08

Filed Jul 21, 2007 · Engine · 75,281 miles · PA

Intake manifold thermostat housing ( of composite material) on a 1998 ford crown victoria lx engine, cracked causing coolant to leak, and subsequently the engine to overheat. Car was brought to dealership for repair at a cost of $1055.18. Ford provided a recall to repair this defect to "commercial" users (police, taxis etc.), however ford did not extend this coverage to individual owners of cars beyond the 1997 model year ford crown victoria lx.

Filed Feb 23, 2005 · Engine · 56,500 miles · IL

The vehicle was leaking fluid from the intake manifold onto the engine. This vehicle was not included in the recall, please provide information.

Filed Dec 22, 2004 · Engine · IL

The vehicle's intake manifold cracked. *nm the vehicle ran rough. The vehicle received a tune up and it still ran rough and leaked fumes. The manifold was made of plastic. A metal manifold installed.

Questions about the 1998 Ford Crown Victoria engine

Does the 1998 Ford Crown Victoria have engine problems?

Owners have filed 30 complaints about the engine of the 1998 Ford Crown Victoria, 25% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.

At what mileage do 1998 Ford Crown Victoria engine problems start?

The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 100,200 miles.

Was there a recall on the 1998 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 1998 Ford Crown Victoria problems

Suspension 18Fuel system 17Lights 14Electrical 8Transmission 8Body 7Steering 7Visibility 5Brakes 4Tires 4Acceleration 2Airbags 2Driver assistance 2Wheels 2Locks 1Seat belts 1Seats 1

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