Hello everyone. Some unfortunate news regarding added emission equipment to the Explorer. Ford will be adding a Gas Particulate Filter on later-build and onward 2026 Ford Explorers. This will take a 15 HP hit on the 3.0L V6, taking it down to 385 HP. Ford has been phasing in these GPF’s on their vehicles, and unfortunately we are already seeing them arrive on vehicles.

A Gasoline particulate filters (GPF) are based on the wall-flow technology of diesel particulate filters. GPFs are developed to reduce fine particulate emissions, and Definetly are restricting the exhaust flow of the vehicle. I’d expect this to hinder power output by a decent amount, but it’s just speculation until we see some testing done.

This will take a hit on the aftermarket support for the exhaust. The current cat-back exhaust’s will not fit, Thermal R&D has already put out an offer for them to develop an offering for these GPF-equipped vehicles. I am unsure if downpipe fitment will be affected, from the pictures, they looked a little different based on appearance only, but I will update this post when I can confirm.
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