Hear from Our Customers
You’re not buying a retired patrol car because it sounds cool. You’re buying it because it makes sense.
These Ford police interceptor utility vehicles were built with heavy-duty alternators, reinforced frames, upgraded brakes, and all-wheel drive that works in every weather condition Long Island throws at you. They’ve been maintained on strict schedules by agencies that can’t afford breakdowns. And when you buy from us, you’re getting access to those service records—not guessing what happened before you owned it.
Most comparable civilian SUVs start above $20,000. You’re looking at the same platform, same engine options, same AWD system—for half that or less. The difference isn’t in what the vehicle can do. It’s in what you’re willing to pay for packaging and a showroom.
State Surplus Auto Sales was started by Carmen Yannuzzi, who spent over 25 years in law enforcement. He watched well-maintained government vehicles get auctioned off and realized they’d make solid transportation for people working with real budgets.
We’re located at 833 Broadway, and we’ve built our business around one thing: connecting people in Uniondale, NY, Nassau County, and across Long Island with quality used cop cars for sale at prices that don’t require a loan you’ll regret. No new car lots. No luxury add-ons. Just Ford Explorer police interceptors and other retired patrol vehicles that were built to last and maintained like it mattered.
You start by looking at what’s actually available. Our inventory changes as vehicles come in from government auctions and agency sales, so what you see is what we have—usually around 8 to 12 Ford interceptors at any given time in the New York area.
Once you find something that fits your budget and needs, you’ll get access to the service records and history. Most of these vehicles have mileage between 120,000 and 160,000 miles, but they’ve been maintained on schedules most civilian owners never follow. You’ll see the oil changes, brake work, inspections—all of it.
Financing is simple. We offer zero percent interest to everyone, regardless of credit score. No hidden fees, no surprises at signing. You’re either paying cash or setting up a payment plan that won’t bury you. After that, the vehicle is yours. You’ll handle registration and insurance like any other used car purchase, and you’re on the road.
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Every Ford Explorer police interceptor for sale at our lot comes with the heavy-duty components that agencies required: larger brake rotors, performance-tuned suspension, all-wheel drive, and engines built for pursuit situations. These aren’t appearance packages. They’re functional upgrades that affect how the vehicle handles, stops, and performs under stress.
In Uniondale, NY, and across Nassau County, you’re dealing with stop-and-go traffic on Hempstead Turnpike, highway merges on the Meadowbrook, and winter conditions that make AWD more than a luxury. These vehicles were spec’d for that kind of use—and worse.
You’ll also notice the interiors are simpler. There’s no leather seating, no infotainment systems loaded with features that break in three years. What you lose in comfort, you gain in durability and lower repair costs. Replacement parts are affordable and widely available because these platforms are still in active use across the country.
Some vehicles still have mounting holes from light bars or equipment brackets. We don’t hide that. It’s part of the vehicle’s history, and for most buyers, it’s not a dealbreaker when the price is this competitive.
Yes, but the mileage number alone doesn’t tell the story. What matters more is how those miles were put on and how the vehicle was maintained.
Most of the Ford police interceptor utility models we sell come from agencies that followed strict maintenance schedules. Oil changes every 5,000 miles, brake inspections, transmission services—these weren’t optional. They were required, and the records prove it. A patrol vehicle with 140,000 miles that was serviced every month is often in better mechanical shape than a civilian SUV with 80,000 miles that only saw a shop when something broke.
The engines in these vehicles—especially the 3.5L EcoBoost and 3.7L V6 options—are built for severe duty cycles. They’re designed to idle for hours, accelerate hard, and handle constant stop-and-go use without falling apart. You’re not buying a vehicle at the end of its life. You’re buying one that’s already proven it can handle more than most drivers will ever ask of it.
The platform is the same, but the components and tuning are different. A police interceptor utility is built to pass pursuit certification tests that civilian models never see.
