Motor Almanac

Ford / Crown Victoria / 2008

2008 Ford Crown Victoria

Family: Crown Victoria · filed with NHTSA as CROWN VICTORIA

Summary

  • Of the 50 complaints that name a component, 50% concern Steering (25).
  • These are complaint counts, not failure rates: they are not divided by how many cars were sold, because no public source reports U.S. sales by model year.
  • Not enough history to compare this year with the rest of its generation.
  • 3 recalls filed for this model year.
  • 3 federal defect investigations cover this model year.

At a glance

Owner complaints
50
Recalls
3
Investigations
3
NCAP overall
Not rated
Combined MPG
18
Annual fuel cost
$3,450
Median mileage at complaint
100,500 mi (n = 43)
Crashes / fires / injuries / deaths
11 / 3 / 6 / 1

What owners report

Steering

25 complaints · 50% of complaints that name a component · median 98,000 mi (n = 22)

Owner report The contact owns a 2008 Ford Crown Victoria. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The contact inspected the steering column underneath the hood and noticed that the steering shaft was corroded. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired …
Owner report The right front wheel hub broke at the weld when turning in a parking lot. The part is available for inspection. Had this happened at freeway speed, the right front wheel would have departed the vehicle. The safety hazards are obvious. I attempted to contact customer service and they did not reply.There was no warning…

Accelerator & Cruise Control

11 complaints · 22% of complaints that name a component · median 119,000 mi (n = 10)

Owner report TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD CROWN VICTORIA. WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY AND CRASHED INTO A TREE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTO SERVICE. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS…
Owner report I WAS GOING DOWN THE ROAD AND MY GAS PEDAL STUCK TO FLOOR TURNED KEY OFF AND HIT BRAKES FELT LIKE PEDAL WANTED TO STAY DOWN.CITY STREET.

Suspension

6 complaints · 12% of complaints that name a component · median 65,893 mi (n = 6)

Owner report TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD CROWN VICTORIA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, A LOUD ROARING NOISE EMITTED UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT BOTH FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS AND HUB ASSEMBLIES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED.…
Owner report TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD CROWN VICTORIA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE UPPER AND LOWER BEARINGS SEPARATED FROM THE VEHCLE, CAUSING THE POWER STEERING TO FAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V385000 (STEERING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILU…

Across the generation (1998–2011)

To compare years fairly, each year is counted over the same span: complaints received up to two calendar years after its model year. A year is compared only when that span is over and it holds at least 50 complaints. Median of the comparable years: 62.

Model yearAll complaintsFirst three yearsNote
199812261
199913862
20008933not compared
20015435not compared
20026031not compared
2003327115most complaints
200415516not compared
200521328not compared
2006537not compared
2007504not compared
2008509not compared
20094415not compared
2010122not compared
20112312not compared

Recalls

Whether a recall has been fixed on a specific car depends on its VIN; check it at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

14V704000 · STEERING:RACK AND PINION:PINION SHAFT

Filed 2014-11-05 · 36,888 vehicles

Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2005-2011 Ford Crown Victoria, 2005-2011 Mercury Grand Marquis vehicles manufactured March 23, 2004, to August 30, 2011, and 2005-2011 Lincoln Town Car vehicles manufactured March 8, 2004, to August 30, 2011, and on which the upper intermediate shaft was serviced during the course of safety recall 13V-385. The prior repairs may not have been correctly performed.

Risk: Improper servicing of the upper intermediate shaft could cause the shaft to separate, which can then result in a loss of steering control, and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify the owners of vehicles whose repair records reflect that the upper intermediate steering shaft was repaired during the course of the prior recall 13V-385. Dealers will inspect and replace the upper immediate shaft if necessary free of charge. The recall began November 17, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 14S25.

13V385000 · STEERING

Filed 2013-08-29 · 355,000 vehicles

Defect: Ford is recalling certain model year 2005-2011 Ford Crown Victoria (including Crown Victoria Police Interceptors), Mercury Grand Marquis, and Lincoln Town Car vehicles. The affected vehicles are currently registered or were originally sold in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Severe corrosion can seize the lower intermediate shaft which may cause the upper intermediate shaft to collapse and the steering column lower bearing to separate.

Risk: If the lower bearing separates, the vehicle may experience a loss of steering, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners and dealers will replace the lower intermediate shaft, free of charge. The upper intermediate shaft and steering column lower bearing will be inspected to identify any damage that may have occurred as a result of lower intermediate shaft corrosion, and repaired or replaced as necessary. If the steering column lower bearing has separated, a retainer clip will be installed. The recall began on October 23, 2013. Owners may contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's recall number is 13S08.

07V270000 · SUSPENSION:FRONT:HUB

Filed 2007-06-26 · 8,800 vehicles

Defect: ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, A FRONT WHEEL BEARING AND HUB ASSEMBLY MAY FRACTURE DUE TO IMPROPER HEAT TREATMENT.

Risk: IF A HUB FRACTURES, IT MAY POTENTIALLY DETACH FROM THE WHEEL KNUCKLE, RESULTING IN THE WHEEL BEING RETAINED ONLY BY THE BRAKE CALIPER ASSEMBLY. AS A RESULT, THE WHEEL MAY SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE POTENTIALLY RESULTING IN A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT BOTH FRONT WHEEL BEARING AND HUB ASSEMBLIES AND REPLACE THEM FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 22, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.

