Ford Explorer: 308 TLC Cars, Fleet Data & Rules

308 Ford Explorers held TLC licenses on October 12, 2026, all as for-hire vehicles (FHVs). It ranks 44th among TLC models, and almost all are gas: 298 gas and 10 hybrid.

What sets the Explorer apart is age. More than a quarter of TLC Explorers are model year 2016 or older, and very few are new. If you drive or are thinking of buying an older Explorer, inspections are the rule that matters most.

Where the counts come from

TLC's FHV list and medallion vehicle list don't include make or model. TLC Help decoded each vehicle's VIN with NHTSA's vPIC decoder and kept only the totals. vPIC gives the model family ("Explorer"), not the trim, and may misread the fuel type for a few years. The list is a one-day snapshot.

An even spread of older years

Most popular TLC models have one or two big years. The Explorer does not. Its biggest years, 2017, 2020 and 2022, have only 37 cars each, and 2014 to 2022 are all in the range of 15 to 37. Then it falls away: 4 cars from 2024, 14 from 2025 and 7 from 2026.

Model years 2016 and older make up 27.3% of TLC Explorers. Across all FHVs, TLC's model-year data adds up to about 10%. At the new end, just 8.1% of Explorers are 2024 or newer, against about 31% of all FHVs. In plain terms, this is a fleet of older SUVs that is not being refreshed much.

Older SUV, same inspection schedule

TLC's current FHV rules have no fixed retirement age (TLC vehicle retirement age). What keeps an older Explorer on the road is passing inspections. Under rule 59A-26(a) in chapter 59:

• an FHV must be inspected three times a year, at least once every four months;
• the inspections for a new or renewal license happen at TLC's facility in Woodside; the others can be done at any DMV-registered inspection station.

Rule 59A-29(c) also requires a valid New York State inspection sticker with at least eight months left before it expires; the listed penalty is a $100 fine, suspension until fixed, and 1 penalty point. If TLC or the DMV finds the car unsafe or unfit and orders it off the road, rule 59A-27(a) says it cannot be used for hire. Plan for these costs when you look at an older Explorer. More: TLC vehicle inspection.

Mostly gas

For model year 2022, the EPA rates most gas Explorers at 20 to 24 mpg combined depending on engine and drive, from the 3.0-liter AWD (EPA) to the 2.3-liter RWD (EPA). The 2022 hybrid is rated 23 to 27 mpg depending on trim and drive, with the RWD hybrid at the top (EPA). The EPA lists no hybrid Explorer for 2025 or 2026. Test figures differ from real city driving; use the lease-vs-buy tool with your own numbers.

Base types

296 Explorers (96.1%) are at black car bases, 11 (3.6%) at livery bases and 1 at a luxury limousine base. The livery share is a little above the 2.0% for all FHVs. One Explorer is marked "PILOT" in TLC's wheelchair_accessible column, a label the dataset does not define; none is marked WAV.

Plates

New FHV licenses go only to approved wheelchair accessible vehicles (TLC), and the Explorer isn't on the approved list. To put an Explorer on an existing non-WAV license, file a vehicle transfer within 15 days of DMV registration (rule 59A-09(a)); see TLC plates for FHVs.

The Explorer has the oldest median year in this group. Compare the Nissan Pathfinder, Honda Pilot, Lincoln Nautilus, Mitsubishi Outlander and Lincoln Corsair, or see every model in TLC fleet by make and model.

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