NHTSA Complaint #10906152 — 2012 FORD EXPLORER

FOR ABOUT THE LAST YEAR, I WOULD SMELL SOMETHING BURNING INSIDE MY VEHICLE WHEN ENTERING THE FREEWAY. I WAS NEVER ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE SOURCE OF THE SMELL, EVEN AFTER REPEATEDLY STOPPING TO SNIFF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND AROUND THE TIRES AND EXHAUST. I COULD NOT DETECT THE SMELL OUTSIDE OF THE CAR, NOR DID I FIND ANY EVIDENCE OF ANYTHING BURNING (NO SMOKE, CHARRED AREAS, STUCK BRAKES, MELTED RUBBER, ETC). THERE DIDN'T APPEAR TO BE ANY PATTERN, AS I WOULD SMELL SOMETHING BURNING AT DIFFERENT POINTS IN MY COMMUTE, WITH THE ONLY TIME I CONSISTENTLY EXPERIENCED IT BEING MERGING ONTO THE FREEWAY. ON JUNE 20, 2016 AT 1:38 PM CENTRAL TIME, I SENT MY HUSBAND THE FOLLOWING TEXT: "IS THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER STILL IN THE CAR?" DUE TO THE OVERPOWERING SMELL OF SMOKE IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT SHORTLY AFTER GETTING ON THE FREEWAY. I ROLLED DOWN THE WINDOWS AND EXITED THE FREEWAY, STOPPING AT THE FAR END OF A PARKING LOT. THERE WAS NO SMOKE NOR ODOR EMANATING FROM THE EXTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE. DUE TO THE HEAT, WE DRIVE WITH THE AIR RECIRCULATING MOST OF THE YEAR. MUCH OF OUR DRIVING IS IN THE CITY, WITH LIGHT ACCELERATION. TYPICALLY, THE ONLY TIME WE RAPIDLY ACCELERATE IS WHEN ENTERING THE FREEWAY. ON THIS OCCASION, I ACCELERATED MORE THAN NORMAL DUE TO A SEMI'S POSITION IN THE RIGHT LANE. AT TIMES, MY 7 YEAR OLD HAS COMPLAINED ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO BREATHE WITH THE WINDOWS ROLLED UP.