Departments who switched from Crown Vics to Chargers? - Page 1

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Departments who switched from Crown Vics to Chargers?

Posted: 2/19/2017 10:37:33 PM EDT

Hopefully this isn't too out of line for this forum, so apologies if it is.

I'm curious - For those officers who have been at a department long enough for the transition from Crown Vics to Chargers, what is your opinions on them? I've been reading articles off and on about some departments loving them, others hating them, and that the newer ones are decently refined for police work (2015 and newer) however I wanted input from officers who actually had to deal with them.

Posted: 2/19/2017 11:12:52 PM EDT

[#1]

I've driven both extensively.

The Charger can beat the Crown Vic in every way but one. Better handling, better braking, better acceleration (my department only has the V8 ones), better top end, better looking.....better everything except...........reliability. The Chargers are VERY maintenance intensive.

I like the Charger and I like driving it. I wouldn't own one.

Posted: 2/20/2017 12:27:39 AM EDT

[#2]

Is it all maintenance, or specific issues that come up? And is it even with the ones over the past 2-3 years that were supposedly upgraded for higher reliability?

The crown vics were bulletproof from what I see, I think it'd be hard to match them, but they should have certainly tried with whatever the replacement was.

Posted: 2/20/2017 12:52:42 AM EDT

[#3]

We have a lot of them in our fleet. All take home cars. We go through a lot of cams and lifters...usually around 80k miles. Had a bad batch of transmissions in 2013 models. Transmissions would start to go around 20k. Cars go through a lot of front end bushings, tie rod ends, misc sensors.....just endless maintenance issues. Our main shop maint guy has been there for years and was there when we had Crown Vics. He told me that the Chargers are just MUCH more maintenance and they require lots of small repairs constantly. Since we have take home cars, we tend to take good care of them. And we still have lots of maint issues with them.

Posted: 2/20/2017 2:16:13 AM EDT

[#4]

Our Vics that had 100k miles on them at the time were out lasting the Chargers that we had with 30k miles on them. Hell we repurposed a couple into Parking enforcement cars and they are still running with 200kmiles on them.

We had lots of trans and suspension issues along with bunch of electrical (some attributed to upfitters and some not) with the Chargers, plus they were some of the most uncomfortable cars with crappy lines of sight that I have driven in my career.

We dumped all of our Chargers a couple years ago and have all Taurus's for patrol and Tahoe's for K-9's.

Give me the caprices of my early career and I'd be happy.

J-

Posted: 2/21/2017 11:53:34 AM EDT

[#5]

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Quoted:
I've driven both extensively.

The Charger can beat the Crown Vic in every way but one. Better handling, better braking, better acceleration (my department only has the V8 ones), better top end, better looking.....better everything except...........reliability. The Chargers are VERY maintenance intensive.

I like the Charger and I like driving it. I wouldn't own one.

View Quote

I agree 100%. We are seeing front ends fall out, cam shafts breaking and radiators melting down (some on the same unit two or three times) just mention a few issues I'm aware of. Run great, look great, handle great, but very high maintenance vehicle.

Posted: 2/21/2017 7:52:35 PM EDT

[#6]

The SD I worked at would rotate them out at 80k miles to reserve cars, sell off at 110k miles. ( I think we got 1800.00 per car) At that point they were junk. Front ends are terrible. Chargers.

Posted: 2/21/2017 9:14:24 PM EDT

[#7]

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I agree 100%. We are seeing front ends fall out, cam shafts breaking and radiators melting down (some on the same unit two or three times) just mention a few issues I'm aware of. Run great, look great, handle great, but very high maintenance vehicle.

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I forgot about the radiators. We've had the fans self destruct and when they do they take out the radiator. Seems like we see the most around the 110k to 130k range.

Posted: 2/21/2017 11:57:24 PM EDT

[#8]

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I forgot about the radiators. We've had the fans self destruct and when they do they take out the radiator. Seems like we see the most around the 110k to 130k range.

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I agree 100%. We are seeing front ends fall out, cam shafts breaking and radiators melting down (some on the same unit two or three times) just mention a few issues I'm aware of. Run great, look great, handle great, but very high maintenance vehicle.

I forgot about the radiators. We've had the fans self destruct and when they do they take out the radiator. Seems like we see the most around the 110k to 130k range.

