Ford Explorers are filling the cabin with Carbon Monoxide, Police remove them from fleets - Sensationalist Headlines

[url]http://bgr.com/2017/07/30/ford-explorer-carbon-monoxide-crashes-investigation/[/url] [QUOTE]The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has upgraded a probe into potential carbon monoxide poisoning being caused by Ford Explorers. The NHTSA said it is aware of 2,700 complaints and three crashes potentially linked to carbon monoxide poisoning in the vehicles’ cabin. An initial investigation was opened last year into more than 638,000 vehicles, and the NHTSA has now upgraded that investigation into an “engineering analysis,” a necessary step before the agency can force Ford to recall any vehicles. Ford has acknowledged some kind of problem, issued numerous service bulletins, and told Reuters that it has a dedicated team “to investigate reported issues and solve them.” [/QUOTE] Police are pulling them out of the fleet: [url]http://www.cbsnews.com/news/austin-police-pull-ford-explorers-off-the-road-amid-carbon-monoxide-fears/[/url] [QUOTE]The city of Austin decided to pull its entire fleet of Ford Explorers off the road after two more police officers were found with carbon monoxide (CO) in their blood, bringing the number of officers who have fallen ill to 20. "This is my family," interim police chief Brian Manley said Friday. "I stand here confident that we're making the right decision today based on what we know with the carbon monoxide exposure issue that we've had and the impacts that it has had on our workforce."[/QUOTE] [QUOTE]Just hours earlier, federal regulators expanded their investigation into reports that exhaust fumes were leaking into the passenger cabin of Ford Explorers. An estimated 1.3 million of the vehicles, [b]model years 2011 to 2017[/b], could be affected.[/QUOTE] We own a 2017 and a 2004, the 2004 is currently dead. This is not good. October 17 update: sounds like it’s gonna happen

Oh dear, that's not a good thing. I hope they get the recall out and the cars fixed before anyone else is hurt. What's with the Explorer name? It seems like it's cursed. It's a shame because the cars themselves are pretty great cars. They just seem to have rife mechanical issues in certain years.

great now you have to worry about being gassed in police custody. [sp]this is a sarcastic post[/sp]

I hope this is an easy fix, knowing how many Explorers are out there for both civilian and police.

I was thinking about buying a used police one just before next winter to replace my old police crown vic. I hope it isn't a big deal.

My first car was an 04 Explorer Sport Trac, pretty useless as a truck but was fine until the starter began having issues a few years ago. We only use it for plowing now and its way older then the ones in question but I wonder if sport tracs are affected at all.

My friends older model explorer tried to kill her and locked the steering wheel while she was driving.(so I'm told) Has this car always had problems?

[QUOTE=OvB;52522450]My friends older model explorer tried to kill her and locked the steering wheel while she was driving.(so I'm told) Has this car always had problems?[/QUOTE] As far back as the 90s(I think 90s?) flipping right over on its side if it had Firestone tires on it. I don't get how this one car can have so many problems if the rest of the fleet is okay-ish. What's the appeal in them for police cars anyway? I thought the Dodge Charger was the up and coming police fleet car with the Crown Vic being phased out.

[QUOTE=OvB;52522450]My friends older model explorer tried to kill her and locked the steering wheel while she was driving.(so I'm told) Has this car always had problems?[/QUOTE] A slew of them AFAIK. Call me dumb but I'll never trust Ford to make anything quality except for the 90s Crown Vic [editline]30th July 2017[/editline] This is worrying, though. I hope nobody else gets hurt.

In the mean time, folks who own them, don't panic. As someone who drives a vehicle with an exhaust leak bad enough that you can smell it in the cabin from time to time: Just crack a window and you'll be fine. The fresh air coming in the cracked window will dilute the exhaust enough that it won't harm you any more than standing near the exhaust tip would. As long as you're window's cracked you won't have to worry about gassing yourself until the recall is issued and they replace the leaking exhaust gasket. [QUOTE=Shadari;52522390]I hope this is an easy fix, knowing how many Explorers are out there for both civilian and police.[/QUOTE] It's probably a leaking exhaust manifold gasket, leaking O2 sensors/O2 sensor seals, or a leaking manifold-to-downpipe gasket that's right near the air intake for the HVAC system. Not gonna be too hard to fix.

