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The Explorer was cleared by the NHTSA as no more dangerous than any other truck when driven unsafely. The tire tread separated and the vehicle had an unusually high rate of rollover crash as a result. 240 deaths and 3,000 catastrophic injuries resulted from the combination of early-generation Explorers and Firestone tires. In 1998, a facelifted Explorer was available with minor cosmetic interior changes and a revised rear tail lift that centered the rear number plate. The first mid-size SUV sold by Lincoln, the model line was slotted between the Mercury Mountaineer and the Lincoln Navigator.

When a tire blew, the vehicle would experience a sudden sharp jerk, and many drivers reacted by counter-steering in an attempt to regain control. Memos by Ford engineers suggested lowering the engine height, but it would have increased the cost of the new design. The North Face version was available in dark green or silver, with body-colored bumpers, heated leather seats, and a CD multichanger as standard.

In Europe there is an available plug-in hybrid version that includes a 350 hp (261 kW) 3.0 L V6 petrol engine, 100 hp (75 kW) electric motor, and 13.6 kWh lithium-ion battery for a combined output of 450 hp (336 kW) and 600 lb⋅ft (813 N⋅m). Explorer vehicles purchased by fleet buyers were also given the option to equip their vehicles with a 3.3L V6 gasoline engine. It also mates with a 10-speed automatic and sees an increase in towing capacity, to 5,600 lb (2,540 kg). An optional twin-turbocharged 3.0 L EcoBoost V6 makes 365 hp (272 kW) and 380 lb⋅ft (515 N⋅m) of torque, while the ST with the same engine makes 400 hp (298 kW) and 415 lb⋅ft (563 N⋅m) of torque.

Trim

The U251 Explorer received a stronger new frame and went on sale with a 210-hp 4.0L Cologne V6 and Ford’s Modular 4.6L V8 with three valves per cylinder and 292 hp. A twin-turbo 3.5L EcoBoost V6 with 365 hp would join the lineup later. A turbocharged 2.0L EcoBoost four-cylinder with FWD and 240 hp was added after a year. For MY2018, a second facelift was applied and the 2.3L turbo-four was uprated to 280 hp.

Can I drive my car with a bad timing chain?

Inside, the FPIU received a new steering wheel, new interior trim, and a revised center stack. All iterations of the FPIU used a variant of Ford’s 6F six-speed automatic transmission. For the 2014 model year, a 3.5 L twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6, shared with the Explorer Sport, Taurus SHO, and FPIS was added to the lineup making 365 hp (272 kW; 370 PS) and 350 lb⋅ft (470 N⋅m) of torque. Instead, it was equipped with a 3.7 L Cyclone V6 used in the Ford Mustang, but in a transverse arrangement as the standard engine. For the 2013 model year, Ford introduced the Taurus-based Ford Police Interceptor Sedan (FPIS) and Explorer-based Ford Police Interceptor Utility (FPIU).

Ford Explorer

  • It was available with a 4.0L V6 mated to either a manual or automatic transmission.
  • In January 2024, Ford began the process of urging a recall of nearly 1.9 million Explorer SUVs between the 2011 and 2019 model years amid reports that trim pieces of vehicles could fly off.
  • The 4.9 litres (302 cu in) V8 was paired only with a 4-speed heavy-duty automatic (shared with the F-150, Crown Victoria/Grand Marquis, and Lincoln Mark VIII).
  • Only models sold in Continental Europe and the British Isles are shown, overseas territories often have different offerings.
  • The V6 Explorers initially received a 4-speed automatic, shared with the Ranger and Aerostar, adopting a 5-speed automatic for 1997.

However, a new manual pursuit mode has been added to supplant the automatic pursuit mode feature; it enhances drive-ability and power delivery in heavy-traffic emergency response driving situations. Mechanically, power-trains were carried over, with the 3.3L Hybrid V6 returning as the standard engine choice. Additionally, Ford’s new Upfit Pro Integration System is now standard, which streamlines the up-fitting process for interior emergency response equipment on new police vehicles. According to Ford, this was done to streamline up-fitting and reduce costs so that agencies can directly swap equipment from previous model years (such as emergency lights and push bumpers) to a new vehicle.

All Explorers now came standard with body-color fender lip and bumper cladding, while Eddie Bauer models received standard Pueblo Gold cladding. Moreover, power-deployable running boards, like the ones from the Lincoln Navigator, were also made available for Eddie Bauer and Limited trims; the running boards lower to allow easier access when entering the vehicle, then retract upon door closure. For the 2002 model year, the third-generation Ford Explorer adopted the trim nomenclature of its predecessor. Following the design of previous generations, the third-generation Explorer again received a multi-opening rear liftgate, enlarging the rear window opening (covered partially by a filler panel, housing the rear windshield washer).

Shifting into the midsize SUV size class, the first-generation Explorer is far larger than the Bronco II. All Explorers were equipped with the Ford 8.8 axle in either a limited-slip differential or an open version; multiple rear-axle ratios could be specified. As an option, the Explorer was also offered with a manual-shift transfer case (the option was paired with manual-locking hubs). As with the Ranger, the UN46 Explorer has a Twin I-Beam (4×2) or Twin-Traction Beam (4×4) coil-sprung front independent suspension and a leaf-sprung solid rear axle. For the North American market, the first four generations of the Explorer were produced by Ford at its Louisville Assembly Plant (Louisville, Kentucky) and its now-closed St. Louis Assembly Plant (Hazelwood, Missouri).

In addition to standard dual front-seat airbags, seatbelt pretensioners were added; side-curtain airbags became an option on all versions of the model line. For 2005, AdvanceTrac was redesigned, becoming AdvanceTrac RSC (Roll Stability Control); included as a standard feature, the system used ABS, traction control, stability control, and yaw control to reduce rollover risk. Undergoing development during the late 1990s, the third-generation Explorer adopted safety features in response to the new online casinos tread separation controversy that affected the previous-generation model line. Equipped between the XLT and Eddie Bauer/Limited, the Explorer NBX was an off-road oriented version of the Explorer equipped with all-terrain tires, black bumpers and body cladding, heavy-duty roof rack, and custom seat trim.

The 2020 model also had a unibody construction, which improved fuel efficiency.In summary, the Ford Explorer has gone through several body changes over the years, transitioning from a truck-based, rear-wheel-drive platform to a car-based, front-wheel-drive platform. The 2011 through 2019 Explorer and Police Interceptor Utility models equipped with 4WD may experience severe issues with the four wheel drive system. The second-generation Aviator is the first Lincoln vehicle offered with plug-in hybrid capability as an option; its 494 hp (368 kW) combined output is the highest-ever for a Lincoln vehicle. Offered exclusively in a permanent all-wheel drive configuration, it now rides on Ford’s all-new rear-wheel drive based CD6 platform.