U.S. closes Ford SUV exhaust order probe without seeking recall

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. auto safety regulators on Monday closed a six-year-old investigation into 1.47 million Ford Explorer SUVs over reports of exhaust odors in vehicle compartments and exposure to carbon monoxide without seeking a recall.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)said it had conducted an in-depth investigation that included review of over 6,500 consumer complaints from 2011-2017 model year vehicles, including police versions of the SUV and found no evidence of a safety issue. NHTSA said its investigation found "that the 2011-2017 Ford Explorer vehicles when accurately measured produce occupant compartment (carbon monoxide) levels which fall below current accepted health standards."

(Reporting by David Shepardson, Editing by Louise Heavens)