by The National Consumer Commission and Ford South Africa officially confirmed the recall of the Ford Kuga model at 3pm, on 16 January 2017.
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The announcement follows numerous incidents across South Africa where Ford Kuga vehicles have burst into flames, resulting in one death.
Since December 2015, there have been 45 cases of Ford Kugas overheating and catching alight. Ford South Africa announced they are investigating possible engine fires in the 1.6-litre EcoBoost engine.
Watch The Video Of The Announcement Here:
Ford’s Initial Response
Ford South Africa has asked all Kuga owners to take their cars to their nearest Ford dealership for a full safety inspection.
Videos of the Ford Kuga exploding have gone viral with many calling for a complete recall of the model.
As mentioned, Ford Kuga claimed a life. This took place in December 2015, when 33-year-old Reshall Jimmy burnt to death in his 2014 Ford Kuga SUV. At the time, police told Jimmy’s family to ask Ford to send a forensic investigator to inspect the burnt wreckage.
It was concluded by police forensic investigators, and Ford experts, that the fire was caused by an electrical fault.
Take a look at the video:
The National Consumer Commission’s Involvement
Trevor Hattingh, spokesperson for the National Consumer Commission, said they reached an agreement with Ford’s management on Friday. This after warning the company that it has a responsibility to protect consumers.
“What’s going to happen today is that the National Consumer Commission, together with Ford, will be making an announcement. It will be about the future of the Ford Kuga vehicle in South Africa and how consumers will benefit from this announcement. All of that will be explained at that media briefing. At this point in time, we cannot discuss or divulge any further details on the matter.”
Hattingh told Radio 702 that, in terms of the law, they can order a recall if there are reasonable grounds to believe consumers are exposed to potential risk.
