Ford Explorers Being Investigated for Exhaust Odor Seeping Into Interior



Ooh, that smell. Can't you smell that smell? The smell of exhaust around you?

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Shortly after purchasing our 2012 Explorer we noticed a odor while excelerating. At first we thought it was new car burn in, but it never went away. We took it to our Ford dealer and they tried a couple of things that did not work. They notified Ford and a representative called us and told us they did not have any other complaints so there was nothing they could do except notify the engineers. Other then that we just had to live with it and they would contact us if they found out anything else. We have not heard back from them, and now I noticed all the other complaints. Hopefully something will be done about this problem now!

 

Don't hold your breath - or maybe that's the fix!

 

I'm at a loss as to what to do...my personal values do not allow me to resell this car with this type of problem to some unsuspecting buyer...and Ford doesn't seem to have an answer. Perhaps the subtle changes to the rear (tail lights & tail light rear lift hatch interface) of the 2016 model although small, may have a small impact on the vacuum area located at the rear when driving. This could lessen the exhaust being drawn into the cabin air outflow valve/flaps. This valve/flap setup is located at the left rear of the vehicle and is under the rear cowl/bumper assembly; it's out of sight unless the rear cowl is removed.

 

We've not had the issue in our 2013 sport that we've noticed in the first 70k miles...

Is it just the limiteds that are having this issue ?

could it be the exhaust design ?

I wonder if something as simple as longer exhaust tips would make it any better ?

 

Hello DerekShiekhi,

My name is Tricia, and I’m one of the U.S. Ford Customer Service Representatives on this forum. Is your vehicle experiencing this symptom? If so, which model year is your vehicle, and what’s the mileage? I’ll be happy to look into available options to assist.

Hi Ford Fam,

Let me look into this further. Please PM your VIN and the mileage. I’ll check my resources.

Jdadamsjr,

Thanks for letting us know that things are okay on your end.

In the meantime, feel free to share general ideas with Ford Motor Company on how we can enhance our products and services, please visit http://social.ford.com. Here consumers can voice their opinions on what they would like to see in their next vehicle, such as additional security features, more convenience items, and so on.

Ford Social is also a place where you can share your experiences on owning a Ford or Lincoln product, get the latest updates on what is happening within the company, or catch up on exciting technologies and concepts being explored by Ford. You can also post questions for our engineers, designers or CEO.

We will be here if you need us, and have a great weekend!

Tricia

 

I have a good friend who just bought a dream 2016 Explorer Sport for his wife (and he gets to drive it). It appears that the heavier flap on the vent outlets is the only fix for earlier years, but he is complaining about the smell.

My question: IS THE HEAVIER FLAP ALREADY USED ON THE 2016 MODELS?

If so, the problem persists and I have a very disappointed friend who shelled out 54 grand for a nice vehicle with a really stupid problem. He does have a heavy foot, but I find this problem to be silly beyond words. How many other vehicles have this problem?

I jokingly told him the sure solution is a Hemi Durango...

George

 

Given all the complaints about this problem across model years and Ford's apparent inability to fix it, its starting to look like the real fix is to silicone caulk the exhaust flaps closed and just drive with the rear windows cracked a bit with the A/C or heat on. Just like the good old days!

 

If someone will test the interior for the presence of Carbon Monoxcide I think Ford would take more interest.

 

Actually, I doubt it would be high enough to get anyone's attention. What you're smelling is hydrogen sulfide which is produced when you bury the accelerator and pour unburned gas into the converters.


Just for general information I found the following data:


Threshold for the average person to detect hydrogen sulfide - 0.00047 ppm.
Exhaust stream from a properly running, modern auto engine - 5ppm - 15ppm.
Blood level of a typical smoker - 17ppm.


So I guess that means you should quit smoking and go suck on a tailpipe

 

I have a 2013 Limited that started smelling this morning. It has 48K miles on the odometer. Is there a TSB and a fix that is covered by Ford? I am not interested in paying for a fishing expedition at my dealership.
Please help! My car STINKS!!!!!!

Dave

 

Hi Dave,

Let's get that smell gone! Please send me a PM with your VIN, and I'll check for any TSBs or customer satisfaction programs.

Rachel

 

Rachel - I am unable to PM due to insufficient privileges. Is there an email address that I can send the info to?

Thanks, Dave

 

Try a different brand of gas for starters.

 

It looks like I dodged a bullet. The smell in my car was from a failing battery. I replaced it last night and no more smell.

Dave