Ford South Africa said that more than 63% of the 1.6-litre Kuga models involved in the safety recall “have been repaired and returned to their owners” whom Ford said could “now enjoy ongoing peace of mind.”
In a statement late Friday afternoon Ford however “emphasised” that a number of affected vehicles have not yet been brought in to Ford dealers across the country for the required repair.
“Ford urges all customers who haven't yet participated in the recall to do so as a priority. Since the inception of the recall Ford has been providing complimentary courtesy cars to all affected customers to minimise the inconvenience to them and this process is still in place”.
The company was forced to recall 4556 1.6litre Ford Kuga models after admitting that around 40 had caught alight, a problem blamed on a coolant problem.
Ford however maintained that the death of Gauteng resident, Reshall Jimmy, who burned to death in his vehicle in the Wilderness in 2015, was not linked to the cooling problem. His family are taking legal action.
Ford President and CEO, Jeff Nemeth, said that "our dealers are working tirelessly replacing parts, testing and verifying the integrity of the cooling system, ensuring the latest software updates are applied and getting customers back into their vehicles."
"By Thursday, March 2, the safety recall action had been completed on almost 2,800 vehicles, with this number increasing daily," Nemeth added.
"Ford and our dealers continue to do everything we can to minimise inconvenience for our customers, and to ensure their driving safety and satisfaction."
A total of 4,556 model year 2013 and 2014 1.6-litre Ford Kugas, built between December, 2012 and February, 2014, are affected by the safety recall in South Africa. The recall is a two-phased process.
“Once the current stage of the safety recall is completed, and with proper maintenance of the cooling system, the 1.6 Kuga is safe to drive,” Ford SA said.
“Ford confirmed that there have been no reports of a Kuga catching fire after the completion of the safety recall action,” the statement said.
Ford said that it also met with the National Consumer Commission to provide “a comprehensive update on the progress made with the Kuga recall.”
“The second stage of the recall will be a further product enhancement. Currently, Ford is ensuring that the changes to be made are thoroughly tested, and will communicate with customers about stage two as soon as the process is ready,” Ford SA said.