Federal investigations

ActionComponentOpenedClosedRecall
EA13004STEERING:COLUMN2013-04-262013-11-1513V385000
PE12025STEERING:COLUMN2012-09-142013-04-26
PE08060TIRES:VALVE2008-10-142009-04-09

EA13004: Loss of Steering Control

PE12025: Loss of Steering Control

PE08060: TIRE VALVE CRACKING

Engines and fuel economy

VersionEngineTransmissionDriveCityHwyCombinedFuel cost / yr
Crown Victoria FFV4.6L 8cyl FFVAutomatic 4-spdRear-Wheel Drive152318$3450

Fuel cost is EPA's estimate at the fuel prices of its last update, not today's.

Crash test ratings (NCAP)

VariantOverallFrontalSideRollover
2008 Ford Crown Victoria 4-DR. 4-DR. w/SABNot RatedNot RatedNot RatedNot Rated
2008 Ford Crown Victoria 4-DR.Not RatedNot RatedNot RatedNot Rated

Service bulletins

Ford issued 18 service bulletins listed against this model year, most often about power train.

A bulletin tells dealers how to fix a known condition. It is not a recall and not a defect finding. Most bulletins cover several model years at once, so one listed here may not be specific to this year. The number of bulletins tracks how long and how widely a model was sold, so it is not a measure of reliability.

DateComponentSummary
2019-09-18ENGINEThis SKU is a Radiator Fan. The customer communication requested return of unsold inventory to inspect the electrical connections. An electrical connection issue may lead to the fan not working potentially throwing a check engine light fo…
2018-03-30EQUIPMENTReplacing the original equipment SYNC/Navigation system with either an aftermarket SYNC/Navigation kit or modifying original SYNC/Navigation parts to provide additional features is not recommended nor supported on any Ford, Mercury or Linco…
2016-09-21ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINEThe Powertrain Control/Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) manual has been revised for diagnosing electronic throttle bodies (ETBs). The ETC_ACT and ETC_DSD PIDs should not used to diagnose possible ETB concerns. The IDS has a limited refresh rate …
2016-04-21STEERINGFor 2005-2012 Crown Victoria, 2005-2011 Grand Marquis and Town Car vehicles, Regional Program 13R01 applies to vehicles not registered in corrosion states and not included in Safety Recall 13S08, where operation in high corrosion areas for …
2016-04-21STRUCTUREInpected or repaired under 13R01 - Requests for recall service action under 13S08
2016-03-01POWER TRAIN4R75E TRANSMISSION - GRINDING/WHINE/VIBRATION/GEAR SLIPPAGE - SERVICE KIT AVAILABLE ISSUE A service kit has been released to assist with proper repair of the 4R75E transmission in 2008 Mark LT, 2008-2010 F-150, 2008-2010 / 2013-2014 E-Ser…
2016-03-01POWER TRAIN4R75E Transmission - Grinding/Whine/Vibration/Gear Slippage - Serrvice Kit available
2014-09-16STEERING:GEAR BOX:SHAFT PITMANFORD: THE LOWER INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT, HAS CORROSION OF SWING LINK JOINTS, COMBINED WITH COLLAPSED UPPER INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT, RESULTING IN STEERING COLUMN SEPARATION AND LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL. MODEL 2005-2011 CROWN VICTOR…
2014-08-21POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONFORD/LINCOLN/MERCURY: FAILURE OF PLANETARY GEAR ASSEMBLY IS DUE TO TRANSMISSION, ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, EXHIBITING GRINDING, GEAR SLIPPAGE, WHINE TYPE NOISE, VIBRATION, WHILE DRIVING OR LOSS OF REVERSE. *PE
2014-05-01POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONFORD/LINCOLN/MERCURY: THE INDICATOR MAY ILLUMINATE OVERDRIVE OFF AND/OR SLIPPING IN 3RD OR NO 4TH GEAR, DUE TO DIRECT CLUTCH FAILURE AND DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE (DTC) P0733 AND/OR P0734. MODEL 2008-2013 MARK LT, F-150, CROWN VICTORIA, GRA…

How to read this page

Complaint counts are not failure rates. A model that sells more cars draws more complaints, and owners file more often after news coverage or a recall. That is why this page compares a model year only with other years of the same generation, never with other models.

Each complaint is counted once, even when it names several components; a complaint that names several systems appears under each of them. Owner reports are quoted as filed and have not been verified by NHTSA or by us.

Every model year of this Crown Victoria, including the ones without a page of their own, is listed on the Ford Crown Victoria model page.

Sources

  • NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation: complaints, recalls and investigations (bulk files, data as of 2026-10-28).
  • NHTSA New Car Assessment Program: crash test ratings.
  • U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov: engines, transmissions and fuel economy.

MotorAlmanac is independent and not affiliated with NHTSA, EPA or any manufacturer. This page summarises public records; it is not a mechanical inspection. Before buying a used car, check its VIN for open recalls and have it inspected.