Short stories about Ford Explorer recalls, lawsuits, and other interesting bits. Signup to have these stories emailed to you for free from CarComplaints.com.
The issue revolves around excess vibration that can prematurely snap a link shaft bracket somewhere in the powertrain. I'm guessing the transmission? Maybe the flux capacitor? Who can say for sure.…
keep reading article "Little Known Bracket Recalled For Causing Big Time Problems in 16,000 Ford Vehicles"Only trouble is they'll have to recall a heck of a lot of vehicles to find them. The affected vehicles are all 2020 Ford Explorers or Lincoln Aviators built in Chicago between 08/24/2019 and 09/30/2019. That's roughly 12,200 vehicles.
So while less than 1% will actually have the problem, it's imperative that all affected owners bring their SUVs in for inspection.…
keep reading article "A Handful of 2020 Explorers and Aviators Have a Dangerous Driveshaft Defect. Now Ford Just Needs to Find Them."According to the lawsuit, concerned Ford engineers wanted to change the design of the 1998 Explorer to stop rollovers. Ford refused and switched to computer simulated rollover tests instead. Ford will appeal the jury’s decision to award $151 million to an Alabama man who was paralyzed in a 2015 rollover crash.
keep reading article "Jury Blames Ford for Covering Up Rollover Problems"Ford was held liable for using a cheap tempered window glass that didn’t do what tempered glass is designed to do.…
keep reading article "Ford Has Been Held 90% Liable in an Explorer Crash That Took a Man’s Arm"it's time for an extensive recall program for 1.3 million Explorers with carbon monoixide problems. The CAS says the SUVs have cracked exhaust manifolds that allow carbon monoxide to enter the cabins and that claims about CO exposure have increased 900% since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened an investigation a year and a half ago. That's not even counting the thousands of complaints sent by owners to Ford and sites like CarComplaints.com.
The "complimentary service" program only lasts until December 31st of this year. The CAS is looking for something more permanent, saying it is possible that Ford and Ford’s customers have just been lucky up until this point, but the time for Ford to take more serious action is now, before that luck runs out.
An additional 42 used by other city departments were pulled as well. The issue is exposure to carbon monoxide. After multiple officers complained about feeling sick the department made a move to equip all the SUVs with carbon monoxide detectors. Multiple officers filed lawsuits against Ford. At least one officer says the exposure led to nerve damage. Yikes.…
keep reading article "Soon Austin Residents Will Start Seeing Ford Explorer Police SUVs Again"Austin police officer Ryan Hancock says his symptoms (nausea, headaches and vision problems ) continued the next day and caused him to seek medical help. According to the lawsuit, tests conducted at the hospital showed his symptoms were from carbon monoxide poisoning. Furthermore, the plaintiff says his nervous system has been damaged by the fumes.
Hancock is represented by Brian Chase, the same attorney repressing officer Zachary LaHood in another carbon monoxide lawsuit against the automaker.…
keep reading article "Texas Police Officer Says Ford’s Negligence Resulted in Nerve Damage"Recalls are reserved for safety-related issues. Ford obviously doesn’t think this qualifies, but in my opinion they’re wrong.
By calling it a “service campaign,” the automaker doesn’t have to follow the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) rules for notifying all owners. Instead, only owners who hear about the campaign through other means will get the repairs.…
keep reading article "Consumer Group Urges Ford to Issue a Recall for Exhaust Fumes and Carbon Monoxide Problems"From David Woods on CarComplaints.com Ford announced "complimentary service" for 1.4 million model year 2011-2017 non-police Explorers in North America. Ford insists the SUVs are perfectly safe to drive and the "complimentary service" is not an official recall.
For whatever reason, Ford appears dead set against recalling this problem. In July 2017, the automaker created a “special program” to fix carbon monoxide (CO) exposure in Explorer Interceptor police vehicles.…
keep reading article "Without calling it a recall, Ford will make repairs to 1.4 million non-police Ford Explorer SUVs"Ford tested 4 Explorers, some that had been repaired using the steps recommended in TSBs, and didn’t find a problem.
“Ford says all these CO levels are well below any standards, especially since investigators found only “momentary" levels that quickly disappeared. In addition, when investigators allegedly drove the SUVs without using wide-open throttles, the carbon monoxide levels were zero.”
NHTSA took Ford’s “there’s nothing to see here” conclusion under advisement, and then promptly upgraded their investigation to an “engineering analysis.” They also expanded it to include the 2011-2017 Explorer, roughly 840,000 vehicles total.
Game on.
keep reading article "Feds Have Upgraded Their Explorer Carbon Monoxide Investigation to an Engineering Analysis"[Plaintiff Mary] Boatner says that on July 6 she drove the Explorer from Alabama to Michigan and noticed a strong chemical odor. Ms. Boatner rolled down her windows for fresh air but the odor was still there … When Ms. Boatner arrived in Michigan, and for several days thereafter, she allegedly experienced restlessness, lack of focus, fatigue, nausea and headaches.
