Dean Hammond rescued a point for Brighton, when they should really have taken all three, with an 88th-minute equaliser.
Mark McGhee's side were leading through Leon Knights first-half strike before late goals from Crewe substitutes Mark Rivers and Michael Higdon threatened to turn the match on its head.
Knight, normally a striker, was handed a revised role by McGhee as a right-sided central midfielder. The change in position produced a change in luck for the diminutive former Chelsea marksman after 42 minutes.
Guy Butters headed on a free-kick and Paul McShane crossed low for Knight to tuck away his first goal since January from close range.
Crewe were awful in the first half and were grateful for a diving save from Ben Williams that kept out a curling shot from Sebastien Carole, Brighton's French winger making his debut after a free transfer move from Monaco.
The visitors improved slightly after the break but they still did not look like getting back into the game until boss Dario Gradi rang the changes.
Rivers, on in place of Steve Jones headed them level after 77 minutes after Richard Walker's blocked effort from a free-kick reached him at the far post.
Higdon, who had replaced Eddie Johnson, nodded Gradi's youngsters into an undeserved lead six minutes later from a cross by fit again-captain Kenny Lunt.
Brighton were cursing their luck at that stage, but Hammond gave the home fans something to cheer with his second goal in three games.
Knight's cross reached him via substitute Jake Robinson, and although his first effort was blocked by Williams, he found the roof of the net form the rebound.
Substitute Alexis Nicolas could have won it for Brighton in stoppage-time but he fired into the side netting from Knight's cross.