IllustrationCAR STALLS AT ANY GIVEN TIME OR SPEED. MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY TWO PIECES OF METAL THAT CONNECT IGNITION SWITCH, AND DO NOT STAY CONNECTED, THAT'S WHY VEHICLE STALLS.*AK IGNITION SWITCH HAVE BEEN REPLACED FIVE TIMES. IT APPEARS THE PROBLEM IS DUE TO MANUFACTURER DEFECT. *YH
1985 Ford Crown Victoria
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1985 Ford Crown Victoria do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 53.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Crown Victoria years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 1 of 21 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
1 crash reports8 fire reports1 injury reports
Electrical System complaints
10 reportsIGNITION MODULE FAILED CAUSING THE ENGINE TO STALL. *SLC
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 35MPH ON HIGHWAY COMING INTO TOWN. AND VEHICLE SHUT OFF WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE. NO BRAKES/NO POWER STEERING, VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO DELL'S SERVICE CENTER. SERVICE CENTER REPLACED THE IGNITION MODULE AND DISTRIBUTOR PICK UP, AND THEY ARE FORD PARTS.*AK
ENGINE QUIT AND WILL NOT START, HAVE REPLACED MANY PARTS AND HASN'T HELPED. *AK
VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE CARPORT, AND CONSUMER NOTICED THAT VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE DUE TO ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESS FAILURE. ALSO, CONSUMER'S HOUSE CAUGHT ON FIRE, AS WELL AS THE OTHER VEHICLES CAUGHT ON FIRE. DEALER WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK
CAR WAS SITTING IN A PARKING LOT AND THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE CAUSED BY THE INGNITION SWITCH. *AK
ELECTRICAL FIRE. *SD
PARKED IN GARGE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. DESTROYING A SEGMENT OF THE HOUSE. *AK
NOTICED THE HORN BLOWING, THEN NOTICE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE ON FIRE IN THE STEERING AND DASH AREA, FIRE DEPT SAID ELECTRICAL FIRE. *AK
THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE AND IT IS UNKNOWN WHERE IT STARTED BUT IT IS BELIEVED TO HAVE STARTED FROM THE INTERIOR. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2PE91125 · Brake Line Punctures
Opened Sep 11, 1991 · Closed Jan 15, 1992
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
There is no summary currently available
PE88101 · Engine Comp Fires
Opened Sep 14, 1988 · Closed Jan 3, 1989
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:linkages
There is no summary currently available