The families of two Arizona police officers who died when their Crown Victoria cruisers were rear-ended and caught fire have settled their lawsuits with Ford Motor Company. Officer Juan Cruz was killed in December 1998 and Floyd Fink died in February 2000 when their vehicles were struck from behind at speeds in excess of 65 mph. Plaintiff attorneys argued that the Crown Victoria's fuel-tank design is defective. The placement of the tank behind the axle, according to attorneys, places the vehicle at an increased risk of catching fire after a rear-end collision.

Two similar lawsuits involving the Crown Victoria have already been settled in Massachusetts and Florida, and several more are currently pending in other states. Arizona Attorney General Janet Napolitano plans to meet with Ford officials in June to discuss the safety of the model's fuel-tank design. Ford made several design changes to the Crown's axle in October to prevent "the unlikely possibility of fuel-tank punctures."