This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
I recently read an article in the sfgate.com regarding complaints to the NHTSA associated to the Ford Explorer and fume smells coming from the engine and/or exhaust into the cab of the car creating a hazard type situation for the drivers. I would also like to file a complaint to be added to the other existing complaints with the nhsta regarding this issue. I purchased a new 2014 Ford Explorer from the hansel Ford dealership in petaluma. Within a few months I became aware of a fume type odor within the cab if the vehicle. I contacted the dealership and started trying to identify and resolve the issue. The fumes were causing dizziness and nausea on long drives. Passengers also complained of the fume odor. After several attempts to the service department with the car out of service and many months there was no solution. Unsatisfied I decided to file a complaint with the better business bureau in 2014 for the fume smell along with some unrelated issues. I was forwarded to arbitration where it was judged by the arbitrator that no action was to be taken. I currently still own the Ford Explorer and experience fume smells. As mentioned above I would also like to file a complaint in regard to this fume issue. I can provided supporting documentation if needed. Please contact me directly. Thank you.
We smell exhaust gas when the car is in full throttle, like when climbing a steep road or merging into freeway ramps, or just any sort of hard(ish) acceleration. Odor is also detected when the air conditioner was in recirculation mode. This has been going on since we bought the vehicle.
Experiencing very strong exhaust / sulfur smell in cabin area upon medium to hard acceleration. Bought car in spring of 2014 and noticed it within the first month or two. At first I thought it might have been a car in front of me, but that is not the case as I have experienced this numerous times this with no one else on the road. It occurs when you pass someone or go up a steep incline. When towing my boat the smell is unbearable and you have to have the windows rolled down, but even with that it takes a long time to get the smell out of the cabin. Situation occurs with the fresh air vents on and/or the recirc air on ' vent setting doesn't matter. I've been putting off getting this looked at since it sounds like there is no definitive fix, but since the car now has 29,000 miles on it, I want it to get checked out before warranty is up. It is alarming that with all the complaints for this hazardous/deadly situation that there has not been a recall for a better fix than the tsb.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. While driving 75 mph, the vehicle stalled and the low oil pressure warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted several times and the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the air flow sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 15,000. MA 10/6 updated 12/21/15.
A few months after purchasing our 2014 Explorer, we noticed an exhaust/sulfur order in the passenger compartment following a medium acceleration entering an interstate highway. We reported the odor to the dealership and turned the vehicle in for repair. Dealership was unable to recreate the order so nothing was done. A few months later, under similar circumstances, the odor returned. Once again, we turned the vehicle in for repair. The dealer performed a repair based on a tsb. A few months later, the odor returned and once again turned the vehicle in for repair. The dealer performed a continuation of the same tsb. A few months later, while pulling a boat, the odor returned. Once again, we turned the vehicle in for repair. The dealer owner and the service tech drove the vehicle for several days and were unable to detect the smell. The very next day while pulling the boat, the odor returned. The dealer now says they don't want to perform the last part of the tsb because if they send Ford a part that's not defective, Ford will charge them back for the part....meanwhile I'm stuck driving a vehicle that may be putting sulfur and/or carbon monoxide into the passenger compartment. The dealer wants me to bring my boat and vehicle in so they can test it which isn't going to happen because if they wreck the vehicle with the boat, my insurance has to cover it through the permissive use clause and my rates will go up.
- Covington, IN, USA
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When applying full braking at a stop sign or red light the vehicle stops but the engine and transmission continue to race at full speed. The brake pulsates like the anti lock braking system is engaged. In order to get the vehicle back to normal the engine must be shut off or the transmission disengaged. It will then start up normally. We have had 11 occasions within the past 2 months where this has occurred, this has occurred when coming down from highway long distance driving and it has also happened on a parking lot very low speed. It is all I could do to press hard enough on the brakes to stop. The vehicle has been returned to the dealership, their diagnostics show nothing and the dealership states they must be able to experience the problem first (duplicate it). Ford Motor Company has been called the regional sales manager told me to take the vehicle to another Ford dealership to have them look at it. Mr. Mchale the manager at fmc (866-631-3788 ext. 77713) assigned a case number 7644437 to the problem but he also stated that they would have to duplicate the problem before it could be resolved. I told him if I misjudge or am unable to bring the vehicle to a stop that I may be pushing up daisies. They do not seem to understand the severity of the problem. It would seem to me that a mechanic would look for a sensor or switch that would disengage the trans mission when the brake was applied or a sensor or control that slows the engine. I am getting to the point I fear for my life driving this vehicle until it is repaired. I also mentioned that when I turn the vehicle off during the incident there is a lot of clunking from the engine and transmission, I am sure damage has been done to them.
A sulfur smelling stench coming through the ventilation system when driving over a high RPM rate. The smell enters the cabin even with the ac turned on and also when recirculation is turned on. I have reported to the dealer and they found nothing wrong.
Twice while driving (once accelerating to pull into traffic and once going up a mountain) an exhaust smell entered the cabin through the ac system and recirculating mode did not improve it. The vehicle was accelerating over 3500 rpms. I have tested this again and again and it happens every time under these conditions. I am very concerned as we just bought this vehicle a couple of months ago and have two young daughters. I will be taking it to our local dealership but based on these complaints I am not hopefull this will be resolved.