Most of our fleet has sixty thousand or less. They are just not holding up.

Posted: 2/22/2017 12:15:31 AM EDT

[#9]

Are the cars seeing a lot of idle time? Hard driving?

Posted: 2/22/2017 1:33:24 AM EDT

[#10]

Across all years?

Posted: 2/22/2017 8:55:12 AM EDT

[#11]

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Quoted:

I agree 100%. We are seeing front ends fall out, cam shafts breaking and radiators melting down (some on the same unit two or three times) just mention a few issues I'm aware of. Run great, look great, handle great, but very high maintenance vehicle.

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At what mileage are you seeing this?

Posted: 2/22/2017 1:28:03 PM EDT

[#12]

All of the above plus no fucking cup holders!

Stopped getting chargers and everything is getting phased out by the Taurus which also have shitty cup holders. Taurus is better at everything except they are small. Not good if you are above average size or have a lot of gear. Especially if you have a cage. We still have a lot of Vics.

Posted: 2/22/2017 5:25:09 PM EDT

[#13]

I have considerable time in; Crown Vics, Taurus AWD SHOs, Charger R/T AWDs, and the Explorer 3.5TT AWD, having been assigned to each for many months.I like the feel and handling of the Charger the best. The Taurus is seemingly smaller than a Corolla on the inside, but is quickest and also has the best brakes.

Like the above posters said, one thing you can't beat the Crown Vic in, is reliability. Mine was replaced at 210,000 hard miles - at that time the windshield was literally separating and the door latch was broken but drivetrain wise it was fine. Had a water pump replaced at 180,000 but can't remember any other major problems.

My experience is different from the above posters though, All of our Fords have been complete trash and our Dodges have been decent.

Posted: 3/2/2017 12:59:31 AM EDT

[#14]

Driven them all over the years, Charger is my favorite, but I run a lot of traffic. We won't be keeping ours around after 60K, so I don't see any real maintenance issues ahead.

Posted: 3/2/2017 11:55:34 AM EDT

[#15]

We went from the Crown Vics to Chargers. Great cars to spend 8 hours in. Then budget crunches made the admins look at the new Fords when they came out a few years ago. After 3 or 4 years of horrible repair bills for the Fords, we are back to Chargers. Glad to be back in a Charger.

Posted: 3/2/2017 12:10:25 PM EDT

[#16]

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Are the cars seeing a lot of idle time? Hard driving?

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The 5.7 hemi is a great motor but the one thing you can't do to it is run it idol a lot. That motor needs the juices flowing or it will eat it's self up. Obviously LEO sit idol a lot so there's the reason for that.

Posted: 3/16/2017 12:42:50 PM EDT

[#17]

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At what mileage are you seeing this?

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I agree 100%. We are seeing front ends fall out, cam shafts breaking and radiators melting down (some on the same unit two or three times) just mention a few issues I'm aware of. Run great, look great, handle great, but very high maintenance vehicle.

At what mileage are you seeing this?

We are replacing front ends about every 30,000 miles.

Aside from the front suspensions being terrible, all of ours (V6 and V8 models) have gone in for head work. In the 2 years and 60,000 miles that I had it, my 2014 V6 Charger went to the dealer 3 different times for ticking in the valve train (lifters, cams, etc). It has been back twice in the year since I gave it up.

Posted: 3/17/2017 9:49:59 PM EDT

[#18]

Chargers are great when they run. Problem is too many problems. The crown Vic is tried and true always dependable always reliable. We've been moving to the explorer which is awesome for winter weather.

Posted: 3/17/2017 10:21:44 PM EDT

[#19]

My business services the local PD and local SPD. Local PD is all charger and SPD is crown vics. Chargers eat tires due to front ends. A lot of fuel pumps being replaced as well. We have put a few engines in also. Problems with the gauge clusters to....even the new ones come in pre broken

The crown vics have issues with spark plugs breaking in the cylinders. They just get blown out. Otherwise the crown vics are just regular maintenance and wearable items.

Posted: 3/22/2017 10:32:12 PM EDT

[#20]

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We went from the Crown Vics to Chargers. Great cars to spend 8 hours in. Then budget crunches made the admins look at the new Fords when they came out a few years ago. After 3 or 4 years of horrible repair bills for the Fords, we are back to Chargers. Glad to be back in a Charger.

