FordExplorer - Police Interceptor2014Overview/ford/explorer-police-interceptor/2014/base/

2014 Ford Explorer - Police Interceptor

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2014 Explorer - Police Interceptor.

Body SUVTransmission Automatic (S6)

The 2014 Ford Explorer Police Interceptor is a purpose-built SUV engineered for law-enforcement duty, pairing a six-speed automatic transmission with an engine requiring 6.0 quarts of 5W-20 API oil and returning EPA figures of 17 city, 23 highway, and 19 combined mpg. With 1,671 owner complaints on record, seven recalls, and steering emerging as the dominant trouble area, this model year occupies a troubled chapter in the Explorer's reliability history, signaling that researchers should weigh known steering issues heavily when evaluating long-term ownership prospects.

Model year20142013

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity6.0 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-20 APIOEM · verified
Lug nut torque110 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy17/23/19 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 59 · 540 CCA battery. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 59 · 540 CCAOEM · verified

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic (S6)

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length197.2 in
Overall width78.7 in
Overall height70.5 in
Wheelbase112.6 in
Curb weight4731 lb
Track (front / rear)66.9 / 66.9 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)54/46

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined17 / 23 / 19 mpg
DrivetrainAll-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 6.0 qt of 5W-20 API engine oil, 80W-90 · GL-5 in the differential, DOT 4 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 110 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 18.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-4-2-5-3-6. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission FluidFord Mercon LV
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity10.0-12.0
Brake FluidDOT 4
Differential Gear Oil80W-90 · GL-5
Differential Gear Oil Capacity2.4 Pints
Engine Oil5W-20 · API
Engine Oil Capacity6.0 qt
Transfer Case FluidSYNTHETIC · GL-5

Engine torques

Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug18.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts110 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Fill Plug15.0 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Drain Plug9.0 if equipped with drain plug ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-4-2-5-3-6

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Standard BCI Group Number59
Standard BCI Cranking Performance540 cca
Standard BCI Group Number65
Standard BCI Cranking Performance650 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test18 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief13-18 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature175-181 °F
RPM51-62 @ Idle rpm
Injector Primary Resistance1-2 Turbo ohms
Injector Primary Resistance11-18 na ohms

Brakes

Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.118; Rear: 0.118 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.002 in
Rotor Discard at or Under1.122 in / 0.394 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
189 ft. lbs., step 2: 360 degrees, step 3: 37 ft. lbs., step 4: 9089 ft. lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
189 ft. lbs., step 2: 360 degrees, step 4: 37 ft. lbs., step 5: 9089 ft. lbs
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 7 stages

Prep Do not reuse old bolts. Coat new bolts with the specified engine oil. · Bolts 1-18

115.0 ft. lbs.15 ft. lbs
236.0 ft. lbs.36 ft. lbs
336.0 ft. lbs.36 ft. lbs
436.0 ft. lbs.36 ft. lbs
590 degrees90 degrees
690 degrees90 degrees
790 degrees; Bolts 19-2290 degrees
122 ft. lbs.22 ft. lbs
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 5 stages

Prep Do not reuse old bolts. Coat new bolts with the specified engine oil. · Bolts 1-8

115.0 ft. lbs.15 ft. lbs
226.0 ft. lbs.26 ft. lbs
390 degrees90 degrees
490 degrees90 degrees
545 degrees; Bolt 945 degrees
17.4 ft. lbs.7.4 ft. lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
17.4 ft. lbs., step 2: turn 457.4 ft. lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
17.4 ft. lbs., step 2: turn 457.4 ft. lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
1install 6 new exhaust manifold stud9 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant every 50,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 50,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 10,000 miAir Conditioning Condenser (inspect) · Air Conditioning Refrigerant Line (inspect) · Battery (inspect) · Brake Line (inspect) · Brake System (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect)
Every 20,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Cabin Air Filter (replace)
Every 30,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace) · Temperature Controlled Seat Air Filter (replace)
Every 50,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
At 100,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
Every 100,000 miSpark Plugs (replace)
At 150,000 miDrive Belt (replace) · Transmission Assembly (drain & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

Owner complaints about the 2014 Ford Explorer - Police Interceptor lead in one area — the steering, 415 of 1,671 reports (25%), well ahead of the next concern. None of this vehicle's 7 recall campaigns target the steering, so those reports read as owner-reported wear-and-tear rather than an acknowledged defect. 32 of the reports describe a crash and 6 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the steering pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.

7
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
130
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
4
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
1,671
Owner complaints
32 involved a crash · 6 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Overall★★★★★
Frontal★★★★★
Side★★★★★
Rollover★★★★

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 1,671 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Steering415
Unknown Or Other250
Structure235
Engine114
Suspension68
Power Train49
Engine & Engine Cooling46
Electrical System31

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 7 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

19V435000Suspension:RearReported 10/06/2019

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Explorer vehicles. The rear suspension toe links may fracture due to stress on the rear suspension. Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links, and inspect both rear toe link ball joints, replacing the rear wheel knuckle(s), if necessary…

17E048000Wheels:HubReported 28/08/2017

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain Wheel Hub Bearing assemblies, part number HB5Z-1104-C, incorrectly listed as being for installation on the rear axles of 2011-2017 Ford Explorer 4X2 vehicles. These… Remedy: Ford will notify the distributors of the hubs specifying that they are to only be used on drive axles. It is believed that none of the hubs were purchased from Ford dealers for…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 130 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
SSM 546012026-02-23Electrical SystemFord and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory…
SSM 530402024-10-10Unknown Or OtherWhile performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, a…
SSM 524762024-04-24EquipmentAll accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the…
SSM 515362023-04-04StructureFor 2000-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, swapping a module from a vehicle for diagnosis…
22N01 S12023-02-07SuspensionCertain 2011-2017 Model Year Explorer Vehicles Rear Wheel Knuckle Replacement REASON FOR…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Explorer - Police Interceptor. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2014 Explorer - Police Interceptor take?

6.0 qt of 5W-20 API MEETING FORD SPECIFICATION WSS-M2C945-A, per the factory manual.

Does the 2014 Explorer - Police Interceptor have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 7 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Explorer - Police Interceptor get?

EPA figures are 17 city / 23 highway / 19 combined mpg.