This week, Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa announced that it would finally implement a recall of certain Ford Kuga models.
The local arm of the US automaker said that the recall of some 4 556 vehicles, each fitted with a 1,6-litre EcoBoost engine and built between December 2012 and February 2014, would comprise two stages.
“While we continue to investigate the Kuga 1,6 engine compartment fires, based on the current data we have determined that the fires are due to engine overheating. This is caused by a lack of coolant circulation, which can lead to a cracking in the cylinder head and, therefore, an oil leak,” Ford SA said in a statement released after a press briefing hosted by the National Consumer Commission in Pretoria.
“If the leaking oil reaches a hot engine surface, it can potentially catch fire. We are not aware of any injuries resulting from the engine compartment fires,” the company added.
With the safety recall, all affected vehicles (including those that had already been checked) should be taken to a Ford dealership “as soon as possible”.
The safety recall comprises two stages.
Ford says the first stage involves “replacing affected components on the cooling system, verifying and updating the software and conducting an oil leak check on the cylinder head”.
According to the automaker, the second stage will make the cooling system “even more robust, and is likely to involve further changes to parts and warning systems”.
“We are currently ensuring that the changes we make are complete and thoroughly tested – and will communicate with our customers as soon as this stage commences,” Ford said.
The brand advised owners of 1,6-litre Kuga models to pull over and switch off the engine if there is “any indication that the engine may be overheating” or if they see warnings on the instrument cluster.
“The 1,6 Kuga is safe to drive, provided the integrity of the cooling system is maintained, and this safety recall has been actioned,” Ford concluded.
