NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE16-008: Ford Explorer Exhaust Odor
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE16-008 on July 1, 2016 and closed it on September 12, 2017. NHTSA's investigations file lists the Ford Explorer and Police Interceptor Utilit for it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE16-008 (also written PE16008)
- Investigation type
- Preliminary Evaluation The first stage of most defect investigations: NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation gathers basic information about a possible safety defect, including from the manufacturer.
- Status
- Closed September 12, 2017
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Ford Motor Company
- Components
- Engine and Engine Cooling — Exhaust System; Structure — Body
- Vehicles and equipment
- Ford Explorer and Police Interceptor Utilit
A recall appears here only when NHTSA's investigations file links one to the investigation; NHTSA's summary or record can name others.
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE16-008.
During the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration?s (NHTSA?s) investigation into the Ford carbon monoxide allegations, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) identified additional Vehicle Owner Questionnaire (VOQ) reports with similar exhaust odor claims.
Presently, ODI has identified 791 VOQs for Model Year 2011-2017 Ford Explorers pertaining to exhaust odor claims.
ODI has identified three crashes and 41 injuries potentially linked this issue.
The reported injuries range from unspecified to loss of consciousness, with the majority being nausea, headaches, or dizziness ? all of which can be symptomatic of carbon monoxide exposure.
Additionally, Ford provided 2,400 reports including owner complaints, warranty claims, dealer field reports, and legal claims, that involve 2,051 vehicles that may be connected to the exhaust odor issue.
NHTSA's Vehicle Test and Research Center tested multiple vehicles, including complaint vehicles, during the investigation.
ODI also conducted field inspections of complaint vehicles and crashes involving police units that occurred while the officers were on duty.
When possible, data was collected to quantify carbon monoxide levels in the examined vehicles.
Based on the information gathered to date, NHTSA upgraded this investigation to an Engineering Analysis (EA17-002).
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE16-008. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to that page's NHTSA investigations section.
What an NHTSA investigation is
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) looks into possible safety defects in vehicles and equipment, often after owner complaints. An investigation usually starts as a Preliminary Evaluation, or as a Recall Query when it concerns whether an existing recall covers the right vehicles or fixes the problem, and ODI can upgrade it to a more detailed Engineering Analysis. A Defect Petition asks NHTSA to open an investigation, and Audit and Equipment Queries are administrative investigations into whether companies complied with federal vehicle safety requirements, such as reporting, recall and certification rules.
An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.
To see whether a specific vehicle has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Ford VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for PE16-008
Investigation details come from NHTSA's investigations file, which try.vin imports once a day. The investigation types are described from the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's May 2023 report on NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, NHTSA's petition rules (49 CFR Parts 552 and 557) and NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation procedures. How try.vin reads NHTSA investigations.