Oct. 16, 2017—Ford announced on Friday that it will offer free repairs to North American owners of more than 1.4 million Explorer SUVs, according to Reuters. The automaker wants to ensure that carbon monoxide and other exhaust gases cannot get into the vehicles.
Ratchet+Wrench previously reported in August that the automaker was under investigation after thousands of complaints were filed against the Ford Explorer over possible carbon monoxide issues.
Federal regulators have said they are aware of more than 2,700 complaints, three crashes and 41 injuries that may be linked to exposure to carbon monoxide among police and civilian 2011-2017 Explorer vehicles.
Starting Nov. 1, dealers will reprogram the air conditioner, replace the liftgate drain valves and inspect sealing of the rear of the vehicle. The fix covers about 1.3 million U.S. vehicles and about 108,000 in Canada and Mexico.
The automaker stated in a press release that it has not found “carbon monoxide levels that exceed what people are exposed to every day” in the 1.4 million civilian vehicles. The automaker also stated that it is offering these complimentary services, which it is not classifying as a recall, in response to customer concerns.
Police agencies have reported two crashes that may be linked to carbon monoxide exposure and a third incident involving injuries related to carbon monoxide exposure.
Ford has issued four technical service bulletins related to the exhaust odor issue to address complaints from police fleets and other owners.
NHTSA said it is evaluating preliminary testing that suggests carbon monoxide levels may be elevated in certain driving scenarios.