Mrs. Boatner owns a 2017 Explorer, which falls outside the scope of the current NHTSA investigation.…
keep reading article "Ford Sued (Again) for Carbon Monoxide Poisoning "One of the officers is from Austin. The other suffered a dangerous crash after passing out in their patrol car.
Ford has been working with police departments to inspect the SUVs and seal any spaces created when aftermarket police-related equipment was installed in the rear of the Explorers.
keep reading article "3 Police Officers Are Suing Ford Over Carbon Monoxide Exposure"Hey, look who showed up! Nice of Ford to finally join the discussion. Ford is limiting this program to the police fleet, because it believes the modifications made to these vehicles – for lights and special equipment – are causing the problems.
“The repair program does not apply to non-police Explorers because owners of those vehicles report exhaust fumes entering the cabins, while Explorer Police Interceptor drivers report getting sick from carbon monoxide.”
Since when are fumes entering the cabin are ok?…
keep reading article "Ford Creates Program to Fix Carbon Monoxide Leaks in Police Fleet"I’m not sure what the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) was waiting for here. Ford has already settled one lawsuit, consumers continue to complain about headaches, police officers are passing out, and city officials want the SUVs off the road.
Out of 2,719 complaints filed to NHTSA, there were 41 reported injuries and 3 crashes. For what it’s worth, NHTSA says there’s currently no proof that carbon monoxide caused these problems.
Ford, meanwhile, has received 1,254 warranty claims, 606 reports from dealers and 55 legal claims.
What. A. Nightmare.
keep reading article "Feds Upgrade Investigation into 1.3 Million Explorers For Leaky Exhaust Manifolds"This is the same department that installed CO detectors across its fleet a few months ago. I’m guessing they didn’t like the results.
“City officials are considering taking about 400 of the Ford Explorer Police Interceptor SUVs completely off the roads until someone can determine what is causing the problems.”
City officials want the SUVs off the road, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is in town investigating … so where the heck is Ford in all of this?
keep reading article "Austin Police Department Pulls 60 Explorers From Its Fleet After Carbon Monoxide Detectors Went Off"In April 2017, [an] officer was driving in Henderson, Louisiana, when she passed out and the Ford Explorer police SUV flipped over. Local media reports say the officer was taken to a hospital and tests confirmed she suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning … According to witnesses, the Explorer wasn't speeding and state authorities say there is no evidence alcohol played a part in the crash.
Consumers are complaining of headaches, police departments are installing CO detectors across their Explorer fleets, and officers are passing out, flipping over, and landing in canals. This is as cringeworthy as it gets.
keep reading article "More Police Departments Are Installing CO Detectors in Explorer Interceptors"A Ford Explorer exhaust leak lawsuit is over as a federal judge granted the wishes of Ford to dismiss the proposed class-action lawsuit.
“The lawsuit never made it to the class-action stage as the plaintiff couldn't prove his case. The judge ruled the plaintiff didn't provide enough details to prove the Ford Explorer has defects that allow exhaust fumes and carbon monoxide to enter the cabin.”
This is a setback, but not a death blow for Explorer owners wanting nationwide action for carbon monoxide poisoning. The plaintiff in this case was given a chance to amend his complaint, but failed to do so.
keep reading article "Explorer Exhaust Leak Lawsuit Dismissed by Judge in Illinois"The Austin Police Department has announced they plan to install carbon monoxide (CO) detectors in the 360 Explorers in their fleet. Police officials say recent reports suggest officers may be getting ill from carbon monoxide poisoning in the SUVs, a problem serious enough that a safety bulletin was released on February 27, 2017.
The bulletin says two incidents have been reported within the Austin PD after an officer got lightheaded while driving the Explorer, and another report of a suspicious odor experienced by a sergeant driving an SUV.
Nearly three years ago, a Florida resident sued Ford after feeling sick from exhaust fumes entering the cabin of her Explorer.
The police department plans to use stickers that change color if CO is detected, costing about $50 per vehicle. Carbon monoxide detectors are often required by law in the home, are cars next?
keep reading article "One Police Department is Going to Install Carbon Monoxide Detectors Inside Its Explorer Interceptor Vehicles"A lawsuit that is seeking class-action certification wants Ford to fix their ETBs.
"The plaintiff wants Ford to pay damages and equitable relief, fix all vehicles named in the lawsuit by replacing the electronic throttle bodies, inform consumers through advertising campaigns about the dangers of sudden unintended deceleration and educate consumers about their pre-purchase or pre-lease legal rights once all the facts are known."…
keep reading article "Another Ford Throttle Body Lawsuit"
OK, those last two are special "treats" for 2016 Ford Explorer owners. Owners complain about vehicles that lose power while driving, leaving drivers urgently pressing the gas pedals to no avail.
