Ford F-150 Police Responder: The Police Pickup

By I Go Cars · Updated October 29, 2026

What the F-150 Police Responder is, and why it is still in production

The Ford F-150 Police Responder is a police-package F-150 pickup: a four-door, four-wheel-drive truck based on the FX4 off-road model, fitted with a 3.5L EcoBoost twin-turbocharged V6 and a 10-speed SelectShift automatic, and sold to law enforcement agencies under Ford sales code W1P (the order code that identifies the police truck in Ford's fleet system). It is not a civilian F-150 with lights added. It is a factory police vehicle that Ford markets as pursuit-rated, meaning certified by the manufacturer for high-speed police driving.

The verdict on this page is in production for police, and the evidence is direct. The Michigan State Police (MSP) Police Vehicle Evaluation Program, the annual test series in which MSP's Precision Driving Unit runs every police-package vehicle a manufacturer submits, tested the F-150 Police Responder for the 2026 model year in September 2025, and the truck appears again in MSP's preliminary 2027 model year results. A vehicle that a manufacturer is still submitting for police evaluation two model years ahead is a current police product.

Ford revealed the truck on July 20, 2017, calling it "the industry's first pursuit-rated pickup." It entered MSP testing for the 2018 model year and was redesigned for 2021 with more power and a higher top speed. Those two versions, 2018 to 2020 and 2021 onward, are the generations a reader will meet in service or at auction.

How it differs from a civilian F-150

The Police Responder starts from the F-150 FX4, the off-road-oriented 4WD model, and Ford adds police-specific equipment on top of it. The 2021 redesign, as described in Ford's March 16, 2021 release, brought the clearest list of differences:

Power: the 3.5L EcoBoost rated at 400 hp and 500 lb-ft, up from 375 hp and 470 lb-ft on the 2018 to 2020 truck.
Top speed: an "improved 120 mph top speed," against the "up to 100 mph" Ford quoted at launch.
Drivetrain: a new torque-on-demand transfer case with a 4-Auto mode.
Police Engine Idle, a police-specific idle feature named in Ford's release.
Pre-Collision Assist with a law-enforcement disable switch: so the system can be switched off during police maneuvers.
Steel intrusion plates in the front seatbacks, and Goodyear all-terrain tires.

The MSP MY2026 test book lists the factory configuration in detail: a 3.31:1 axle, a 240-amp alternator to carry the electrical load of lights, radios and computers, LT265/70R18 tires, 9.4 inches of ground clearance, a 145.4-inch wheelbase, a 231.7-inch overall length, a 5,065 lb curb weight, a 26-gallon fuel tank and a 1,950 lb payload. Ford's copy in the book describes the goal as "on-road pursuit performance with built Ford tough off-road capability."

Towing is a large part of the case for the truck. Ford quoted 7,000 lb with a Class IV hitch at launch, and 7,000 lb standard with 11,200 lb available after the 2021 redesign.

Performance: what Michigan State Police testing shows

All MSP figures below are clean-roof test results, meaning the truck was tested without a lightbar, spotlights, antennas or other equipment. MSP states that real-world performance with emergency equipment installed may be lower. The model year of each test is given with each figure.

2018 to 2019: the 375 hp truck

In its first MSP book (MY2018, published November 2017), the F-150 Police Responder ran 0-60 mph in 6.29 seconds, 0-100 mph in 16.69 seconds, and reached 100 mph. The MY2019 book recorded 0-60 mph in 6.90 seconds, 0-100 mph in 16.48 seconds and a 106 mph top speed, with a curb weight of 5,060 lb and EPA ratings of 16 city, 22 highway and 18 combined mpg.

The MY2018 book also records a minor event worth knowing. During dynamics testing at Grattan Raceway, the truck vented transmission fluid through the breather tube. Ford engineers traced it to an overfill caused by "an outdated technical instruction" during vehicle preparation. The fluid level was adjusted after the second session, and the remaining sessions ran without issue.

2021 onward: the 400 hp truck

Ford's June 29, 2021 release reported preliminary MSP figures for the redesigned truck of 0-60 mph in 5.4 seconds, 0-100 mph in 13.1 seconds and a 120 mph top speed, along with a 14.4-second quarter mile in Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) testing. Ford claimed the "fastest 0-60 mph, 0-100 mph and quarter-mile times of any law enforcement vehicle." These are Ford-reported numbers from preliminary data; the final MY2022 MSP book was not reviewed for this page.

