Head-to-head reliability
FORD Crown Victoria vs Chevrolet Silverado
How the FORD Crown Victoria and Chevrolet Silverado compare on NHTSA complaints, recalls and crash reports — and which is the lower-risk used buy.
Based on NHTSA owner-complaint & recall records
FORD Crown Victoria averages fewer NHTSA complaints per year. FORD Crown Victoria has 952 complaints and 37 recalls on record; Chevrolet Silverado has 6,206 complaints and 100 recalls. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | FORD Crown Victoria | Chevrolet Silverado |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 952 Better | 6,206 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 37 Better | 100 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 78 Better | 191 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 95.2 Better | 620.6 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 46 Better | 118 |
| Reported deathsTied to owner complaints | 4 | 2 Better |
Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall records.
What actually goes wrong
The problems owners report
The most-complained-about systems on each vehicle — what fails, and what owners say in their own words.
FORD Crown Victoria
- 01EXTERIOR LIGHTING285
- 02STEERING185
- 03ELECTRICAL SYSTEM108
- 04POWER TRAIN81
- 05SUSPENSION75
“THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL WORKS SOMETIMES BUT BLINKS RAPIDLY MOST OF THE TIME. NO BULBS ARE BURNED OUT. SOMETIMES THE DASH LIGHTS GO OUT WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS ARE TURNED ON AND THEN THE DASH LIGHTS COME BACK ON WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS ARE TURNED OFF. SOMETIMES THE DASH…”
“THE HEADLIGHT SOCKETS ARE MELTING, CAUSING THE BULBS TO BLOW OUT. WE HAVE REPLACED APPROXIMATELY 6 SOCKETS, MOSTLY ON THE DRIVERS SIDE, AND MULTIPLE BULBS. MHQ SAYS THIS IS COMMON. SHOULD THERE BE A RECALL? SHOULD FORD BE FIXING THIS? *TR”
Chevrolet Silverado
- 01ENGINE1,790
- 02POWER TRAIN1,742
- 03ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1,171
- 04SERVICE BRAKES1,029
- 05UNKNOWN OR OTHER677
“Truck has less than 1800 miles. Was at a stop light and the vehicle started shaking and making metal tin rattling sounds. Stopped for gas, started the vehicle all noises went away. Got onto the freeway and about 1 mile down the road the truck lost power at 70…”
“November 28th 2025 we were coming down Logan canyon in Utah at 50 miles an hour when i was passing another vehicle on the left I felt a hard shift and a prompt came on the dash that said reduced acceleration. So as I was passing the vehicle I was pulling in f…”
Official recalls
Safety recalls on record
Federal recall campaigns — the defect, the risk, and the fix. Confirm any open recall was completed before you buy.
FORD Crown Victoria — 37 recalls
The 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 intermedi…
The 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.
The fix: 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 neces…
The 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, Illinoi…
The risk: If the lower bearing separates, the vehicle may experience a loss of steering, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: 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 lo…
The 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 intermedi…
The 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.
The fix: 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 neces…
The 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, Illinoi…
The risk: If the lower bearing separates, the vehicle may experience a loss of steering, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: 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 lo…
Chevrolet Silverado — 100 recalls
The defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2026 Chevrolet Silverado EV and GMC Sierra EV electric vehicles. After experiencing an electronic stability control (ESC) system malfunction, the ESC malfunction warning light may not illuminate on the next key cycle. As such, these vehicles fail to com…
The risk: An indicator light that does not illuminate may fail to warn the driver of an ESC system issue, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: The EBCM software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 15, 2025. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or G…
The defect: General Motors has decided that certain 2027 Chevrolet Bolt EV, 2025-2026 Cadillac OPTIQ, Chevrolet Colorado, Equinox EV, GMC Canyon, 2026 Buick Enclave, Envision, Cadillac CT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade IQ, Escalade IQL, LYRIQ, VISTIQ, Chevrolet Blazer EV, Corvette Convertible, Corvette Cou…
The risk: Without an owner's manual to consult, owners may not know how to safely use and operate the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
The fix: Dealers will reset the vehicle radio, which will facilitate automatic download of the electronic owner’s manual, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 16, 2026. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-866-467-970…
The defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2026 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500, and 3500 vehicles. These vehicles may not have received an owner's manual during production. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 225, “Child Re…
The risk: Without an owner's manual to consult, owners may not know how to safely use and operate the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
The fix: Dealers will provide the owner’s manual, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 30, 2025. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N252532020. Vehicle Identifi…
The defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2026 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban, and Tahoe, and GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles with four-wheel (4WD) or all-wheel drive (AWD), and certain 2015-2020 Suburban, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Yukon, Yuko…
The risk: Front or rear wheel lockup increases the risk of a crash.
The fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the remedy is completed. Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the transfer case assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed June 22, 2026. Ow…
Check the actual car
Comparing models is smart. Checking the VIN is essential.
Brand averages tell you the trend. A VIN check tells you what's wrong with the specific FORD Crown Victoria or Chevrolet Silverado in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- FORD Crown Victoria vs Chevrolet Silverado
- FORD Crown Victoria total complaints
- 952
- Chevrolet Silverado total complaints
- 6,206
- FORD Crown Victoria total recalls
- 37
- Chevrolet Silverado total recalls
- 100
- FORD Crown Victoria avg complaints/year
- 95.2
- Chevrolet Silverado avg complaints/year
- 620.6
- More reliable overall
- FORD Crown Victoria
- FORD Crown Victoria top complaint area
- EXTERIOR LIGHTING
- Chevrolet Silverado top complaint area
- ENGINE