Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government
holds on this vehicle.
Owners have filed 10 safety complaints
about the 2014 Ford Police Interceptor Utilit with the US government. Of those, 2 people were injured and no death is recorded. No recall campaign has been matched to this year, make and model.
The most complained-about system is the steering,
named in 3 complaints, 30% of the total.
The typical failure was reported at 68,160 miles,
the median across the 8
complaints that gave
an odometer reading.
Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files
· Covers October 2016 to April 2019 · How this is counted
What is on file
10 complaints on file
10
Complaints
0
Describe a crash
0
Mention fire
2
People injured
0
Deaths
A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a
finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts
them.
No recall campaign was matched to this year, make and model. That is not
the same as a clean vehicle: recalls are issued against production
ranges, and the only reliable check is your own VIN.
Which system owners named
Complaints naming each system
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 4 · 40%
4 40%
STEERING 3 · 30%
3 30%
SERVICE BRAKES 2 · 20%
2 20%
ENGINE 1 · 10%
1 10%
048
One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 10.
When the complaints arrived
By the year NHTSA received them
By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures
happened. They peaked in 2017 at 4.
8 6 4 2
162016172017182018192019
This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure
happened. The range runs from 2016 to 2019.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program
NHTSA has not crash tested the 2014 Ford Police Interceptor Utilit. Its New Car Assessment Program
tests a selection of each year's vehicles and does not reach
motorcycles, heavy trucks, motorhomes or most low-volume models, so
an absence here says nothing about how the vehicle would perform. It
is not a low score.
What owners have reported about this vehicle is below, and it is a
different question: a crash test measures what happens to the people
inside in a controlled impact, while a complaint records what broke
during ordinary use.
Defect investigations
1 on file
An investigation means NHTSA has decided a pattern is worth examining. A
preliminary evaluation is often closed with no action; an engineering
analysis is the stage that usually precedes a recall.
Ford Explorer Exhaust Odor
PE16008
Closed preliminary evaluation · opened July 1, 2016 · closed September 12, 2017
the engine and its cooling, the body structure
During the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration?s (NHTSA?s) investigation into the Ford carbon monoxide allegations, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) identified additional Vehicle Owner Questionnaire (VOQ) reports with similar exhaust odor claims.Presently, ODI has identified 791 VOQs for Model Year 2011-2017 Ford Explorers pertaining to exhaust odor claims.ODI has identified three crashes and 41 injuries potentially linked this issue.The reported injuries range from unspecified to loss of consciousness, with the majority being nausea, headaches, or dizziness ? all of which can be symptomatic of carbon monoxide exposure.Additionally, Ford provided 2,400 reports including owner complaints, warranty claims, dealer field reports, and legal claims, that involve 2,051 vehicles that may be connected to the exhaust odor issue.NHTSA's Vehicle Test and Research Center tested multiple vehicles, including complaint vehicles, during the investigation.ODI also conducted field inspections of complaint vehicles and crashes involving police units that occurred while the officers were on duty.When possible, data was collected to quantify carbon monoxide levels in the examined vehicles.Based on the information gathered to date, NHTSA upgraded this investigation to an Engineering Analysis (EA17-002).
In owners’ own words
Quoted from the complaint file
Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the
people who filed them, not findings of fault.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
1 injured · 84,000 miles
DURING A MORE THAN 1 HOUR DRIVE ON A TRIP, I WAS EXPOSED TO CARBON MONOXIDE LEVELS THAT LED TO ME BEING RUSHED TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM VIA AMBULANCE SUFFERING FROM SHORTNESS OF BREATH, CHEST PAIN, AND NEARLY PASSING OUT AT THE WHEEL. AT THE TIME I WAS TOLD BY FORD THAT MY INTERCEPTOR UTILITY WAS NOT AN AFFECTED VEHICLE, NOW IT SEEMS THAT IS NO LONGER THAT CASE. SOMEHOW CARBON MONOXIDE FROM THE VEHICLES EXHAUST IS LEAKING INTO THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE. UPON TAKING THE INT. UTILITY TO TWO SEPARATE FORD DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENTS AND 1 MHQ, NONE OF THE DEALERSHIPS SEEMED CONCERNED NOR WANTED TO HELP WITH THE ISSUE OR COULDN'T AS A RESULT OF FORD MOTOR COMPANY GIVING THE DEALERSHIPS NO GUIDANCE …
NHTSA complaint 11015438, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
1 injured · 84,000 miles
WHEN CALIBRATED CO DETECTOR WAS PLACED IN MOTOR VEHICLE INTERIOR LEVELS WERE AT 43 PPM CONTINUOUS WHEN IDLING OR MOVING. THIS CAUSED OPERATOR TO BECOME SICK AND LETHARGIC.