[QUOTE=Trekintosh;52522380] What's with the Explorer name? It seems like it's cursed. It's a shame because the cars themselves are pretty great cars. They just seem to have rife mechanical issues in certain years.[/QUOTE] [QUOTE=OvB;52522450]My friends older model explorer tried to kill her and locked the steering wheel while she was driving.(so I'm told) Has this car always had problems?[/QUOTE] Every single design generation except the 2006-2010 has had some sort of major defect. In the 90's, they were suffering from tire blowouts and rollover crashes. Mine in particular, the 2001-2005 era "Exploder," is particularly bad. Full scale transmission failure is a constant, and the 4.0L V6 is known as the "time bomb". We were lucky enough to get [I]the worst possible engine and drivetrain,[/I] the one most prone to failure. We've been lucky. But every single Explorer of this generation I've seen, without fail, has had the same cosmetic issue… [t]http://i.imgur.com/LHKXRprh.jpg[/t] I just finished replacing the battery, though. That was [I]fuuuuuuun…[/I]

[QUOTE=chipsnapper2;52522483]Every single design generation except the 2006-2010 has had some sort of major defect. In the 90's, they were suffering from tire blowouts and rollover crashes. Mine in particular, the 2001-2005 era "Exploder," is particularly bad. Full scale transmission failure is a constant, and the 4.0L V6 is known as the "time bomb". We were lucky enough to get [I]the worst possible engine and drivetrain,[/I] the one most prone to failure. We've been lucky. But every single Explorer of this generation I've seen, without fail, has had the same cosmetic issue… [t]http://i.imgur.com/LHKXRprh.jpg[/t] I just finished replacing the battery, though. That was [I]fuuuuuuun…[/I][/QUOTE] ..Eh..I have a 2002 Explorer Limited (4.6L V8). It had the transmission issues (the outside casing was cracked so it couldn't be rebuilt), but it didn't need to be replaced till 2013. That said, it was pretty fun (not) trying to find parking that didn't require reverse since the transmission completely lost that gear. But considering it had well over 100k miles and was used to occasionally haul horse trailers? I'm surprised the transmission lasted as long as it did since it's not really designed to haul that sort of weight. Once the transmission was replaced? No problems. The only "issues" I have is more related to if it sits for a bit without being driven (hard shifting, O/D indicator freaks out requiring a restart to fix). ...Also, yeah. The back hatch cracked. [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/bswoS8S.jpg[/IMG] I still consider it a dependable vehicle since in the time I've driven it, I've had zero issues beyond what I llisted above.

[QUOTE=chipsnapper2;52522483]Every single design generation except the 2006-2010 has had some sort of major defect. In the 90's, they were suffering from tire blowouts and rollover crashes. Mine in particular, the 2001-2005 era "Exploder," is particularly bad. Full scale transmission failure is a constant, and the 4.0L V6 is known as the "time bomb". We were lucky enough to get [I]the worst possible engine and drivetrain,[/I] the one most prone to failure. We've been lucky. But every single Explorer of this generation I've seen, without fail, has had the same cosmetic issue… [t]http://i.imgur.com/LHKXRprh.jpg[/t] I just finished replacing the battery, though. That was [I]fuuuuuuun…[/I][/QUOTE] I just got done with an oil change on my mom's '06 and it has that same crack on it. Other than that, the thing's mint, runs like a swiss watch. We do have the 4.0 and the AWD/4WD system in ours. It just ticked over 100k and we're taking upmost care of it. Actually got the trans fluid changed on schedule, something 95% of cars never experience. The only other issue it has is a drain plug that's fixin' to strip out the pan, but A: That's not a fault of the vehicle rather one of the oil monkeys at Valvoline and B: Ford did a smart here and made the oil pan two pieces. The part the drain plug screws into costs ~$40, gasket is $10, and I can change it in my driveway no problemo. Which is good, because shitholes like Valvoline and Jiffy Lube(Valvoline in our case) use fucking impact guns or some shit to screw the drain plugs in and are notorious for stripping plugs. As for the 90s Explorers...they only rolled over if the driver was a dumbass and pulled extreme inputs out of their backside. They did get issued with underinflated rear tires prone to exploding from the factory, but the rollovers are attributed to bad drivers who panic and overcorrect for a sudden loss of tire pressure. If you handled them like you're supposed to they stayed upright and in control, no more and no less unstable than any other midsize SUV of the era. S10 Blazer, if it had a RR or LR tire blow out and the driver followed up by panicking, would roll over just as easily.

[QUOTE=Saxon;52522404]I was thinking about buying a used police one just before next winter to replace my old police crown vic. I hope it isn't a big deal.[/QUOTE] It's not. It's pretty isolated to Texas for some reason. Not a single issue that I've heard of around the area where I am

From my understanding of the subject, the issue is limited to police/ ex-police vehicles. I'll try to find an article about it, but they mentioned on the local news that the monoxide was potentially getting into the cabin as a result of police modifications being installed on the vehicle. I haven't heard anything about the civilian version having the issue.

[QUOTE=Kylel999;52522464]A slew of them AFAIK. Call me dumb but I'll never trust Ford to make anything quality except for the 90s Crown Vic [editline]30th July 2017[/editline] This is worrying, though. I hope nobody else gets hurt.[/QUOTE] Considering the sheer amount of Ford F150s I see around, I'm fairly certain they make decent pickup trucks.

