Ford Police Interceptor Utility (explorer) Recalls

The Ford Police Interceptor Utility has 11 recalls spanning 2013 through 2024, with the most serious recent issue affecting 2024 hybrid models where the 12V battery cable can contact the starter generator, short circuit, and start a fire.

The 2024 model year also has a recall covering vehicles equipped with the trailer tow package, where improperly tightened hitch bolts can loosen and allow the hitch to separate from the vehicle, creating a hazard for surrounding traffic.

The 2020 model year carries several recalls. On vehicles with the 3.3L gas or hybrid engine, connecting rod bearings can wear and cause the engine to fail, cutting power to the wheels or starting a fire. A separate 2020 issue involves second-row outboard seat belt anchor bolts that may be loose or missing, allowing the belt to pull free in a crash. There is also a small number of 2020 vehicles where the windshield washer reservoir was filled with brake fluid-contaminated washer fluid, which can damage the wiper system and leave the windshield difficult to clear. On 2020 vehicles equipped with the 12.1-inch integrated computer screen, the rearview camera image may not appear when shifting into reverse.

Going back further, the 2017 model year has a rear suspension toe link whose outer ball joint can seize and break while driving, causing a sudden loss of stability. The 2016 model year has exterior B-pillar trim on the driver and front passenger doors that can work loose and separate from the vehicle. The 2014 model year has a rear suspension toe link that can fracture due to a weld defect, making the vehicle difficult to steer. The 2013 model year shares a similar toe link failure mode, where the outer ball joint seizes and the link breaks, causing a loss of stability; 2013 vehicles operated in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba face an additional version of this problem, where soil accumulation at the toe link attachment point can cause the link to bend and fracture.