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What 7 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Ford Police Interceptor Utilit

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (7)Engine (2)Transmission & drivetrain (2)Visibility & wipers (2)Fuel system (1)

Newest first · 7 complaints

Apr 10, 2018Engine

COOLANT TANK CRACKING AT SEAM. CAUSING POTENTIAL FIRE, AND OR ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO LOSS OF COOLANT. THE VEHICLE WAS IN FOR SERVICE AND FOUND BY TECHNICIAN. COOLANT TANKS FOR THIS MODEL AND PREVIOUS YEARS HAVE BEEN A CONSTANT PROBLEM.

NHTSA ODI 11084285

Apr 5, 2018Fuel system

APPROXIMATELY EVERY 2-3 TANK REFILLS, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL ILLUMINATE. THE FAULT CODE READS P1450 AND DEALS WITH THE CAP-LESS VACUUM PRESSURE. IT DOES NOT DIRECTLY AFFECT THE VEHICLES PERFORMANCE, HOWEVER, IT IS OF CONCERN AS THERE IS NO INDICATION AS TO WHY THE SYSTEM KEEPS READING A FAULT. THIS HAS BEEN OCCURRING OVER THE LAST 4 MONTHS AND APPROXIMATELY 5000 MILES. THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS 44400 MILES

NHTSA ODI 11083497

Nov 16, 2017Transmission & drivetrain

DURING EMERGENCY BRAKING TRANSMISSION DOESN' DOWNSHIFT. AFTER BRAKING WHEN ACCELERATE RAPIDLY, TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFTS, CAUSING HARSH KNOCK. DURING CRUISING SPEEDS AROUND 60MPH IF RAPID BRAKING OCCURS TRANSMISSION DOESN'T DOWNSHIFT.

NHTSA ODI 11046874

Mar 24, 2017Transmission & drivetrainEngine

THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN BROUGHT INTO THE DEALERSHIP TWO TIMES FOR THE SMELL OF SOMETHING BURNING. THE SMELL SEEMS TO BE ORIGINATING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AREA. OTHER AGENCIES HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUE AND SOUND LIKE IT MAY BE A TRANSMISSION VENTING ISSUE AND THE OIL GETTING TOO HOT INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION/TRANSFER CASE UNIT. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY CHANGED THE OIL IN THE UNIT AND TO BRING IT BACK IF THE SMELL CONTINUES TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION UNIT. WE ARE STILL GETTING THE SMELL OF SOMETHING BURNING GENERALLY IT IDLE OR SLOW SPEEDS. OTHER AGENCIES HAVE ALSO REPORTED OFFICERS GETTING SICK FROM THE ODOR AND SMELL POSSIBLY BE CARBON MONOXIDE. WE CAN NOT RISK OFFICER GETTING SICK OR NOT BEING ABLE TO RESPOND TO EMERGENCIES DUE TO THIS ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI 10968320

Mar 1, 2017Visibility & wipers

VEHICLE HAD BEEN IDLING TO WARM UP REAR WINDOW DEFOGGER WAS TURNED ON. WHEN BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY REAR LIFT GATE SHATTERED. NO OBSTACLES OR EVIDENCE OF ANYTHING HITTING THE REAR WINDOW.

NHTSA ODI 10957921

Mar 1, 2017Visibility & wipers

VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND IDLING IN A VACANT PARKING LOT WHEN THE REAR LIFT GATE WINDOW SHATTERED. REAR WINDOW DEFOGGER WAS NOT ON.

NHTSA ODI 10957926

Feb 20, 2017

I HAVE A 2016 FORD POLICE INTERCEPTOR UTILITY VEHICLE. SHORTLY AFTER I WAS ISSUED THE VEHICLE I BEGAN EXPERIENCING AN EXHAUST SMELL INSIDE THE CABIN. THE EXHAUST SMELL IS PRESENT WHILE IDLING AND WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL FORD DEALER WHO IDENTIFIED THEY REPLACED A VENT IN THE REAR BUMPER AREA, BUT THERE ARE NO OTHER ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLES EXHAUST SYSTEM. THE NEW VENT HAS NOT FIXED THE PROBLEM. THE EXHAUST SMELL IS PREVALENT WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IDLING AND WHILE DRIVING. IT IS PRESENT WITH THE AIR CONDITIONING ACTIVATED OR THE HEATING SYSTEM. BEING I LIVE IN A CLIMATE THAT THE AIR CONDITIONING OR HEATING ARE NEEDED YEAR ROUND, I HAVE NOT DRIVEN THE CAR WITHOUT ONE OF THEM ON FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME TO SEE IF HAVING IT OFF ALLEVIATES THE SMELL. THE SMELL IS ALSO PRESENT IN ANY WIND CONDITIONS, MEANING EVEN IF THE NOSE OF THE VEHICLE IS POINTED INTO THE WIND AND THE WIND IS BLOWING THE EXHAUST AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE, THE EXHAUST SMELL IS STILL PRESENT. THE SMELL MAY STILL BE PRESENT BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS SATURATED WITH THE SMELL, BUT IT IS STILL PRESENT. I HAVE AIRED MY CAR OUT SEVERAL TIMES, TO INCLUDE REMOVING ALL MY EQUIPMENT TO AIR OUT AS IT SMELLS LIKE EXHAUST, ONLY FOR EXHAUST SMELL TO APPEAR.

NHTSA ODI 10955567

Working with the data? Download all 7 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 24, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2016 Ford Police Interceptor Utilit verdict →