FordCrown Victoria1992Overview/ford/crown-victoria/1992/base/

1992 Ford Crown Victoria

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1992 Crown Victoria.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic 4-spd

Defined as a passenger car, the 1992 Ford Crown Victoria utilizes a 4-speed automatic transmission and achieves EPA fuel economy ratings of 17/24/20 mpg while specified for 5.0 qt of 5W-20 API oil. Operational records for this model year include 9 recalls and 424 total owner complaints that focus primarily on Service Brakes, Hydraulic systems. Within the model's complaint history spanning 1990 to 2011, this figure represents the highest number of reported issues, marking it as the peak reliability outlier compared to the lowest recorded count of 12 in 2010.

Model year201120102009200820072006200520041992

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity5.0 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-20 APIOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy17/24/20 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

ThermostatRT1229

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length212.6 in
Overall width78 in
Overall height56.7 in
Wheelbase114.2 in
Curb weight3746 lb
Weight distribution (front / rear)56/44

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined17 / 24 / 20 mpg
DrivetrainRear-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume111 cu ft
Cargo volume21 cu ft
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Crown Victoria of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

8.4 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 8.40 sec — 1999 Police Interceptor Sedan
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
1999Police Interceptor Sedan 4.6L V88.40 sec16.50 sec250 hpRWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 5.0 qt of 5W-20 API engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake FluidDOT 3
Engine CoolantETHYLENE GLYCOL
Engine OilSYNTHETIC · 5W-20 · API
Engine Oil Capacity5.0 qt
Power Steering FluidATF

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

At 7,500 miTire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 7,500 miEngine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 15,000 miSteering Linkage (inspect) · Suspension System (inspect) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 30,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Brake Linings (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Breather Filter (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Exhaust System Heat Shield (inspect)
Every 100,000 miDrive Axle Assembly (drain & refill)
At 120,000 miTransmission Assembly (drain & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 1992 Ford Crown Victoria marks a pronounced spike in federal-reported issues within its generation, with complaints surging to 424—more than six times the 1991 total and nearly double the next-highest year (1993). This anomaly coincides with a sharp increase in recalls (9) and investigations (10), the latter matching peak levels seen only in 1993 and 1996–1997, suggesting systemic concerns rather than isolated defects. The trend reveals the 1992 model as the inflection point of the generation’s reliability arc, where early build quality or design flaws became most acute before tapering in subsequent years. Complaints overwhelmingly center on hydraulic brakes (77 reports), electrical systems (48), and engine cooling (44), with fire-related incidents (26) and crash complaints (23) further elevating risk. While later years saw incremental improvements, the 1992’s data implies heightened vulnerability to safety-critical failures. **Avoid this year unless thorough pre-purchase inspection—especially of brake, electrical, and cooling systems—can definitively rule out these historically prevalent issues.**

9
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
81
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
10
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
424
Owner complaints
23 involved a crash · 26 a fire
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 424 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic77
Electrical System48
Engine & Engine Cooling44
Vehicle Speed Control36
Fuel System, Gasoline27
Power Train26
Structure19
Exterior Lighting18

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 9 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

08V051000Vehicle Speed Control:Cruise ControlReported 04/02/2008

FORD IS RECALLING 225,000 MY 1992-2003 ECONOLINE, MY 1993-1995 TAURUS SHO, MY 1992-1998 CROWN VICTORIA, MY 1993 BRONCO, F-SERIES, MY 1995-1997 F-SERIES SUPER DUTY STRIPPED CHASSIS, MY 1992-1998 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS… Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW WIRING HARNESS, OR REPLACE THE MATING ELECTRICAL COMPONENT. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 18, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.

07V336000Vehicle Speed ControlReported 03/08/2007

ON CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS, PASSENGER VEHICLES, SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, AND MOTOR HOMES CHASSIS, THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH MAY, UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, LEAK INTERNALLY AND THEN OVERHEAT, SMOKE, OR BURN. Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A FUSED WIRING HARNESS. OWNERS OF THE PASSENGER CARS INCLUDED IN THIS CAMPAIGN WILL BE INSTRUCTED TO RETURN THEIR VEHICLES TO THEIR DEALERS TO HAVE THE SPEED…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 81 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
CSP 08B042008-05-15Fuel System, GasolineFORD/LINCOLN MERCURY: CERTAIN 1992-2001 MODEL YEAR CROWN VICTORIA, GRAND MARQUIS, AND…
02B022003-11-01EquipmentINSTALLATION OF OPTIONAL POLICE INTERCEPTOR PACKAGE UPGRADE KIT. *TT UPDATE PART 2…
167142003-03-01Engine And Engine CoolingFOR ALL OBDI VEHICLES THAT USE THE .5V DPFE SENSOR, A 1.0V SENSOR IS CURRENTLY THE ONLY…
022082002-10-14EquipmentCLIMATE CONTROL A/C SERVICE TECH TIPS. *EH
021762002-09-02Exterior LightingLAMP-BRAKE-INVADVERTENT DISABLING OF BRAKE SHIFT INTERLOCK. *MJ

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Crown Victoria. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1992 Crown Victoria take?

5.0 qt of SYNTHETIC 5W-20 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 1992 Crown Victoria have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 9 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Crown Victoria get?

EPA figures are 17 city / 24 highway / 20 combined mpg.