NHTSA Complaint #11015760 — 2017 FORD EXPLORER

CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTED IN PASSENGER CABIN - AFTER READING STORIES ABOUT POSSIBLE PROBLEMS WITH CARBON MONOXIDE (CO) IN 2016 FORD EXPLORERS IN MID JULY 2017 I PURCHASED A KIDDE BATTERY POWERED CO DETECTOR AND INSTALLED IT IN THE REAR AREA OF THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. IT HAD NOT ALARMED UNTIL WE WERE TRAVELING FROM SENECA, SC TO INDIANAPOLIS, IN. WE WERE TOWING AN 8X5 ENCLOSED U-HAUL TRAILER AT NORMAL FREEWAY SPEEDS. TOW/HAUL WAS ENGAGED BECAUSE WE WERE TOWING AND THE ENGINE WAS GENERALLY RUNNING AT HIGHER RPM'S, ESPECIALLY GOING UP THE MOUNTAIN INCLINES. THE CO DETECTOR FIRST ALARMED WEST OF ASHVIILLE, NC. SUDDENLY THE HEADACHES AND DROWSINESS BOTH MY WIFE AND I WERE EXPERIENCING MADE SENSE. WE OPENED THE WINDOWS AND THE ALARM STOPPED AFTER A COUPLE MINUTES. AFTER THIS HAPPENED 3-4 TIMES I MOVED THE DETECTOR TO THE FRONT OF THE PASSENGER CABIN SO THAT I COULD MONITOR THE PART PER MILLION DISPLAY. WE FOUND THAT IT ONLY TOOK 15-20 MINUTES OF HIGHWAY DRIVING FOR THE DETECTOR TO DISPLAY 31PPM, THE DETECTORS MINIMUM CONCENTRATION DETECTION THRESHOLD. THE LEVEL WOULD THEN BUILD OVER TIME. DUE TO THE DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS OF CO ON THE HUMAN BODY I NEVER LET THE CONCENTRATION EXCEED 62PPM. I FOUND, HOWEVER, THAT THE PEAK CO CONCENTRATION DETECTED WAS 103PPM. I ASSUME THIS WAS REACHED WHILE THE DETECTOR WAS IN THE REAR OF THE CABIN, WHERE THE DISPLAY WAS NOT VISIBLE TO ME. THE SERVICE MANAGER AT LAKE KEOWEE FORD SUGGESTED THAT I RUN THE HVAC IN RECIRCULATE MODE. I TRIED MANY DIFFERENT HVAC MODES - RECIRCULATE, NORMAL/OUTSIDE AIR, REAR HVAC TURNED OFF - BUT THE RESULT WAS ALWAYS THE SAME, CO BEING DETECTED IN THE CABIN WITHIN 15-20 MINUTES. NEEDLESS TO SAY I AM NOT BUYING FORD'S CLAIM THAT THIS PROBLEM IS ONLY WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT VEHICLES WITH BODY PERFORATIONS FROM THE INSTALLATION OF AFTER MARKET EQUIPMENT. THE VEHICLE IS GOING INTO A CARMEL, IN FORD DEALER THIS AFTERNOON.