— A Ford Explorer carbon monoxide lawsuit settlement has been reached between the automaker and SUV owners.
The Ford Explorer exhaust odor lawsuit was filed in 2017 alleging 2016-2017 Explorers allow exhaust fumes and carbon monoxide into the cabins.
The carbon monoxide class action lawsuit alleges Ford concealed defects which resulted in hundreds of complaints about exhaust odors.
The proposed lawsuit settlement includes 2016-2017 Ford Explorers, but Ford Explorer police vehicles are excluded.
The three Explorer owners who sued allege there are multiple defective areas of the SUVs that allow exhaust odors to enter the cabins.
- Bumpers and tailpipes
- Rear air extractors and auxiliary air conditioning systems
- Drain valves in the liftgates
- Sheet metal panels and overlaps
- Joints and seems
The automaker denies all allegations in the lawsuit and denies all liability but chose to settle due to the length and expense of a trial and resulting appeals.
What the Carbon Monoxide Settlement Means For Owners
Ford Explorer customers will be notified about customer service programs which Ford offered prior to the settlement agreement.
Field service action 17N03 was originally announced in October 2017, and field service action 19N05 was announced in 2019.
Service action 17N03 expired at the end of 2018, but 2016-2017 Explorer customers will be informed of available repairs originally available under that action. Service action 19N05 has been available since 2019 and in force until July 31, 2022, with no mileage limits.
According to the Explorer carbon monoxide lawsuit settlement agreement, customers will also be notified about a previous technical service bulletin (TSB 17-0044) which offers sealing of gaps in the cabins and installations of modified exhaust systems in vehicles equipped with normally aspirated 3.5-liter twin independent variable camshaft timing (TiVCT) engines.
The Explorer lawsuit settlement also includes partial reimbursements for exhaust odor repairs performed after the warranties expired.
A 2016-2017 Ford Explorer customers may be eligible for partial reimbursements for:
- Repairs occurring within 4 years or 48,000 miles after the vehicle was placed in service (whichever comes first).
- Repairs occurring within 120 days after the completion of the class action notice.
If a customer paid for TSB repairs after the warranty expired, they may be reimbursed based on the following conditions.
- Up to $125 of the post-warranty repair costs for the inspection and sealing of gaps in the passenger compartment.
- Up to $400 of the post-warranty repair costs for the installation of a modified exhaust system in vehicles equipped with a normally aspirated 3.5-liter TiVCT.
Lawyers for Ford customers have requested $3.5 million for fees and expenses.
Nothing is official about the Ford Explorer carbon monoxide lawsuit settlement until it receives final approval from the judge.
The Ford Explorer carbon monoxide lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Southern Division - Persad, et al., v. Ford Motor Company.
The plaintiffs are represented by the Miller Law Firm, P.C., and Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP.
CarComplaints.com has complaints from drivers of the model year Ford Explorers named in the class action lawsuit.
