2003 FORD CROWN VICTORIA Complaints

THE HEADLIGHT RELAY ON THE LIGHTING CONTROL MODULE (LCM) PART NUMBER NEC-EQ1-11111S OVERHEATS AND FAILS SUDDENLY, SHUTTING OFF HEADLIGHTS WHICH COULD LEAD TO A CRASH. THIS IS AN APPARENT PROBLEM ON 2003 FORD CROWN VICTORIA PASSENGER AND POLICE INTERCEPTOR MODELS. THIS HAPPENED TO ME. RESEARCHING ON INTERNET, APPARENTLY IT IS A COMMON FAILURE THAT GEARHEADS ARE ADVISED TO "MODIFY" THEIR 2003 AS SOON AS THEY GET IT BY REPLACING THIS RELAY ON THE LCM (IF THEY KNOW HOW TO SOLDER.) APPARENTLY, IT IS A 10A RELAY, WITH 8+AMPS GOING THROUGH IT AND IT OVERHEATS AND FRIES THE RELAY. DON'T KNOW IF THIS OVERHEATING CONDITION ENOUGH TO CAUSE FURTHER DAMAGE OR FIRE. IT IS APPARENTLY AN $600-$800 FIX AT THE DEALER IF YOU AREN'T' A GEARHEAD TO REPLACE THE WHOLE LCM (ALTHOUGH IF APPARENTLY REPLACED WITH THE SAME RELAY - SAME PROBLEM WILL DEVELOP). THE FACT THAT THE HEADLIGHTS BOTH GO OUT SUDDENLY IS DANGEROUS. TO DRIVE I HAD TO PULL BACK ON THE BRIGHT LIGHTS HANDLE ON THE STEERING COLUMN TO SEE, AND THIS RESULTED IN A TICKET FROM POLICE, BUT IT WAS THIS OR NOTHING TO GET HOME. CAR NOW IN DRIVEWAY. REPLACED THE SWITCH IN STEERING COLUMN FIRST, BUT THIS DIDN'T SOLVE PROBLEM. FOUND OUT I HAVE TO LEARN TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO SOLDER OR SHELL OUT BIG $$$ TO FIX. *TR

2003 FORD P71 INTERCEPTOR: RIGHT REAR WHEEL BEARING AND AXEL SHAFT PROBLEM. RUMBLE REPORTED TO FORD. THEY SAID IT WAS FIXED ON RECALL WHEN OWNED BY SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPT. BEFORE I BOUGHT IT. MY MECHANIC FOUND A BROKEN BEARING AND WORN AXEL SHAFT. BOTH ON RECALL. CAR ONLY HAS 68,000 MILES. FORD SAYS THEY FIXED IT ONCE SO TOO BAD. I SAID YOU DID NOT FIX IT RIGHT AND PUT BAD PARTS IN AGAIN BECAUSE IT FAILED IN 30K MILES. THEY SAID TOO BAD. REPLACING A DEFECTIVE PART WITH A DEFECTIVE PART IS '!@#$%. PLEASE GET THESE '!@#$%. *TR

2003 FORD CROWN VICTORIA P71 UPON STARTING THE CAR, A SPARK PLUG WAS EJECTED FROM THE ENGINE. NECESSITATED REPAIR OF ENGINE. THIS IS THE SECOND CYLINDER TO HAVE THIS OCCUR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD CROWN VICTORIA. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE BEGAN MAKING A RUMBLING SOUND. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED BY A LOCAL MECHANIC AND THE PASSENGER SIDE AXLE BEARING WAS REPLACED. A YEAR AND A HALF LATER, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO MAKE THE RUMBLING SOUND AGAIN AND IT WAS RETURNED TO THE LOCAL MECHANIC. THE DRIVER SIDE BEARING WAS REPLACED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 62,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,071. UPDATED 05/05/08 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED REQUEST REYNOLDS FORD DEALER TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE PARTS AND REFUND $500 EXPENSES PAID FOR THE DEFECTIVE PART. UPDATED 05/05/08 *TR

1993 FORD CROWN VICTORIA WITH SPEED CONTROL RECALL. CONSUMER STATES THAT HE RECEIVED A LETTER IN FEBRUARY SAYING PARTS WERE AVAILABLE. WHEN HE CALLED THE DEALER THEY HAD NOT HEARD THAT PARTS WERE AVAILABLE. *KB

