Two police officers from Austin, Texas are suing the Ford Motor Company after they allegedly suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning from Ford police SUVs.
The Austin police department has pulled about 400 Ford Explorers off the streets, and the company is looking into the issue. According the The Truth About Cars, officers have filed suits related to carbon monoxide in California, Louisiana and Texas, and the company was made aware about the carbon monoxide issue as early as 2012.
According the My Statesman, Austin officer Ryan Hancock and his wife are suing Ford and asking for an undisclosed amount of damages to cover medical bills, lost wages and future earnings. Their attorney, Brian Chase, told My Statesman that they are suing because Ford sold a defective product.
"We're suing Ford because they designed, manufactured and sold a defective product," Chase said. "It's important to get the word out that these Ford Explorers have a problem leaking carbon monoxide and Ford hasn't been able to fix it."
Related: Ford recalls over a million trucks over faulty door latches
Chase also said there are about 30 lawsuits involving Ford and carbon monoxide poisoning across the country.
The lawsuit for Hancock states he became lightheaded, nauseous and had blurry vision. He was taken to a hospital where doctors informed him he had carbon monoxide poisoning.
From My Statesman:
"In sum, Ford knew that its Ford Explorer vehicles and Police Interceptor Utility vehicles, (including Hancock's APD cruiser), were defective in that the design of those vehicles allowed deadly exhaust fumes, including poisonous carbon monoxide, to enter the passenger compartment," the lawsuit claims. "(T)he suggested repairs failed to fix the problem."
Ford still claims the vehicles are safe, though they have offered to repair cars at no cost. But this suit doesn't seem to bode well for the company, and the alleged claims have come from all over the country.
(h/t The Truth About Cars)