In a letter addressed to Ford Motor Company CEO Jim Hackett, the US-based Center for Auto Safety is renewing its request for Ford to conduct a full recall of 1.3-million 2011-2017 Explorers because of suspected carbon monoxide leaks. This is the organization’s second call to action, the first being in October 2017 after Ford “failed to take seriously the thousands of consumer complaints which had been filed with NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), Ford, and the Center for Auto Safety.”

In the 18 months since NHTSA opened its investigation in July 2016, complaints to NHTSA have increased 900 percent. NHTSA has received at least 1,381 complaints from Ford drivers and passengers experiencing carbon monoxide exposure in the passenger cabins of Explorers. These complaints do not include the over 2,000 complaints Ford previously disclosed.

“Ford needs to stop sending mixed messages to Explorer owners and passengers, including senior citizens and parents of young children, that the vehicles are ‘safe,’ and that repairs are available only for ‘peace of mind.’ Since some Ford dealers are responsibly replacing cracked exhaust manifolds, it is time for Ford to take a more serious step, recall all of these vehicles, and inspect and replace cracked exhaust manifolds,” said Jason Levine, Executive Director of the Center for Auto Safety.

In July 2017, NHTSA indicated the most likely culprit for the exposure of Ford consumers to potentially lethal amounts of Carbon Monoxide was cracked exhaust manifolds. Nonetheless, Ford issued a fix in November which includes repairs such as re-applying weather sealant and reprogramming the climate control. No action has been done yet to replace the cracked exhaust manifolds.

CarGuide.PH has reached out to Ford Philippines to ask whether Explorer units sold locally could be potentially affected by this carbon monoxide problem and if they will also offer the same fix to customers. So far, Ford Philippines has no comment about this matter.