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We had the opposite experience. Our Fords have been bulletproof, and largely trouble free. Our Chargers, on the other hand, made it so that our agency will never again spend another dime on anything Chrysler. We still have CVPIs....but no Chargers.

Posted: 3/22/2017 10:54:58 PM EDT

[#21]

A couple of our local agencies went with Chargers as the Crown Vic started to be phased out. Almost all of them have traded them in for Tahoes. Except for a few Crown Vics that are still rolling.

We went with Tahoes and Explorers. And we are trying the Chevy Traverse I guess.

Posted: 3/23/2017 2:29:28 AM EDT

[#22]

Too many blind spots for my liking in the Chargers. The seats really hurt your back when you're wearing a duty belt, too. And yes, the cup holder issues.

Posted: 3/23/2017 7:39:17 AM EDT

[#23]

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Too many blind spots for my liking in the Chargers. The seats really hurt your back when you're wearing a duty belt, too. And yes, the cup holder issues.

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I agree about the blindspots, makes EVO tough too.

Posted: 3/23/2017 10:31:01 AM EDT

[#24]

I got Bluetooth in my Charger so I really cant complain about anything else.

Posted: 3/23/2017 3:50:47 PM EDT

[#25]

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I agree about the blindspots, makes EVO tough too.

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I've wondered about that but never asked someone. I learned in a CVPI and have only driven one, but I just don't see what they were thinking when they went with that design regarding visibility.

I remember when a large department near me first started using the Explorers and the ruckus that ensued. I know the vehicles have problems, but the visibility made a lot of sense to me.

Posted: 3/24/2017 10:44:31 AM EDT

[#26]

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Chargers are great when they run. Problem is too many problems. The crown Vic is tried and true always dependable always reliable. We've been moving to the explorer which is awesome for winter weather.

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The last batch of CV's our university PD had were complete lemons. Constant electrical issues, front ends, transmissions. Of five vehicles in the fleet, one was always in the shop. These were very late production vehicles. I suppose the tooling could have been shot.

Posted: 4/9/2017 6:37:19 AM EDT

[#27]

We have 4 platforms in service, a couple of Vics, Chargers, and the new Ford Interceptors, both sedan and utility versions. The Chargers have been maintenance intensive, but driver friendly, the Vics are uncomfortable, and I have no personal experience with the new Interceptors, though they seem to be holding up well and most of the guys in them seem to like them.

Posted: 4/12/2017 8:10:12 PM EDT

[#28]

I have to ask: Is it primarily the idle time? Extra weight of equipment? That seems to be producing these charger problems for law enforcement?

I ask because I know.......a LOT of chargers in friends hands who are 80K up to 150K with virtually no problems other than standard maintenance. I realize the jobs hashes out vehicles, I wouldn't want a "typical" fire pickup with 50K miles on it for instance because I know them. However for most "city street" cops, I'm amazed to hear of front end problems at such low milages,etc.etc.

Posted: 4/12/2017 8:20:14 PM EDT

[#29]

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Quoted:
I have to ask: Is it primarily the idle time? Extra weight of equipment? That seems to be producing these charger problems for law enforcement?

I ask because I know.......a LOT of chargers in friends hands who are 80K up to 150K with virtually no problems other than standard maintenance. I realize the jobs hashes out vehicles, I wouldn't want a "typical" fire pickup with 50K miles on it for instance because I know them. However for most "city street" cops, I'm amazed to hear of front end problems at such low milages,etc.etc.

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Shitty Chrysler quality. It's a great car....other than the constant repairs.

All police vehicles are driven hard. All police vehicles break down. Chargers just break down more than the others.

I really like driving the car but all ours spend a lot of time in the shop. We have take home cars too so we take care of them better than agencies that have pool cars.

As someone who has been a mechanic and who currently works on all my own vehicles, if you buy a vehicle new and trade it in under 100k....buy whatever you like. All the major manufacturers should be just fine for the most part under 100k. Over 100k is when quality issues start to show themselves.

Posted: 4/17/2017 6:22:43 AM EDT

[#30]

One reason police cars wear out because they are driven by people who don't pay for or care about them

I hear them leave the gas pumps and are up to 50mph sometimes, then they slam on the brakes before hitting the exit gate. They have phased out the CVs and have Chargers and Tahoes (last order was 7 & 14). They have a Ford utility, I assume for testing like they did when they had one Impala a few years ago.

