Ford SA on Kuga fires: 'may be a result of engine overheating'

Cape Town - Ford South Africa says the cause of some of its Kuga SUVs, powered by the 1.6-litre EcoBoost engine, catching fire may be caused by engine overheating. 

In the latest incident, Nivesh Sewpersadh, was driving just outside Durban in Westville North when his Kuga caught alight. He managed to escape unscathed, a video of the inferno was posted on Facebook. 

Ford has asked owners of 1.6-litre models to 'contact their Ford dealer to request a further check of the maintenance items, especially to check coolant system condition and integrity.'

Read Ford SA's full statement:

"Ford takes the safety of our customers very seriously. While we continuously evaluate our processes for potential improvements, our decisions are driven by the data available. When the data indicates a safety recall is needed, we move quickly on behalf of our customers.

Ford is currently investigating reports of engine fires in Kugas equipped with the 1.6-litre EcoBoost engine in South Africa. While our investigations into the incidents are not complete at this time, we have found that the fires may be a result of engine overheating. 

To help reduce the risk of engine overheating, we are advising affected customers to contact their Ford dealer to request a further check of the maintenance items, especially to check coolant system condition and integrity. Dealers will check the coolant concentration level and for any leaks or damage to the cooling system, plus conduct static and dynamic cooling system pressure tests. This service is free of charge and will take approximately one hour. Customers can also contact Ford Customer Service directly at 0860 011 022.

Kugas with 1.5-litre and 2.0-litre engines are not affected by this dealer maintenance check, but we strongly recommend that customers of all Ford vehicles follow the regular maintenance checks stated in their Owner’s Manual."