[QUOTE=LtKyle2;52522460]As far back as the 90s(I think 90s?) flipping right over on its side if it had Firestone tires on it. I don't get how this one car can have so many problems if the rest of the fleet is okay-ish. What's the appeal in them for police cars anyway? I thought the Dodge Charger was the up and coming police fleet car with the Crown Vic being phased out.[/QUOTE] Explorers wouldn't be a replacement for the crown vic. It's probably just a secondary type vehicle for when they need the space they provide

Just crack the windows down a bit Problem solved

[QUOTE=Cookie;52522853]From my understanding of the subject, the issue is limited to police/ ex-police vehicles. I'll try to find an article about it, but they mentioned on the local news that the monoxide was potentially getting into the cabin as a result of police modifications being installed on the vehicle. I haven't heard anything about the civilian version having the issue.[/QUOTE] This isn't just police models. There was an article in February about owners complaining of exhaust leaking into the cab on regular models. I believe it was posted here.

[QUOTE=Jmir 54;52522977]Just crack the windows down a bit Problem solved[/QUOTE] Yup. 'Tis exactly what I said. [editline]30th July 2017[/editline] [QUOTE=gk99;52522946]Considering the sheer amount of Ford F150s I see around, I'm fairly certain they make decent pickup trucks.[/QUOTE] The company stays afloat based primarily on sales of Mustang and F150, so, yah. They do make a good half-ton.

[QUOTE=chipsnapper2;52522483]Every single design generation except the 2006-2010 has had some sort of major defect. In the 90's, they were suffering from tire blowouts and rollover crashes. Mine in particular, the 2001-2005 era "Exploder," is particularly bad. Full scale transmission failure is a constant, and the 4.0L V6 is known as the "time bomb". We were lucky enough to get [I]the worst possible engine and drivetrain,[/I] the one most prone to failure. We've been lucky. But every single Explorer of this generation I've seen, without fail, has had the same cosmetic issue… [t]http://i.imgur.com/LHKXRprh.jpg[/t] I just finished replacing the battery, though. That was [I]fuuuuuuun…[/I][/QUOTE] It seems like every ford SUV has this crack on it. Its almost a feature.

[QUOTE=Jmir 54;52522977]Just crack the windows down a bit Problem solved[/QUOTE] I'm not sure having to have the window down to stop your car from flooding the cabin with toxic gas constitutes problem solved.

[QUOTE=Morgen;52523381]I'm not sure having to have the window down to stop your car from flooding the cabin with toxic gas constitutes problem solved.[/QUOTE] filter it through a cigarette problem solved

[QUOTE=butre;52523390]filter it through a cigarette problem solved[/QUOTE] Even better is using a rag soaked in chloroform. The chloroform breaks down the carbon monoxide into oxygen.

[QUOTE=LtKyle2;52522460]As far back as the 90s(I think 90s?) flipping right over on its side if it had Firestone tires on it. I don't get how this one car can have so many problems if the rest of the fleet is okay-ish. What's the appeal in them for police cars anyway? I thought the Dodge Charger was the up and coming police fleet car with the Crown Vic being phased out.[/QUOTE] Space mostly, as well as AWD being standard equipment. Most of the local ones are the 3.7 V6 non-Ecoboost, which is more than sufficient for city work.

Shit, half of my company's vehicles are explorers [editline]30th July 2017[/editline] [QUOTE=Cookie;52522853]From my understanding of the subject, the issue is limited to police/ ex-police vehicles. I'll try to find an article about it, but they mentioned on the local news that the monoxide was potentially getting into the cabin as a result of police modifications being installed on the vehicle. I haven't heard anything about the civilian version having the issue.[/QUOTE] I hope that's true

I own a 2011 Explorer, other than a few recalls (the most serious of which was a problem with the rear passenger door opening unintentionally, ours wasn't affected upon inspection) the car has served us fine for the time we've had it. I haven't noticed any issue with fumes and I've driven it on 5+ hour trips. It's a very versatile vehicle for what it is which is why I think it's picked up so much usage in Police forces.

[t]https://cdn.carcomplaints.com/complaints/images/437ba274-698d-1033-b743-4c3114d2dee3r.jpg[/t] here is an image of the offending part, its the black vent above the exhaust(there is a vent on each side). My father said that the vent itself is made out of rubber which plugs into the plastic housing. rubber doesn't like to move if its attached to plastic so when the cabin of the vehicle re-compresses the vent doesn't close fully(when you open a door the vents are suppose to open too) the vent is basically exposed, it's just covered up by the plastic "bumper". On the generation before this one (before 2011 to now) this vent probably existed on the rear door. He said that right now ford is having them replace the unit and reinstall the seals on the whole vehicle, such as the door seals. He said that if the vehicle comes in with the same complaint again an exhaust extension is installed to make it point downward. He also said that one of the explorers that came in for this, he just sealed the vent with a spray like what you'd use on the bed of a truck. The vents are suppose to aid in being able to close the doors apparently, I suppose if there was too much inward pressure into the cabin the door wouldn't close. I can't imagine you'd realize the exhaust fumes with regular use of the vehicle, but it's probably not healthy either way.

There's a reason they call em Ford Exploders

[QUOTE=KommradKommisar;52524220]There's a reason they call em Ford Exploders[/QUOTE] I dont think I've ever heard them called exploders. And it doesnt even make sense to bring it up since CO is not going to explode.