Chris Jones: Green Publishing, Inc.
Reports of police officers passing out behind the wheel of Ford's Police Interceptor Explorer and testing positive for carbon monoxide exposure has lead Ford and the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to launch investigative probes into the matter. NHTSA has already investigated more than 150 complaints from Ford Explorer owners about the smell of exhaust fumes in their vehicles. The agency recently expanded its probe to include 1.3 million Explorers. The auto safety agency said it was also aware of more than 2,700 complaints that may be linked to exhaust odors and possible exposure to carbon monoxide and 41 injuries among police and civilian vehicles in the probe. The probe covers vehicles manufactured between 2011 and 2017.
Carbon monoxide is an odorless gas that is released through vehicle exhausts. The primary symptoms associated with carbon monoxide exposure are eye irritation, nausea, headaches, and light-headedness.
According to USA Today, the automaker has not issued a recall to fix the alleged defect; but the company did issue two “technical service bulletins” in 2012 and 2014, which instructed dealers to attempt to fix the defect when motorists bring in vehicles for other repairs. However, Ford announced on Friday, July 28, that it will cover the costs of specific repairs to every Police Interceptor Explorer that may be tied to after-market installation of police equipment. Those modifications, according to Ford, may have left holes in the underbody of vehicles, allowing exhaust fumes, including carbon monoxide, to enter the cabin. The Austin Police Department in Austin, Tx., has pulled all 400 of its Interceptors from service.
Roughly 50 percent of the Madison County Sheriff's Office's (MCSO) patrol fleet is made up of Ford Interceptor Explorers that were manufactured between 2011 and 2017. “We have not had any issues yet,” Chief Deputy Epp Richardson told Greene Publishing, Inc. “The Sheriff’s Office has been monitoring this situation and has instructed all personnel to immediately report any detection or indication of exhaust leaks within the cab area of their unit and have the unit inspected. As a separate precautionary measure, the Sheriff’s Office is further equipping these units with carbon monoxide detectors to further ensure the safety of our personnel. The safety of our people is our biggest concern.”