Montgomery County, Pennsylvania police departments have filed a lawsuit against Ford Motor Company alleging that their Crown Victoria police cruisers are built with a defective gas tank prone to explosion upon rear impact. The suit is seeking class action status for all Pennsylvania police departments currently using Victoria cruisers. Plaintiff attorneys insist the Crown Victoria's fuel-tank design is defective. The placement of the tank behind the rear axle, according to attorneys, places the vehicle at an increased risk of catching fire after a rear-end collision. The suit is seeking the recall of all Crown Victoria models used by Montgomery County police departments and reimbursement for replacement of the cruisers.

The safety of the Crown Victoria, which comprises about 85 percent of the police cruiser market, has recently been a concern for departments nationwide. The families of two Arizona police officers who died when their Crown Victoria cruisers were rear-ended and caught fire settled lawsuits with Ford Motor Company in May. Two similar lawsuits involving the Ford model were recently settled in Massachusetts and Florida, and several suits in other states are currently pending.