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Cape Town - Ford South Africa has issued warning letters to owners of its 2.0-litre diesel-powered Kuga SUVs for to resolve a potential "brake problem".
The brake issue affects 848 Kuga models, manufactured in Spain, built from 2014 to 2015.
In January, Ford SA announced a safety recall of the 1.6-litre Kuga model manufactured from December 2012 to February 2014 due to a faulty coolant system in the car that caused the engine to overheat and catch alight.
What's the problem and which models are affected:
Ford SA told Wheels24: "A small number of Kuga 2.0-litre diesel engine vehicles have been built where the brake booster vacuum pipe is routed too closely to the turbo heat shield, which could cause damage to the pipe. This would increase the brake-pedal effort required during braking, though the vehicle still meets all legal brake requirements in this situation."
How will Ford SA remedy the issue?
Ford SA: "Our dealers are tasked with inspecting the vacuum pipe for any damage and will replace the pipe if required. If there is no damage, the dealer will fit an additional clip to the vacuum pipe. The issue only involves Kuga 2.0-litre diesel models built from late September 2014 to late December 2015 at our Valencia plant in Spain, with 848 vehicles affected in SA. Customers were notified in February 2017."
More from Ford SA
Ford SA comments: "Field service actions do not constitute a safety recall, and we are unaware of any incidents involving this issue. They are also common, with many thousands of field service actions taking place across the globe. For example, in 2016 alone there were around 900 vehicle-related field service actions in the US."
Investigation into Ford's Kuga fires
The National Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry will meet later in March 2017 to discuss Ford's handling of the fire problem which destroyed 52 1.6-litre Kuga models.