The Center for Auto Safety, a nonprofit safety advocacy group, is calling for Ford to recall 1.35 million Explorer SUVs over continued complaints of exhaust fumes in passenger compartments. According to a report in the Chicago Tribune, the group says it has found 44 complaints in a government database over fumes and potential carbon monoxide after owners had taken the vehicles for free repairs in a Ford customer service campaign, which began in October. The center has made its request for this recall in a letter to Ford CEO Jim Hackett.
An investigation, But No Recall
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been investigating the issue for two years in police and civilian Explorers from the 2011 through 2017 model years, but it has not reached a conclusion just yet. In the meantime, consumers continue to report that they are being sickened by the carbon monoxide fumes that are spewed into the passenger compartment and Ford continues to insist that its vehicles are “perfectly safe,” that owner complaints have gone down and free service has been addressed the problem.
But Jason Levine, the center’s executive director, says the automaker’s service campaign has done nothing to address this serious safety problem. He says the continued complaints of carbon monoxide seeping into the vehicle compartment and reports of injuries caused by car accidents after drivers were poisoned by the lethal gas, show that the problem hasn’t been fixed.
Call to Prevent Injuries and Deaths
In fact, the problem has continued into 2018 Explorer models suggesting that the issue has “not been designed out of the vehicle.” Ford repairs police SUVs, but questions remain about civilian-owned vehicles. The center has also urged Ford to issue a recall before tragedy strikes from a driver or passenger being overcome by the fumes. NHTSA says it is continuing to test multiple civilian and law enforcement vehicles and monitoring Ford’s customer service repair campaigns for effectiveness.
As auto defect lawyers who represent victims of these dangerous and defective vehicles – both law enforcement and civilian, we applaud the Center for Auto Safety for mounting pressure on NHTSA to act quickly to hasten the recall. NHTSA has been investigating this matter for two years and we still don’t have the recall. We fear there will be more injuries and even fatalities if the recall doesn’t happen soon and if these vehicles are not repaired in a timely manner.