THE WIRING HARNESS FOR THE HORN AS WELL AS FOR INSIDE DASHBOARD AND DOME LIGHTS WAS DEFECTIVE UPON PURCHASE WHEN NEW. THE DASHBOARD AND DOME LIGHTING WAS CORRECTED BY THE DEALER ON THE FIRST TRY WITH NO MORE PROBLEMS. HOWEVER, THE HORN WIRING, ETC. WAS REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY FIVE DIFFERENT TIMES AND I HAVE PAID OUT OF POCKET FOR TWO MORE REPAIRS. THE PROBLEM IS STILL NOT REPAIRED. THE HORN STARTS BLOWING SPONTANEOUSLY WITHOUT WARNING WHEN THE CAR IS SITTING AND STOPPED AND ALSO WHEN RUNNING. IT BLOWS CONTINUOUSLY UNTIL GETTING UNDER THE HOOD AND DISCONNECTING THE WIRING. *TR

WHILE DRIVING CAR HOME AT NIGHT THE HEADLIGHTS QUIT. LIGHTS CAME BACK ON AFTER CAR WAS STOPPED FOR 10 MINUTES. CAR WAS DRIVEN AGAIN A COUPLE OF TIMES AND HEADLIGHTS FAILED AGAIN. LIGHTS COME BACK ON AFTER 5-10 MINUTES. NO LONGER DRIVE CAR AT NIGHT DUE TO CONCERN FOR SAFETY. *TR

FAILURE OF WELD POINT ON WHEEL RIMS CAUSING RAPID AIR LOSS IN TIRES, A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. PROBLEM BEGIN WHEN I FOUND TIRE GONE FLAT AFTER DRIVING FROM MILFORD OH, TO MIDDLETOWN OH. TIRE WAS FINE BEFORE I LEFT MILFORD. TIRE HELD AIR FOR ONLY A FEW HOURS AND MY SPARE HAD A CUT IN THE SIDE WALL FROM A TOOL IN THE TRUNK, SO I PUT AIR IN AND TOOK IT BACK HOME. TOOK IT TO THE MILFORD WALMART TIRE AND LUBE CENTER, THEY DISCOVERED THE AIR LEAK AT THE WELD POINT. TOLD THEM TO PUT THE RIM FROM THE SPARE ON... SAME PROBLEM AT THE SAME WELD POINT. LOOKED UP ONLINE AN FOUND THERE IS A RECALL. WENT TO FORD DEALERSHIP GARAGE AND THEY TOLD ME THERE IS A RECALL BUT ONLY IF IT IS STILL A POLICE OR FLEET VEHICLE. CALLED CORPORATE CUSTOMER LINE AND WAS TOLD SAME THING AND IT WAS ONLY A DANGER FOR "EXTREME DRIVING" AND THEY COULD NOT REPLACE FOR A CIVILIAN. BOTH RIMS HAVE SPENT TIME ON THE CAR AND I DRIVE IT NORMALLY AND YET TWO FAILURES HAVE OCCURRED. I FIND IT SHOCKING THAT A KNOWN DEFECT IS ONLY TO BE REPLACED FOR GOVT AND FLEET BUT NOT CIVILIANS WHO COULD BE IN THE SAME DANGER OF A TIRE FAILURE ON THE HIGHWAY. DEALER AND FORD MOTOR COMPANY REFUSED TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE PARTS. I WAS TOLD BY ANOTHER CUSTOMER AT THE FORD GARAGE HE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM ON HIS USED CROWN VIC (AND WAS ALSO REFUSED SERVICE) AND HE SUGGESTED I MAKE A COMPLAINT HERE.*CN

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD CROWN VICTORIA. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH OR GREATER, THE CONTACT HEARD A RUMBLING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. AS OF NOVEMBER 20, 2007, THE DEALER HAD NOT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC AND HE STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR WHEEL BEARING CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE REAR AXLE, BEARINGS, AND OIL SEAL. THE DEALER STATED THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V328000 (SUSPENSION: REAR). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 21,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 36,289. UPDATED 12/07/07

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD CROWN VICTORIA. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A ROARING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE NOISE PROGRESSIVELY WORSENED. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE SEAL AND BEARING FAILED AND BOTH AXLES WERE FRACTURED. THE REPAIR WOULD COST $732. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL NUMBER 04S16, THEREFORE, THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ASSIST. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 96,840. UPDATED 01-14-08. *KB UPDATED 01/11/08. *JB