Problems · by component

1999 Ford Crown Victoria engine and engine cooling problems

29 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1999 Ford Crown Victoria cite engine and engine cooling, 18% of all 159 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
29
18% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
2
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the engine and engine cooling

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACK CAUSING A MAJOR COOLANT LEAK AND ENGINE MALFUNCTION CAUSE COOLANT RUNNING TO LAST SPARK PLUG HOLE IN PASSENGER SIDE. ENGINE SIZE 4.6 8CYL. SAME AS MY EXPLORER 2002. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 15, 2012Engine and engine coolingODI 10451830
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD CROWN VICTORIA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH HE SMELLED ANTI FREEZE. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS ADVISED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE VEHICL. HE HAD PREVIOUSLY RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER FOR THE INTAKE MANIFOLD BUT THE DEALER DID NOT PERFORM THE RECALL REPAIR. THE VEHICLE HAD THREE TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENTS FOR THIS FAILURE, TWO BY THE DEALER AND ONE THE CONTACT . HE STATED THAT THERE WAS ANTI FREEZE ALL OVER HIS ENGINE. HE STATED HE HAS TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER THREE TIMES AND THEY ADVISED HIM THAT HE HAS TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. THE DEALER STATED THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 142,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 8, 2010Engine and engine coolingODI 10342009
“I HAVE 2 CROWN VICTORIA SEDANS AND BOTH HAVE "SPIT" SPARK PLUGS OUT OF THEIR RESPECTIVE CYLINDER HEADS. I AM NEITHER AMUSED BY THESE OCCURRENCES NOR SATISFIED WHEN I SPOKE WITH FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE. LISTED BELOW IS THE LAST TIME THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED - THE 4TH BLOWN PLUG. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 27, 2008Engine and engine coolingODI 10222542
“NUMBER 3 SPARK PLUG WAS EJECTED .CAR WAS TOWED, AND AS OF THIS EMAIL IS BEING REPAIRED IN FLORIDA. WE WERE ON VACATION AT THE TIME. HEAD WAS REMOVED, AND IS BEING REPAIRED. WE HAD TO RENT A CAR TO GET BACK TO PA. ALSO HAVE TO FLY BACK TO FLORIDA TO DRIVE CAR BACK TO PA. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 26, 2007Engine and engine coolingODI 10206951
“I OWN A 1999 FORD CROWN VICTORIA WITH 79,514 MILES ON IT. APPROXIMATELY 2 MONTHS AGO, I STARTED EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING HOT BUT NOT OVERHEATING AND WHAT APPEARED TO BE A COOLANT LEAK. I IMMEDIATELY REPLACED THE RADIATOR HOSE. IT DID NOT HELP. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO HAVE THE OIL CHANGED AND ASKED THAT THE COOLANT SYSTEM BE PRESSURE TESTED FOR LEAKS. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE INCREASED TEMPERATURE OF THE ENGINE HAD CAUSED THE THERMOSTAT HOUSING TO CRACK AND IT WAS ALSO DIAGNOSED TO NEED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD REPLACED. I PARKED THE VEHICLE FOR THE NEXT 2 1/2 MONTHS. DUE TO FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS, I COULD NOT AFFORD THE REPAIR WHICH WAS ESTIMATED TO BE $750 -850. NOW THAT I AM ABLE TO MAKE THE REPAIRS, A CALL TO A LOCAL FORD DEALER MADE ME AWARE OF THE FACT THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS DEFECTIVE, HOWEVER SINCE MY VEHICLE WAS PUT IN PRODUCTION IN DECEMBER 1999, I HAD MISSED THE RECALL DEADLINE. I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE FOR ALMOST 3 YEARS. IN THAT TIME, I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY INFORMATION ON THE RECALL OR THE CLASS ACTION SUIT AGAINST FORD. MY VEHICLE HAS HAD MAINTENANCE PERFORMED BY LOCAL FORD DEALERS AT WHICH TIME, I WAS NEVER MADE AWARE OF THE…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 29, 2006Engine and engine coolingODI 10172067
“I BEGAN NOTICING PROBLEMS WITH MY 1999 CROWN VICTORIA IN EARLY 2005. MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT KEPT COMING ON AND IT KEPT USING A LOT OF COOLANT. A FORD TECHNICIAN TOLD ME DURING A RECENT REPAIR THAT IT NEEDED ANOTHER "INTAKE MANIFOLD" AND THAT IT WOULD COST ME $800 TO FIX IT AT THE DEALERSHIP. I ASKED HIM IF IT WAS COVERED UNDER ANY WARRANTY AND I WAS TOLD NO. THE OTHER NIGHT I WAS DRIVING DOWN I-35 HEADED TOWARDS DALLAS WHEN THE HIGH TEMPERATURE GAUGE STARTED GOING OFF. I SLOWED DOWN AND PULLED OVER AND WHEN I OPENED THE HOOD, THERE WAS COOLANT SPRAYING FROM THE FRONT OF THE INTAKE MANIFOLD (NEAR THE THERMOSTAT). I WAS ABLE TO COOL THE CAR DOWN BY PUTTING WATER IN THE RADIATOR. HOWEVER, I HAD TO DO THIS EVERY COUPLE OF MILES BECAUSE THE WATER KEPT SHOOTING OUT OF THE TOP OF THE ENGINE. I FINALLY GOT TO A WELL LIT AREA AND WAS ABLE TO ISOLATE THE LEAK. THERE IS A GASH IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD APPROXIMATELY 2 INCHES LONG. I JUST CHECKED THE INTERNET FOR SOLUTIONS TO MY PROBLEM AND I FOUND OUT THAT FORD WAS SUED IN A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FOR THEIR DEFECTIVE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLDS. IT TURNS OUT, MY VEHICLE IS ONE OF THE VEHICLES THAT WAS COVERED IN THE CLASS ACTION…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 22, 2006Engine and engine coolingODI 10166257

Showing 6 of 29 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.