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You’re not buying a regular used SUV. The Ford Police Interceptor Utility comes with heavy-duty suspension, reinforced brakes, stronger steel wheels, and a high-output alternator built to handle real stress. These vehicles passed the 75-MPH rear-impact crash test—the only ones that do.
Most Ford Explorer police interceptors you’ll find here were maintained on schedule by law enforcement agencies. That means documented service records, not guesswork. You’re getting a vehicle designed to outlast standard consumer models, with all-wheel drive standard and pursuit-rated components throughout.
And here’s what matters for your wallet: buying a used cop car costs about half what you’d pay for a comparable civilian SUV on the retail market. You’re not sacrificing quality to save money. You’re just skipping the markup.
State Surplus Auto Sales has been selling used police cars since 2003. We’re located in Newark, and we serve buyers throughout New Jersey—including Howell and the surrounding Monmouth County area. We don’t sell regular used cars. We specialize exclusively in former police vehicles, which means we know these Ford Interceptors inside and out.
You’ll work with people who understand what you’re looking for and why. No pressure, no runaround. Just straightforward answers about mileage, vehicle history, and what to expect when you drive one of these off the lot.
We also offer 0% interest financing to every customer, regardless of credit score. That’s not a promotional rate or a limited-time offer. It’s how we do business.
Start by browsing our current inventory of Ford police interceptor utility vehicles and other models. You can call us, visit our Newark location, or reach out online to ask about specific vehicles. We’ll tell you what’s available, what condition it’s in, and what the mileage looks like.
Once you find a Ford Interceptor for sale that fits what you need, we walk you through financing. Again, that’s 0% interest for everyone. No credit check surprises, no hidden fees. You’ll know exactly what your payment looks like before you commit.
After that, we handle the paperwork and get you on the road. Most of our customers are in and out faster than they expect. If you’re coming from Howell, it’s about a 50-minute drive to our Newark location—straight shot up the Garden State Parkway or Route 9 depending on traffic.
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Every Ford Explorer police interceptor we sell comes with the core performance features that made it a law enforcement vehicle in the first place. That includes the 3.5L EcoBoost engine, which outperforms most V8 competitors in independent testing. You’re also getting full-time intelligent all-wheel drive, not the part-time system you’d find on a base-model Explorer.
These vehicles typically have between 120,000 and 160,000 miles when they’re retired from police service. That sounds high, but remember: these are highway miles and city patrol miles, not stop-and-go commuter abuse. Plus, the drivetrain and suspension components are built to a higher standard than civilian models.
In New Jersey, especially around Howell and Monmouth County, all-wheel drive isn’t optional during winter. You’re already dealing with that. A used cop car gives you the traction and handling you need without paying $40,000+ for a new SUV. Most police equipment is removed before sale, though you may see some mounting hardware or minor modifications. We’ll walk you through anything like that before you buy.
Yes, but you need to understand what “high mileage” actually means on a police vehicle. Most of the Ford police interceptor utility models we sell have between 120,000 and 160,000 miles. That’s higher than your average used car, but these aren’t average used cars.
Police Interceptors are built with reinforced components specifically designed for pursuit driving and long-term durability. The suspension, brakes, cooling systems, and drivetrain are all heavy-duty. They’re also maintained on strict schedules by municipal fleets, which means oil changes, brake inspections, and fluid services happen like clockwork.
The other thing to consider: a lot of those miles are highway patrol miles, which are easier on an engine than short trips and constant idling in traffic. Yes, police cars do idle quite a bit, but the alternators and cooling systems are upgraded to handle that. You’re not buying a clapped-out beater. You’re buying a vehicle that was built to last twice as long as a civilian model—and usually does.
Yes. We offer 0% interest financing to every customer, and your credit score doesn’t matter. That’s not an exaggeration or a marketing line. It’s actually how we structure our financing.
Most traditional lenders won’t touch a high-mileage former police vehicle, even if it’s in great shape. They see the mileage and the history and automatically decline the loan. That’s frustrating, especially if you’re a responsible buyer who just needs a reliable car at a price you can afford.
