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Another Kuga catches fire in Gauteng, Ford SA responds

Johannesburg - A week after Ford South Africa announced its "Phase 2" Kuga recall, another SUV has reportedly burst into flames.

A Kuga SUV has caught fire along the N12 East in Jet Park, Boksburg. 

Ford recalled 4556 Kuga 1.6-litre Ecoboost models, produced from December 2012 to February 2014, in January following several reports of the utility vehicles bursting into flames.

A tweet by Crimeairnetwork, shows the SUV ablaze. Ford South Africa told Wheels24 that it's aware of the incident.

Ford said: "We are launching a full investigation of the incident and have placed the customer in a courtesy vehicle. We are however still trying to gain access to the vehicle to find out what has happened."

We've included what Phase 2 entails and advice for affected customers in SA.

Global recall fix

The automaker has announced that Phase 2 has begun in SA on July 26. In Phase 2, the automaker says,  new hardware will be installed, comprising a new coolant expansion tank with a sensor that monitors the level of the vehicle’s coolant.


How do you think Ford SA managed the Kuga recall? Has your trust been restored in the brand? Tell us via emailFacebook and Twitter.


Excessively low coolant levels reduce the ability to keep the engine cool, which in turn, leads to overheating. The system will now warn the driver well in advance if there is a risk of overheating due to insufficient coolant in the system.

In addition, the vehicle’s updated software introduced as part of this Phase 2 action has the ability to reduce engine power, and notifies the driver to safely pull over if coolant levels drop below the minimum required level.

To accommodate this enhanced system, changes have been made to the routing of the coolant pipes, an electrical harness is fitted, and the software configured to monitor this new coolant level sensor. An additional coolant pipe will also be replaced for added robustness and durability of the cooling system.

Here's what you should do

Customers are being asked to schedule an appointment with their dealer; this will ensure the dealer is able to perform the recall action quickly and efficiently, says Ford. Should the customer wish, their dealer will also pre-arrange alternative transport upon scheduling an appointment.  

Continuing the customer support measures introduced after the initial Kuga 1.6 safety recall announcement in January 2017, all Kuga models benefit from the Ford Kuga PremiumCare Extended Plan, backed by Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa.

This plan provides additional cover beyond the new vehicle warranty, and now covers the repairs of more than 1 000 vehicle components up to a maximum of six years or 200 000km, whichever comes first.

Ford says the PremiumCare Extended Plan applies to all Kuga models, including the affected 1.6-litre models, as well as the 1.5-litre petrol, 2.0-litre diesel and 2.0-litre petrol sold between 2012 and 2017. It also applies to the previous-generation Kuga 2.5 models registered as new in 2012.

Additionally, Ford Roadside Assistance is available to all Kuga owners, beyond the standard three-year/unlimited mileage cover. Supported through the AA, this service is available 24/7 on 0861 150 250.

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