He is known for his co-starring lead role as California Highway Patrol officer Francis (Frank) Llewelyn "Ponch" Poncherello in the police drama television series CHiPs, which ran from 1977 to 1983.

He later became known for his work in Spanish-language telenovelas, his appearances in reality television shows and infomercials and as a regular voice on the Adult Swim series Sealab 2021.

[2] Growing up, he thought about becoming a police officer but turned to acting after joining the drama club at Louis D. Brandeis High School.

The following year, he again worked with Smight in the successful military historical epic Midway, as a fictional airman Ens.

On August 6, 1979, Estrada was seriously injured while filming a scene on the set of CHiPs, fracturing several ribs and breaking both wrists after he was thrown from his 600-pound (270 kg) motorcycle.

[2] Later in 1979, Estrada was voted one of "The 10 Sexiest Bachelors in the World" by People magazine and was featured on the cover of the November issue.

[2] Following a salary dispute with NBC in the fall of 1981, Estrada was briefly replaced by Olympic Gold Medalist and actor Bruce Jenner.

In the 1990s, Estrada played the role of Johnny, a Tijuana trucker, in the Televisa telenovela Dos mujeres, un camino ("Two women, one path").

[6] In 1998, he returned as the character Francis "Ponch" Poncherello in the TNT made-for-TV movie CHiPs '99, along with the rest of the original cast.

Estrada also made guest appearances on The Wayans Bros., Unhappily Ever After, the Nickelodeon comedy Drake & Josh, NBC's Scrubs and My Name Is Earl, and ABC's According to Jim.

In the ads, he (playing himself) attended a class on endorsing products led by race car driver Tony Stewart.

In 2008, Estrada appeared in Husband for Hire, a television movie starring Nadine Velazquez and Mario López.

The story of sexual predation is based on true incidents investigated by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

Estrada toured with the film, aiming to educate parents and young people about the dangers of online grooming.

11-99 Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides benefits and scholarships to California Highway Patrol family members, as well as funeral expenses for fallen officers.