Following its debut in early February, the 2025 Ford Explorer entered production at the Chicago Assembly plant in May, but due to the automaker’s new quality checks, the refreshed model just began hitting dealer lots late last month. The Explorer’s more luxurious counterpart – the 2025 Lincoln Aviator – was on a similar trajectory, and also entered production alongside its platform mate. Now, both of these revamped models are officially shipping to customers and dealers, according to The Blue Oval.
“Across all the models of Ford Explorer, luxury Lincoln Aviator, and the purpose-built Police Interceptor Utility, this plant serves diverse segments with incredible vehicles,” said Angela Weathers, Plant Manager, Chicago Assembly Plant. “Our team enhanced pre-launch testing and quality checks to help ensure these vehicles exceed our customers’ expectations. We’re thrilled to have Explorer and Aviator SUVs out for delivery, building on Chicago Assembly Plant’s 100-year legacy of producing groundbreaking vehicles.”
As Ford Authority previously reported, FoMoCo is keen to ensure that its refreshed and redesigned models are free of any potential quality issues before deliveries begin, which is the reasoning behind the slow launch of the 2025 Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator. The automaker notes that when it comes to these two models, its teams spent hundreds of hours prototyping and completing test drives, adding enhanced end-of-line checks, and using cutting-edge tools like the Mobile AI Vision System (MAIVS) – which relies on mobile phone cameras and AI to perform quality inspections during the entire assembly process.
Along with updated exterior styling, new tech, and a revamped trim level lineup, the 2025 Ford Explorer also utilizes the same updated version of the turbocharged 2.3L I-4 EcoBoost as the 2024 Ford Mustang. The 2025 Aviator features similar revisions, but it’s only available with one powertrain, for now – the twin-turbocharged 3.0L V6 EcoBoost, which generates the same 400 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque as the outgoing model.
We’ll have more on the 2025 Ford Explorer soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford Explorer news and comprehensive Ford news updates.
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