Under increased pressure over a reported problem with head gaskets on some examples of its Focus RS, Ford has initiated a recall campaign (although, in North America at least, the company prefers the term “customer satisfaction programme”) aimed at resolving the issue.
Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa has similarly now confirmed to CARmag.co.za that it is “preparing” to launch a “customer service action” to address concerns of Focus RS owners.
“Ford had become aware that some 2016-17 RS customers had experienced concerns with their engines and we had stated that we were working on a repair for all customers,” Ford SA told us.
“To this end, we can now confirm that we are preparing to launch a global customer service action to address the concerns of white exhaust smoke and coolant consumption,” it added.
The notice issued to US-based owners of the affected hot hatch models says the vehicle’s “cylinder head gasket may develop a coolant leak into the engine combustion chamber”. This head gasket failure, the company adds, “may result in noticeable white smoke and/or low coolant without external leaks”.
The fix in the US (we’d expect it to be the same here in South Africa, but an official announcement has yet to be made) involves a dealer pressure-testing the cooling system and replacing the 2,3-litre turbocharged petrol engine’s head gasket. Based on the test results, Ford says, some vehicles may furthermore require a new cylinder head assembly.
The repairs will, of course, be completed free of charge.