That means you’re getting a heavy-duty alternator that can handle extra electrical load, a calibrated suspension for high-speed stability, larger brake rotors with better cooling, and all-wheel drive that’s standard across every unit. The engine programming is more aggressive, the cooling systems are built for extended idling, and the frame has reinforcements in areas that take more stress during hard use.
You’re also getting a vehicle that’s been stripped of features that add cost but don’t add function. No panoramic sunroof that leaks in five years. No complex infotainment system that becomes outdated. What you’re left with is a truck that does exactly what it was designed to do—run hard and keep running. For someone in Uniondale, NY, who needs reliable transportation and doesn’t care about heated seats, that’s a better deal than paying $30,000 for the civilian version.
Yes. We offer zero percent financing to everyone, no matter what your credit score looks like.
Most dealerships run your credit and then decide whether you’re worth the risk. We don’t operate that way. If you’re working with a limited budget or rebuilding after financial trouble, you’re exactly the kind of buyer we built this business for. No credit check denials. No interest piling onto a balance you’re already struggling with.
You’ll work out a payment plan that fits what you can actually afford, and we’ll get the paperwork done. The goal isn’t to trap you in debt—it’s to get you into a vehicle that won’t break down and won’t break your budget. Plenty of our customers in Nassau County are first-time buyers, people with past credit issues, or families who just need something reliable without the dealership games. This is one of the few places where your credit score doesn’t decide whether you drive home or not.
Most will, but you need to ask the right questions before you buy. Some insurers hesitate because they assume former police vehicles were driven recklessly or are higher risk. That’s not usually true, but the perception exists.
When you’re shopping for insurance, make it clear that the vehicle is no longer in service, has been decommissioned, and is titled as a standard used vehicle. You’re not insuring a patrol car—you’re insuring a Ford Explorer or Sedan that used to be a patrol car. Most major carriers in New York will cover it without issue once they understand that.
If your current insurer pushes back, shop around. There are plenty of companies that specialize in non-standard vehicles or have no problem with former fleet cars. Get quotes from at least three providers before you assume it’s going to be a problem. In most cases, your rate will be close to what you’d pay for any other used SUV with similar mileage and age.
At State Surplus Auto Sales, you’re typically looking at a range between $5,000 and $15,000 depending on the model year, mileage, and condition. That’s well below the $20,000+ you’d pay for a comparable civilian Ford Explorer or similar SUV on a traditional lot.
The nationwide average for a used police interceptor utility is around $14,000, but we’ve had solid running units available for as low as $5,200. Price depends on what’s in stock and what kind of shape the vehicle is in when it comes off auction. Some have lower mileage and cleaner interiors. Others have higher miles but impeccable service records and no mechanical concerns.
What you won’t find here is price inflation based on market hype or dealer markups that exist just because they can. These vehicles were purchased at government auctions, and we price them to move—not to sit on the lot. If you’re shopping in Uniondale, NY, or anywhere on Long Island and your budget is tight, this is one of the few places where you can get a pursuit-rated AWD SUV for under $10,000 and not wonder if it’ll make it through the year.
Start with the service records. Any reputable seller should be able to show you the maintenance history—oil changes, brake work, transmission services, inspections. If they can’t or won’t, walk away.
Next, check the mileage against the vehicle’s age and use. A patrol car with 150,000 miles over five years averages about 30,000 miles a year, which is high but not unusual for fleet use. What matters is whether those miles were highway patrol (less wear) or urban stop-and-go (more wear). Ask where the vehicle was used and what kind of duty it saw.
Look at the interior and exterior for signs of neglect. Mounting holes and worn upholstery are normal. Rust, frame damage, or fluid leaks are not. Take it for a test drive and listen for anything unusual—clunks, grinding, hesitation. These vehicles were built tough, but they weren’t babied.
Finally, make sure the title is clean and the VIN checks out. You don’t want to buy a vehicle that’s still tied to a government agency or has unresolved liens. We handle all of that before a car hits our lot, but if you’re buying elsewhere, verify everything yourself.
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