Back in March, we discussed the case of a Newport Beach officer who blacked out under mysterious circumstances while driving his Ford Explorer patrol vehicle. At that time, he believed that his black out may have been caused by an exhaust leak into the SUV’s cabin. Now, others are coming forward claiming a similar problem, but will Ford recall potentially defective Explorers?
Is Ford Going to Recall the Potentially Defective Explorer?
When we first looked into this case, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) was looking into around 450 complaints about exhaust leaks in Ford Explorers. Since then, the number of complaints has risen to around 2,700, and several lawsuits have been filed against Ford.
One of the Ford Explorer exhaust leak class-action lawsuits seemed to be over when the plaintiffs and Ford reached an agreement in regards to a settlement. However, one member of the class has appealed that settlement, leaving the entire deal in limbo. This means many Explorer owners are stuck waiting for a resolution to this appeal, but that is only one side of the battle over these exhaust leaks.
In Austin, TX, several police officers are suing Ford for carbon monoxide exposure due to these infamous exhaust leaks. That police department even went so far as take some 400 patrol cars out of service while trying to find a solution. But a solution is taking too long for some.
The Center for Auto Safety has sent Ford a letter asking the auto maker to recall some 1.3 million Explorers. This comes only days after Ford announced that it was going to offer free inspections and repairs to any customer who brought their Explorer in—whether the vehicle was under warranty or not.
For Ford, this could be a cheaper alternative to recalling millions of SUV’s, but will it leave potentially dangerous vehicles on the open market? The product liability attorneys here at Keefe Law Firm want to make sure that your vehicle is safe. We will continue to monitor this issue and if you have any questions about your rights when it comes to defective automobiles, be sure to ask us your questions.