NHTSA complaint 11194843. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ENGINE
126,000 miles
THERE ARE EXHAUST FUMES ENTERING THE CABIN. IT OCCURS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STANDING WITH THE ENGINE IDLING. THE FUMES ARE DRAWN IN THRU THE HEATER/AC VENTS. I CAN SMELL THIS AT THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE HOOD WERE IT MEETS THE COWL. I HAVE PUT A CO DETECTOR IN FRONT OF THE AC VENT AND GOTTEN READINGS OF 90 PPM WHILE THE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY WITH THE HEATER ON. THIS DROPS TO 0 PPM ONCE THE VEHICLE IS MOVING. I HAVE CHANGED THE FRONT EXHAUST MANIFOLD, IT HAD A CRACK IN IT AT ONE OF THE WELDS. THAT MADE IT BETTER BUT THE FUMES STILL OCCUR JUST NOT AS BAD. I HAVE PLACE THE PROBE FROM THE CO DETECTOR AT THE FRONT EXHAUST MANIFOLD AFTER IT WAS REPLACED AND DIDN'T GET ANY CO READINGS BUT WHEN I …
NHTSA complaint 11182181, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
STEERING
6,350 miles
CONDITION STARTED AFTER TIRE ROTATION AND ALIGNMENT. WHILE IN MOTION AT 30 MPH OR HIGHER THE VEHICLE EXHIBITS UNCOMMANDED STEERING AND DELAYED RESPONSE TO COMMANDED STREERING INPUTS. WHILE TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL IN A HIGH SPEED TURN THE STEERING WHEEL ANGLE AND THE ANGLE OF THE WHEELS DO NOT SEEM TO MATCH AND AFTER INCREASING THE ANGLE OF THE STEERING WHEEL TO COUNTER ACT THE MISMATCHED ANGLES THE STEERING RACK SUDDENLY RETURNS TO MATCH THE NOW COMMANDED INPUT, WHICH IF UNCORRECTED OR UNEXPECTED COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. WHILE AT SPEED IN A STRAIGHT LINE THE STEERING MAY WITH OUT ANY STEERING INPUTS BEGIN DEVIATING SLOWLY TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT AND THAN RETURN TO …
NHTSA complaint 11152432, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
STEERING
AT 33,000 MILES, WHILE DRIVING (VEHICLE IN MOTION) AFTER FINISHING A TURN STEERING STAYS IN THE DIRECTION STEERED AND DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY STRAIGHTEN OUT AND IS VERY DIFFICULT TO MANUALLY CORRECT THE DIRECTION OF THE VEHICLE. THIS PROBLEM HAPPENS AT ANY TIME.
NHTSA complaint 11130392. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
49,000 miles
REPORTING EXHAUST SMELL INSIDE CABIN WHEN VEHICLE IS AT IDLE AFTER REMOTE START AND AC DOES NOT RUN. SMELL IS ALSO NOTICEABLE DURING HIGHWAY OPERATION WITH AC IN RECIRCULATE, VEHICLE AS BUILT IS NOT EQUIPPED WITH REAR AC. DURING STREET OPERATION SMELL IS NOT PRESENT IF AC IS IN FRESH AIR MODE, BUT BECOMES PRESENT WHEN AC IS SET TO RECIRCULATE.
NHTSA complaint 10972408. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's
lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How
many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by
the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.
Complaints: NHTSA's ODI
complaint file, published October 2, 2026. One
complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.
Recalls: NHTSA's recall
campaign API, no campaign on file for this vehicle.
Investigations: NHTSA's ODI
investigation file, published October 2, 2026.
A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by
us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that
sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.
G
Compiled and maintained by guarledes Independent developer and analyst