Posted: 4/17/2017 8:12:46 AM EDT

[#31]

The charger was a better performer for sure. Except it was a maintaince nightmare. Loved the crown vic, a little underpowered in my opinion but you just cant hurt them.

And now we have the ford interceptors. And I have the misfourtune to have a sedan. Like driving a hot wheels.

Its saving grace is thats AWD

Posted: 5/2/2017 12:04:00 AM EDT

[#32]

I used to have a CV. It was pretty much bullet proof but it was also a dog and the seats killed my back.

I've had a V8 AWD Charger for about 2 years/50k miles now and agree with just about everyone else. It is fast, handles awesome and has all the bells and whistles (like bluetooth). I wouldn't trade it... not that I have the choice. AWD is great for pushing cars out of the highway at crashes.

The Chargers are maintenance hogs though. I've had numerous engine electrical issues, body electrical, brakes don't last very long compared to the CV (but they are huge, and the Charger weighs over 5k pounds). The AWD Chargers are really low to the ground too. You literally cannot drive over a pop can. I drag it constantly.

I've never driven the Caprice. We have a few of the Ford SUVs and the guys who have them seem universally unimpressed. They are the non-turbo motors.

Posted: 5/28/2017 1:23:29 PM EDT

[#33]

You could easily fit a family of four, and your gear, in the trunk of a Crown Vic.

I sat in a Charger and almost felt claustrophobic in it. I couldn't believe how much I couldn't see outside the car.

Posted: 5/30/2017 9:13:48 AM EDT

[#34]

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You could easily fit a family of four, and your gear, in the trunk of a Crown Vic.

I sat in a Charger and almost felt claustrophobic in it. I couldn't believe how much I couldn't see outside the car.

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Yep the sight lines suck.

J-

Posted: 5/30/2017 9:23:14 AM EDT

[#35]

Maintenence whores and down a lot. Drive and handle well though.

Posted: 5/31/2017 11:45:17 AM EDT

[#36]

I've had a 2007 and 2010 CVPI, and now a 2015 Charger. While the older Chargers have had serious issues with suspensions and top ends, so far I haven't seen any issues out of my 15.

My 15 runs constantly as a K9 unit, so it has a LOT of idle time and has just shy of 35k miles. I need new brakes, but that's expected. Other than that, I'm very happy with it.

ETA: It does seem that Dodge fixed a lot of the issues of the older models. The front suspension seems to be built much better. Our other 15 had a wiring harness burn out, but I think that's from the upfitter, not the car.

Posted: 6/2/2017 12:13:36 AM EDT

[#37]

Just got my Explorer today. I'll let you know how it goes.

Posted: 6/5/2017 12:16:34 AM EDT

[#38]

We have had a lot of issues with our chargers mainly brake issues. We are moving the chargers to admin positions and phasing in the ford patrol SUV's

I actually prefer the CV to the Charger.

Posted: 6/5/2017 12:37:56 AM EDT

[#39]

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We have had a lot of issues with our chargers mainly brake issues. We are moving the chargers to admin positions and phasing in the ford patrol SUV's

I actually prefer the CV to the Charger.

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If I had any recommendations to make, put a carbon monoxide detector in your ford suv. A buddy of mine crashed out after losing consciousness, and our area has had several CO detector alerts in their patrol SUVs.

Posted: 6/16/2017 10:04:04 PM EDT

[#40]

chargers were crap, smaller field of view, always broke, small....high end speeds were easier on the vics v8....wore the v6 in the charger out

Posted: 6/29/2017 2:16:21 PM EDT

[#41]

I retired from a municipal Police dept in 2015. In my 22 years I drive a Dodge Diplomat, several Chevy Caprices, a few Crown Vics and finished in a Charger. I liked the Charger alot but it was cramped. My department had maintenance issues, primarily front end problems but mine was great.
That department is switching to For Explorers but have had to cut corners as the Charger is cheep(apparently)
I know work for a University Police Department that has a mix of old and new. Explorers, Chargers , Crown Vics and even an old Tahoe( that I like the best)

I think how the cars are driven and the quality of the maintenance are huge.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Departments who switched from Crown Vics to Chargers?

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