Symptoms typically include seeing a "wrench light" illuminated with the words, "See Manual," all while the SUV loses speed as it enters "limp home mode."
If this has happened to you than you'll be happy to hear an investigation has been opened to determine if a lawsuit is needed. It's not as helpful as a recall, but it's a step in the right direction. The investigation is focusing on the throttle body – a part, which many owners have told us, is not readily available.
keep reading article "Possible Lawsuit for 2016 Explorer 'Limp Home' Mode"If the court finalizes the settlement, the plaintiffs will include anyone who purchased or leased a 2011-2015 Ford Explorer from Florida Ford dealerships.
Well, that’s great for Florida residents but it stinks for everyone else. And Explorer owners know all about what stinks.
Hopefully this settlement will lay the groundwork for future action nationwide.
keep reading article "The Explorer Exhaust Smells Lawsuit Has Been Settled. But it Doesn’t Settle the Issue For Everyone."Emphasis on intended because the system is well-known for failures. While a glitchy navigation system is an inconvenience, a proposed class-action lawsuit says the system can be dangerous in how it limits access to basic vehicle functions.
“Ford is on the receiving end of a proposed class-action lawsuit filed in a California court. The lawsuit claims the system is a safety hazard because it often fails and can cause serious problems with the defroster and rear-view camera.”
Common complaints about MyFord Touch include a terrible navigation experience, rear-view camera failure, issues controlling the temperature, no way to turn on the defroster, and more.
keep reading article "MyFord Touch Complaints May Finally Get Their Day in Court"Typical complaints say exhaust fumes enter the cabins while the Explorers are operating at full throttle, such as when going uphill or merging onto freeways. Owners of the 2011-2015 Ford Explorers also say the fumes can be triggered by turning on the air conditioning in recirculation mode.
The smells have led to headaches, nausea, and concerns of carbon monoxide poisoning.
NHTSA says nearly 639,000 model year 2011-2015 Ford Explorer SUVs are included in the investigation.
keep reading article "Feds Are Looking Into Complaints About Exhaust Smells Inside Ford Explorers"The automaker says the seatback may not have been properly welded and could fail to hold the driver in a crash.
The recall is expected to start on August 15th, 2016.
keep reading article "F-150 and Explorer Seat Backs Could Pop Off in a Crash"Ford Says a "bad combination of the engine block and heater can cause the heater to catch on fire, something that has occurred at least two times in Canada. Fortunately the fires didn't cause any accidents or injuries.
Ford didn't say when the recall will begin.
keep reading article "Explorer Engine Block Heaters Are Taking Things Too Far"Not surprisingly their appeal was denied.
“Ford filed the motion to dismiss by claiming it wasn't responsible for breach of warranty claims because Sanchez-Knutson bought her Ford Explorer from a dealer, not directly from Ford. U.S. District Judge William Dimitrouleas didn't buy that argument, and he further rejected Ford's claim that only the federal government has jurisdiction in the exhaust claims.”…
keep reading article "Still Breathing: Explorer Exhaust Fumes Lawsuit Carries On After Ford’s ‘Motion to Dismiss’ Denied"
The plaintiff says she complained about exhaust odors inside the cabin 8 times to a local dealership, only to be told the stink won’t hurt anyone. Yeah, about that.
“The lawsuit claims independent testing of the Ford Explorer confirmed carbon monoxide was entering the cabin of the vehicle while it was being driven.”
The CO allegedly builds up when the auxiliary rear air conditioning is on and the engine is running at a higher RPM. This matches up with other stories told by owners to CarComplaints.com, saying the problem also happens during heavy acceleration:
“When I accelerate fast, the exhaust enters the vehicle from the AC unit. It is only a matter of time before a child that is strapped into his seat dies of C.M. poisoning! The smell is extremely worse in the back seat, never mind sitting in the 3rd row! You would probably die a silent death rather quickly!”
None of this should come as a surprise to Ford, considering they issued a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB 12-12-4) in December 2012 titled Explorer Exhaust Odor in Vehicle.
The TSB tells mechanics how to respond if a customer makes a stink about the stank:
keep reading article "Are Ford Explorer Owners Being Exposed to Carbon Monoxide Poisoning? This Lawsuit Thinks So."“Some 2011 - 2013 Explorer vehicles may exhibit an exhaust odor in the vehicle with the auxiliary climate control system on. Customers may indicate the odor smells like sulfur. This Technical Service Bulletin contains steps to correct the condition, including replacing the left side rear air extractor, installing a new drain valve, and applying new layers of undercoating.”
The best way to find out what's wrong with a vehicle is from the people who drive them. Not only do owner complaints help us rank vehicles by reliability, but they're often used to spark class-action lawsuits and warranty extensions. Plus, they're a great way to vent.