The figures that can be read directly from MSP documents are these:

MSP MY2026 (tested September 13, 2025): 0-60 mph in 5.68 seconds, 0-100 mph in 14.14 seconds, top speed 121 mph. That 0-60 time was the quickest of the gasoline patrol vehicles MSP tested that year.
MSP MY2027 (preliminary): 0-60 mph in 5.94 seconds, 0-100 mph in 14.00 seconds, top speed 121 mph. MSP labels these results preliminary and updates them as testing data is entered.

Where the truck gives ground

Quick acceleration does not make the F-150 the fastest police vehicle. Two electric vehicles beat it to 60 mph in the MY2026 book: the Ford Mustang Mach-E GT at 4.03 seconds and the Chevrolet Blazer EV PPV at 5.14 seconds. Its 121 mph top speed is well short of the 148 mph recorded by the Ford Police Interceptor Utility 3.0L EcoBoost in the same book.

Braking is the truck's weakest MSP result. In MY2026 it averaged 26.11 ft/s² of deceleration, a projected stop from 60 mph of 148.31 feet. That is longer than every SUV and car in the book: the Police Interceptor Utility 3.0L stopped in 137.24 feet, the Dodge Durango 5.7L in 141.10 feet and the Police Interceptor Utility Hybrid in 143.82 feet. Among pickups it sat in the middle, longer than the Chevrolet Silverado PPV Z71 (141.07 feet) and shorter than the Silverado PPV Z7X (149.81 feet) and the Ram 2500 (170.13 feet). It still cleared MSP's own purchasing minimum of 25.79 ft/s².

Generations and model history

The F-150 Police Responder has appeared in two forms, both on the 3.5L EcoBoost.

2018 to 2020 model years: 375 hp at 5,000 rpm and 470 lb-ft at 3,500 rpm, 10-speed automatic, 3.55:1 axle, P275/65R18 tires and 9.3 inches of ground clearance. Ford quoted a 2,030 lb payload and 7,000 lb towing, and claimed the highest payload and standard towing capacity of any pursuit-rated vehicle. MSP measured top speeds of 100 mph (MY2018) and 106 mph (MY2019).
2021 model year onward: 400 hp and 500 lb-ft, with the police equipment described above, a 3.31:1 axle and a 120 mph limit (121 mph measured by MSP in MY2026).

The F-150 Lightning Pro SSV is a different vehicle

On July 28, 2022, Ford introduced the 2023 F-150 Lightning Pro SSV (Special Service Vehicle) as "America's first electric police pickup truck." Ford said it was "designed to handle specialized departmental needs outside of pursuit situations," so it is not pursuit-rated and is not an electric Police Responder. Ford quoted 452 hp with the standard-range battery, 580 hp with the extended-range battery, 775 lb-ft either way, and 10,000 lb towing with the extended-range battery. Ford announced the end of all-electric F-150 Lightning production on December 15, 2025. No Ford fleet statement was found on whether the Lightning Pro SSV remains available.

How agencies use it, and where it is a poor fit

The sourced numbers describe a truck built for a specific kind of work. A 1,950 lb payload, 7,000 to 11,200 lb towing, 9.4 inches of ground clearance and the FX4 off-road package suit rural patrol, unpaved roads, K-9 units and agencies that haul equipment or tow trailers. Ford's 2021 release cited IHS Markit 2020 government registration data for a sales-leadership claim, but no unit sales or registration figure was found, so this page does not state one.

The same numbers show where the truck is a poor choice:

Sustained highway pursuit. A manufacturer-limited top speed of about 120 mph, against 148 mph for the Police Interceptor Utility 3.0L in MSP MY2026, makes the truck a weak fit where long high-speed runs are the main mission.
Stopping distance. Its 148.31-foot projected stop from 60 mph was longer than every SUV and car in the MY2026 book.
Dense urban patrol. At 231.7 inches long with a 47.8-foot turning radius (MY2026), it is harder to place in traffic and tight streets than the Durango Pursuit, which turned in 41.0 feet in the same book.
Cab ergonomics. MSP's MY2026 communications score was 8.71 for the F-150, against 9.44 for the Police Interceptor Utility and 9.78 for the Durango; bed and trunk accessibility scored 7.57.

