Ford offers free repairs to address Explorer exhaust concerns

Ford Motors will will inspect and repair over 1.35 million Explorer SUVs with exhaust fume problems free of cost.

According to Elizabeth Weigandt, Ford's safety communications manager, the company is taking the action voluntarily, although it has notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). An NHTSA investigation into the complaints involving 2011-17 Explorers is currently underway.

Though Ford has all along maintained that the vehicles are safe, the repairs offer comes in response to customer concerns.

"We know that some of our customers do have some exhaust and carbon monoxide concerns. There is a NHTSA investigation on the matter so we know there's some awareness," Weigandt said, noting that those customers might also have seen media reports of the situation, Detroit Free Press reported. "These vehicles are safe. We have not found a safety issue here."

According to Weigandt, who noted that NHTSA did not request the action, Ford's investigation did not find carbon monoxide levels in excess of what people experienced in their everyday lives.

Ford has sold over 1.35 million Explorers after the vehicle was redesigned and the exhaust problems began, in 2011. According to complaints fumes and carbon monoxide had leaked into the passenger cabins of police and consumer versions of the SUVs.

Reuters reported Ford as saying its has not found ''carbon monoxide levels that exceed what people are exposed to every day'' in the 1.4 million civilian vehicles. The US government has no standard for in-vehicle carbon monoxide levels and Ford said it believes the vehicles are safe and is making the offer, which it is not classifying as a recall, in response to customer concerns.

According to Ford, from 1 November, dealers will reprogram the air conditioner, replace the liftgate drain valves and inspect sealing of the rear of the vehicle. The fix would involve 1.3 million US vehicles and about 100,000 in Canada and Mexico.