We removed that barrier entirely. You’re not paying interest, and you’re not getting turned down because of your credit. You’ll still need to qualify based on income and ability to make payments, but we’re not running your credit through a traditional auto loan system. If you’ve been turned down elsewhere or you’re worried about your score, this is probably the easiest financing process you’ll go through.
The Ford Police Interceptor Utility is based on the Explorer platform, but it’s not the same vehicle you’d buy off a civilian lot. The differences are significant, and they’re all designed around durability and performance.
First, the suspension. Police Interceptors have a heavy-duty suspension system with upgraded shocks, springs, and sway bars. The brakes are larger and built to handle repeated high-speed stops. The wheels are steel, not alloy, because they’re stronger and less likely to crack under stress. The alternator is higher output to support electrical loads like lights, radios, and computers.
You’re also getting a calibrated engine and transmission. The 3.5L EcoBoost in the Interceptor is tuned for pursuit performance, and the transmission has a different cooling system. All-wheel drive is standard, not optional. And the whole vehicle is tested to meet a 75-MPH rear-impact crash standard—something no civilian SUV has to pass.
So yeah, it looks like an Explorer. But it’s built like a tank compared to what you’d buy new at a Ford dealership. That’s why these vehicles are still on the road long after most civilian Explorers have been retired.
You’re typically looking at about half the price of a comparable civilian SUV. A used Ford Explorer in decent shape with lower mileage might run you $25,000 to $35,000 in today’s market. A Ford police interceptor for sale from us usually costs significantly less—even though it’s built with better components.
The reason is simple: mileage and perception. Most buyers see “former police car” and assume it’s been beaten up. That keeps prices down at auction, and we pass those savings on to you. But the reality is these vehicles are maintained better than most privately owned cars, and they’re built to handle way more abuse than they actually see.
If you’re shopping in Howell or anywhere in Monmouth County, you’re also dealing with a used car market that’s been inflated by high demand and limited inventory. Prices on SUVs and trucks are especially high right now. Buying a used cop car lets you skip that markup entirely while still getting a reliable, capable vehicle.
And remember: 0% financing. You’re not just saving on the purchase price. You’re saving on interest over the life of the loan. That adds up fast.
It depends on the specific vehicle, but most of the issues people worry about aren’t actually problems. Yes, police cars idle a lot. Yes, they see hard acceleration and braking. But they’re also built for exactly that kind of use.
The biggest thing to watch for is idle hours versus actual mileage. A vehicle with 140,000 miles might have 8,000 idle hours, which is equivalent to additional wear. But again, the cooling systems and alternators are upgraded to handle extended idling. It’s not like leaving a regular car running in your driveway for hours—it’s designed for it.
Most police equipment is removed before the vehicle is sold, so you won’t have lights, radios, or computers still installed. You might see some mounting brackets or holes where equipment was bolted in. We’ll show you anything like that upfront so there are no surprises.
The other concern people have is whether the car was in a pursuit or a crash. Most agencies retire vehicles based on mileage, not damage. If a car was wrecked, it usually doesn’t make it to auction. You’re generally looking at vehicles that were simply driven a lot—and maintained well while they were in service.
Yes. Most of the police impound cars for sale and former police vehicles we carry come with documented service records from the law enforcement agency that used them. That’s one of the biggest advantages of buying a used cop car—you actually know how it was maintained.
You’ll be able to see oil change intervals, brake replacements, fluid services, and any other work that was done while the vehicle was in service. Municipal fleets keep detailed logs because they have to. That’s a level of transparency you almost never get when buying a used car from a private seller or even a regular dealership.
We’re happy to walk you through the history of any Ford Explorer police interceptor you’re interested in. If there’s something unusual in the records, we’ll tell you. If the vehicle was retired early for any reason, we’ll explain why. You’re not buying blind, and you shouldn’t have to.
If you want to run your own vehicle history report, you can do that too. We’ll provide the VIN and answer any questions that come up. The goal is to make sure you feel confident about what you’re buying before you sign anything.
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