Police Officers Suing Ford Over Alleged Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in Interceptor SUVs [UPDATED]

Two Austin-based police officers have filed lawsuits against Ford Motor Company after being incapacitated by carbon monoxide that leaked into the cabin of their Interceptor Utilities. Ford finds itself flooded with hundreds of complaints over unacceptable carbon monoxide levels in 2011-2017 Ford Explorers, receiving the most flack from police departments with problematic SUVs. Officers across America have complained of dizziness while driving, with some requiring hospitalization.

The issue had become so bad that Austin’s police department actually pulled about 400 Explorer-based squad cars from its motor pool. Scrambling for a solution, Ford has implemented a special task force to investigate the problem and develop a solution. The automaker also offered to fix 1.33 million Explorers to ensure there is no exhaust leak, but was quick to remind everyone this wasn’t a recall, as no U.S. government standard for in-vehicle carbon monoxide levels exists.

Unfortunately for Ford, an all-hands-on-deck response hasn’t stopped lawsuits. Operating under the assumption that Ford was aware of the leaks as early as 2012, officers in California, Texas, and Louisiana have also filed claims against the manufacturer.

Ford initially attributed the officers’ plight to aftermarket modifications necessary on some law enforcement vehicles that may have allowed exhaust gases to enter the rear of the vehicle. However, with consumer models suffering from similar gassing problems, those earlier modifications may have only exacerbated an already existing issue.

According to My Statesman, the most recent suit from Austin asks for unspecified damages to pay for medical bills, lost wages, future earnings, and to compensate Officer Ryan Hancock and his wife for pain and suffering.

“We’re suing Ford because they designed, manufactured and sold a defective product,” said Brian Chase, the attorney representing the Hancocks. “It’s important to get the word out that these Ford Explorers have a problem leaking carbon monoxide and Ford hasn’t been able to fix it.”

Chase said the Austin police cases are only two of the roughly 30 suits across the country resulting from the Explorer-linked carbon monoxide issue.

Ford has maintained that its SUVs are safe, despite offering repairs at no charge to the customer, and has said it is unable to comment further due to the nature of the pending lawsuits. Preliminary investigations from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration uncovered cracks in the exhaust manifolds of some Ford Explorers in July. It is continuing its research to assess how common this problem is and if it might have anything to do with the proposed leaks. As of now, it doesn’t have any evidence to indicate the incidents were a direct result of carbon monoxide poisoning.

However, in the Hancock case, the claim has already been made that Ford was well aware of a problem. It cites a company-issued 2012 bulletin to dealers that references an exhaust smell in the cabin of some SUVs and testimony from a Ford representative in a Florida case from 2015 who suggested the exhaust problems could be a design flaw. Although the representative was not referencing carbon monoxide specifically, Chase wants to make the case that a possible exhaust leak would have contained the odorless monoxide gas.

“In sum, Ford knew that its Ford Explorer vehicles and Police Interceptor Utility vehicles, (including Hancock’s APD cruiser), were defective in that the design of those vehicles allowed deadly exhaust fumes, including poisonous carbon monoxide, to enter the passenger compartment,” the lawsuit claims. “[The] suggested repairs failed to fix the problem.”

[Image: Ford Motor Co.]