AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - A Texas police chief says his department plans to start putting repaired Ford Explorers back on the street as soon as Monday after pulling nearly 400 from service because of carbon monoxide gas leaking into the cars’ cabins.
Interim Austin Police Chief Brian Manley tells the Austin American-Statesmen Thursday the first shipment of manufacturer-repaired vehicles would arrive Monday. Manley says local officials will conduct their own testing before putting the vehicles back into service.
U.S. auto safety regulators are investigating complaints of exhaust fume problems in more than 1.3 million Explorers from the 2011 through 2017 model years. In Austin, more than 60 officers had reported health problems.
Ford blames the issue on non-factory outfitters that drill holes into police SUVs to install extra equipment like lights and radios.
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Information from: Austin American-Statesman, https://www.statesman.com
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