Buying a retired F-150 Police Responder: what to check

Retired Police Responders reach public auctions as agencies replace them. No used-market prices were recorded in the research for this page, and any price seen at auction reflects mileage, idle hours, condition and how the truck was upfitted (the lights, partition, consoles and wiring an agency adds after delivery). Several points follow directly from the sourced record:

Know which generation it is. A 2018 to 2020 truck has 375 hp; a 2021 or later truck has 400 hp and a 120 mph limit.
Confirm it is a Police Responder. The police truck carries Ford sales code W1P. A civilian F-150 FX4 that was used by an agency, or an F-150 Lightning Pro SSV, is a different vehicle.
Check the transmission fluid level. The only mechanical event in the MY2018 MSP book was fluid venting from an overfill during preparation. It was a service error, not a design defect, but it shows that fluid level matters on this 10-speed.
Look for upfit damage. Removed lightbars, consoles and wiring leave holes and spliced harnesses; check the 240-amp electrical system on later trucks for poorly removed equipment.
Check that police markings are gone. Some states require it by law. Texas H.B. 473 (2015) bars state agencies from selling a marked patrol car to the public until police lights, sirens, spotlights, emblems and the "outline of an emblem" are removed.
Check the title documents. Federal surplus vehicles sold through GSA Auctions are routinely accompanied by Standard Form 97, the U.S. Government Certificate to Obtain Title.

Common misconceptions

"Pursuit-rated" is an official certification

It is not. MSP states that there is "no sanctioning body, or specific performance criteria" that defines a pursuit-rated vehicle, and that meeting its own criteria "does not certify a vehicle as being pursuit rated." MSP's MY2026 book says the term "pursuit capability is more appropriate." Ford's "first pursuit-rated pickup" is a manufacturer marketing claim, documented in Government Fleet's 2017 launch report.

It is still the only pursuit-rated pickup

That claim is out of date. Ford's 2021 release called the truck "America's only purpose-built, pursuit-rated pickup truck," but MSP has since tested the Chevrolet Silverado PPV in Z7X 4WD and Z71 4WD versions for both MY2026 and MY2027. In MY2026 they ran 0-60 mph in 7.37 and 7.29 seconds and reached 114 mph; the MY2027 preliminary results list both at 112 mph. The F-150 was quicker in both books, but it is no longer alone in the category.

Its top speed is 100 mph

That was the 2018 launch figure. The 2021 redesign raised the limit to 120 mph, and MSP measured 121 mph in its MY2026 test book and in the MY2027 preliminary results.

Frequently asked questions

Is the F-150 Police Responder pursuit rated?

Ford markets it as pursuit-rated and called it the industry's first pursuit-rated pickup when it was revealed in 2017. That is a manufacturer claim, not a certification: Michigan State Police says no sanctioning body defines "pursuit rated," and that passing its own tests does not certify a vehicle. MSP has tested the truck every model year since 2018.

What engine is in the F-150 Police Responder?

Every F-150 Police Responder uses a 3.5L EcoBoost twin-turbocharged V6 with a 10-speed automatic and 4WD. The 2018 to 2020 trucks are rated at 375 hp and 470 lb-ft. The 2021 redesign raised output to 400 hp and 500 lb-ft and added a torque-on-demand transfer case with a 4-Auto mode.

How fast is the F-150 Police Responder?

In Michigan State Police testing for the 2026 model year, it ran 0-60 mph in 5.68 seconds, 0-100 mph in 14.14 seconds and reached 121 mph, in clean-roof condition with no lightbar or equipment. The original 2018 truck reached only 100 mph in MSP testing, because the 2021 redesign raised the speed limit to 120 mph.

Was the F-150 the first police pickup truck?

Ford claims it was the first pursuit-rated pickup when it revealed the truck in July 2017. Pickups had served police in non-pursuit roles before that. Ford is also no longer alone: Michigan State Police tested two Chevrolet Silverado PPV versions for the 2026 and 2027 model years, so Ford's 2021 "only pursuit-rated pickup" claim is outdated.

Is there an electric F-150 police truck?

Ford built the 2023 F-150 Lightning Pro SSV, which it called America's first electric police pickup, but Ford said it was designed for duty outside of pursuit situations, so it is not a pursuit-rated Police Responder. Ford announced the end of all-electric F-150 Lightning production on December 15, 2025.

How much can the F-150 Police Responder tow?

Ford's 2021 release quotes 7,000 lb of towing as standard and up to 11,200 lb when properly equipped. The 2018 launch truck was quoted at 7,000 lb with a Class IV hitch. Payload was 2,030 lb in Ford's early and 2021 figures, and the MSP 2026 model year book lists 1,950 lb.

What gas mileage does the F-150 Police Responder get?

The EPA rating listed in the Michigan State Police 2026 model year test book is 16 mpg city, 22 mpg highway and 18 mpg combined. The MY2019 book listed the same 16/22/18 figures for the earlier 375 hp truck, so the 2021 power increase did not change the rating. The combined figure matches the Dodge Durango 5.7L in the same 2026 book.

Ford F-150 Police Responder