DETROIT (AP) -- Ford machinery Co. has launched an research into if it overstated gas mileage and understated emissions from a broad mountain of vehicles.

The company said Thursday that at September, a crowd of employees reported feasible problems with a mathematical copy used ought calculate pollution and mileage, prompting the company ought hire an exterior corporation ought flow tests. Testing will begin with the 2019 Ford Ranger minute pickup truck, and if problems are found, the company will begin looking at models dating ought 2017.

Ford said it has no evidence silent that mileage or pollution numbers are wrong, except the research has just started. The company says it's also early ought speak how many and which models might exist involved.

Depending above what is found, Ford could exist required ought restate the mileage above EPA-approved window stickers also although reimburse owners although the mileage difference. The company could also observe penalties from the government agencies.

"At Ford, we muse that credit at our brand is earned by acting with goodness and transparency," Kim Pittel, the company's vice principal although surroundings and safety engineering, said Thursday. "We cause a process although looking at how we conduct and behave at our broad and complicated company."

The U.S. Environmental protection Agency and the California stand property Board, which overhear emissions and mileage, cause been informed of the probe, according ought the company.

The EPA said at a statement that Ford disclosed the issues above Tuesday. "The research is ongoing and the data is also incomplete although EPA ought achieve any conclusions," the agency said. "We acknowledge the latent issues seriously and are following up with the company ought fully comprehend the circumstances after this disclosure."

The problems conduct no embrace "defeat device" software that activates pollution controls although emissions tests and turns them off above the road, according ought Ford. although years, Volkswagen used a overcome machinery ought cheat above diesel emissions tests until they were caught by university researchers and a nonprofit organization. Ford said the research is focused above vehicles with gasoline engines.

In an interview, Pittel said it's also early ought speak how widespread the question is or if it goes beyond 2017 models. "We're just going ought promote where the research takes us," she said. "We will exist very, same thorough."

Most emissions and mileage tests are done by automakers and spot-checked although accuracy by the EPA and California. The tests are done above a dynamometer, which is a treadmill-like device, and the mathematical copy makes calculations although "road load," which is draw from wind, tire rolling resistance, draw from engine-driven devices and other factors.

"We cause identified latent concerns with how we calculate motorway load," Pittel said.

If problems are found, it won't exist the first time Ford has had ought restate mileage. at 2014, the Dearborn, Michigan, company had ought chop the window-sticker mileage above six models, and had ought salary thousands of dollars ought more than 200,000 owners after errors were discovered at how the mileage was calculated. The company said the latest issues are unrelated ought the 2014 problems. Ford also had ought restate mileage above the C-Max gas-electric hybrid at 2013.

The Ford cases came after a 2012 EPA research build inflated mileage above 13 Hyundai and Kia models, affecting 900,000 vehicles.

Because Ford build out nearly the question at September, it made calculations and perhaps knows it has problems with the tests, said Navigant inquiry analyst Sam Abuelsamid, who closely follows Auto Engines and transmissions.

"I don't muse that they used to exist making a statement alike this at this point if they didn't already comprehend there was a problem," Abuelsamid said. "It definitely implies that there's an question there."

The EPA, Abuelsamid said, changed the testing guidelines although emissions and fuel financial at 2017, which could exist why Ford said it will emerge at models from that year.

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Ellen Knickmeyer contributed ought this explain from Washington, D.C.