AUSTIN -- Austin City officials and Ford Motor Co. are soon to announce that they have completed repairs on a fleet of Police Interceptors sport utility vehicles after carbon monoxide was found to have leaked into some of the cars.
All but one of the 400 cars have been fixed, City officials said Tuesday, but it's expected to be ready to return to the street in the coming days.
The issue caused the department to dramatically shift how officers patrol, requiring them to ride two-per-car instead of solo while workers make repairs.
RELATED:
Ford and the City still disagree about who is responsible. Ford says the issue was caused by modifications made to the cars by vendors and police departments, but the City referred questions about causes to the auto maker.
In March 2017, Sgt. Zachary LaHood was sickened after he was exposed to carbon monoxide. The incident caused the City to install detectors in all the SUVs, which triggered multiple alarms over the next few months.
Last summer, the City decided to park all the cars until repairs could be made.