Ford has come under the radar of the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for its Police Interceptor Explorer SUV. According to the New York Times, the vehicle emits odors and results in exposure to Carbon Monoxide, which may have led to crashes and several injuries.
The company is ready to pay for the cost of specific repairs that are required in the vehicle. However, the problem is being linked to the after-purchase installation of various police devices in the vehicle, which may have left holes in the underbody of the car. These holes are possibly causing the reported issue of odorous exhaust entering various compartments of the car.
There are 1.33 million Ford SUV vehicles that are being checked for the problems mentioned above. Ford stated that if the holes that were created during the modification are not attended to, then it leads to the combust entering the cabin.
Concerns about police officer’s health
The police department of Austin, Texas, has decided to remove 400 of its Ford SUV vehicles citing concerns over their officers’ health. A media memo stated that at least 20 officers were found with increased amount of carbon monoxide in their body. Alarmingly, three of these officers did not return to work.
Carmaker to bear expenses for fixing the problem
Ford is yet to determine the cost it will incur for fixing each and every police interceptor Explorer SUVs.
The company has found no such issues with the regular Explorer SUVs, but the NHTSA intends to investigate the reports of exhaust entering the compartments even in regular vehicles.
The NHTSA has been closely working with law enforcement to determine whether this problem poses a safety threat to the passengers in the car. There are no substantial reports or data which affirm or support the claims that there are carbon monoxide exhausts, which resulted in an injury or a crash.
The regulatory body may have received certain reports that the SUV combusts carbon monoxide in certain driving scenarios. The significance and evaluation of a certain amount of the gas, which is combustible, is yet to be determined.
The carmaker has been running tests and regularly been evaluating the whole claim thoroughly.
The company is doing this in a bid to clear its reputation as such claims can impact its car sales. If the vehicle fails the safety evaluation tests from the NHTSA, then Ford will be faced with a daunting task of salvaging its reputation.
