UPDATE, 7/28/2017: NHTSA has elevated its investigation since July 2016 after identifying 2400 additional reports of exhaust leaks on current-generation Ford Explorer models. These include at least 791 complaints of exhaust odors entering the cabin plus 41 injuries and three crashes allegedly caused by carbon-monoxide (CO) poisoning. To date, NHTSA said it has no conclusive evidence that CO poisoning caused the crashes, although a “majority” of the reported injuries described “nausea, headaches, or light headedness.” The Police Interceptor model is prone to exhaust-manifold cracks, while early testing suggests CO levels in all models may rise in “certain driving scenarios,” the agency said. NHTSA has added 2016 and 2017 Explorer models to its investigation as it continues to test vehicles that were reported in the complaints. More than 1.3 million vehicles are potentially defective. With the renewed attention paid to tailpipe emissions over the past year?due in no small part to Volkswagen?s diesel-emissions scandal?it seems a natural extension to be a little concerned about the emissions inside your vehicle?s cabin.
Breathe a sigh of relief, VW?modern diesel engines typically have lower carbon-monoxide (CO) levels than comparable gasoline models. But on the gasoline side, some Ford Explorer models from the 2011 through 2015 model years?638,612 vehicles?face a potential cabin-emissions choke point. The National Highway Traffic Safety Admi...