NHTSA Complaint #10681254 — 2013 FORD EXPLORER

IN DECEMBER 2014, SEVERAL PATROL OFFICERS FROM THE YARMOUTH POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTED THE ODOR OF EXHAUST FUMES IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT OF A 2013 FORD EXPLORER INTERCEPTOR SUV THEY HAD BEEN OPERATING. WHILE SITTING STATIONARY WITH THE ENGINE IDLING, THE OFFICERS DETECTED THE ODOR OF EXHAUST LEAKING INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT OF THIS VEHICLE. UPON FURTHER EXAMINATION BY OUR PUBLIC WORKS MECHANIC, MULTIPLE CRACKS WERE DISCOVERED IN THE WELDS CONNECTING THE EXHAUST PIPES TO THE RESONATOR. THESE CRACKS WERE ALLOWING EXHAUST FUMES TO LEAK DIRECTLY INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS SITTING STATIONARY. FOR SAFETY REASONS, THE VEHICLE WAS IMMEDIATELY REMOVED FROM THE FLEET UNTIL THE EXHAUST SYSTEM WAS REPLACED. THE REPLACEMENT EXHAUST ELIMINATED THE EXHAUST LEAKAGE PROBLEM. A SECOND FORD SUV OWNED BY THE YARMOUTH POLICE DEPARTMENT AND PURCHASED AT THE SAME TIME AS THE ONE MENTIONED ABOVE WAS ALSO PULLED FROM THE FLEET AND INSPECTED FOR EXHAUST CRACKS. THIS SUV, WHICH HAS JUST OVER 55,000 MILES ON IT, WAS ALSO FOUND TO HAVE A CRACK IN THE WELD SEPARATING THE EXHAUST AND RESONATOR. FORD MOTOR COMPANY PROVIDED A NEW EXHAUST FOR THIS VEHICLE UNDER THE MANUFACTURER?S WARRANTY.