When accelerating to pass a dangerous truck (58 mph) strong fumes comes inside the cabin, acceleration took 8 seconds, instantly we start coughing and get watery eyes, our year old baby start crying showing symptoms of distress, we tell this to sales person, which quickly told us the story that this happens with new cars.. supposedly new engines should not be highly accelerated. Naively we believe this and decide to give it a few days? day become months and problem got worst, after few months we decide to take the car in for service, unfortunately Ford from first day treat us like if we were inventing the matter, and make my wife look like if she were crazy, the worst part is that they know that car has the defect as previous generations has the same problem(fordtechnical bulletin confirm this ).we continue to follow the regular procedure and went to the dealership asking them to fix the problem, they only show they were clueless about it and after more than seven times leaving the car there they say there"?S nothing they can do about it. We contact Ford manufacturer directly, which make us go through a long process of verifying back and forward, and at the end an ??engineer?? send especially directly from Ford to the dealership tell us practically that just don?"T accelerate to avoid this !!!!.we took the car to specialist that measured co with a professional tool that show more than 140 part per million!!!!!.this is serious problem that Ford should be responsible for it, my family has been sick with flue like symptoms for a long time, my wife experienced a very long lasting cough that only start getting better after forcefully I have to get her another car as I could no longer expose my family to more of this dangers. I request to Ford to replace the car and they denied my request I believe NHTSA should step up on to this and protect the consumers, thanks
Since I've owned my 2014 Ford Explorer for the past six months I get sulfur smelling exhaust fumes coming from the A/C vents when quickly accelerating even if the A/C is in recirc mode and even when the fuel tank is not full. It is definitely exhaust odors and not fuel odors.
While driving on the freeway I needed to accelerate to pass a vehicle and when I did a exhaust smell entered the cab it took about 5-10 seconds after accelerating over 3500 rpms. I have tested this again and again and it happens every time under these conditions. Sitting still there is no effect at all. Five star Ford of plano Texas has tried a "tsb" that was issued to install a vent adjustment. They also changed out the cabin filter. Still no luck. Thank you
Upon heavy acceleration (to enter the freeway, for example) a strong odor of exhaust fumes enters the cabin. It is necessary to open a window in order to breath again! this occurs every time upon entering the freeway, and if/when passing another vehicle on the highway.
After purchasing a new 2014 Ford Explorer limited. 3.5L 4WD less than 2 hours prior, my wife and 2 children were driving home down the freeway. After a hard acceleration an awful smell filled the cabin. My wife started coughing and I instantly felt nauseous. I pulled over thinking something was burning, my wife thought it was burning wires. I checked of the vehicle but found nothing burning. I did however walk to the rear of the vehicle and was overpowered by the same smell. I narrowed in down to the exhaust pipe. After getting home I did a quick google search and was shocked to find many other people have had this problem and there is even a lawsuit filed against Ford over it. The dealer must have known about it... I want to return this vehicle, Ford has to have known about this or should have. They put my children at risk and I am not happy. I have owned this vehicle for less than 3 hours at the time of this writing. What can I do?
Exhaust fumes are entering the vehicle when the climate control system is operating. These fumes are coming from the vehicle itself and not from outside sources. The fumes are worse when the recirculate option is operating. Highway speeds and/or medium acceleration produce the strongest fumes. Headaches and nausea inflicted on vehicle occupants. Vehicle was serviced by Ford, presented as repaired and stated to have passed a test for exhaust fumes. Vehicle still presents exhaust fumes inside the vehicle. After researching this issue, it became apparent that Ford and the NHTSA have known of this problem: Carbon monoxide exposure and health issues should not be regulated to secondary status by Ford nor the NHTSA.
At first the only time we would notice exhaust entering the cabin was after hard acceleration. Now it seems that a lower speeds exhaust is entering regardless of acceleration levels on an intermittent basis.
My family has a 2013 and 2014 Ford Explorer. Both of them deliver a noxious odor into the cabin on medium to hard acceleration. This seems to be a common complaint when I've searched for the issue on the internet.
On a recent vacation to the northwoods of Wisconsin, our 2014 Explorer XLT (4X4 V6) was releasing a nauseating smell into the cabin under heavy loads, high rpms, or rapid accelerations. The trip was about 6 hours of solid driving, and by the 3rd hour my wife and I had pounding headaches and felt unwell. We immediately turned off the ac and opened the windows as I was able to duplicate the smell on the open highway. We spent the remainder of the vacation with limited ac, open windows, and "cautious" driving to ensure the smell would not occur again. We were traveling with our 8 month old son and old english bulldog at the time and wanted to ensure they did not fall ill. I will be contacting my Ford dealer to address the issue.
My transmission would not shift gears. This is the fourth time this has happened. As soon as I put in drive the vehicle did run but would not shift...I was stuck on a mountain road unable to pull over and my RPM's were pegging without my transmission shifting into 2nd gear. I almost got rear ended. I was only able to go like 15 miles per hour, my car started smelling like it was burning and the engine was stressed. When I was able to finally pull over I had to put the car in park turn it off, turn it back on and then it worked fine. Again this is the fourth time this has happened. I called the Ford dealer, for the fourth time and they said I could bring it in but if it didn't act the same way with them there isn't much they can do. Not the answer I wanted. I have a neighbor who has the same vehicle and it has also happened to her. There is obviously a systemic problem here.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Petaluma, CA, USA