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Disaster as another Kuga SUV goes up in flames in Joburg - Ford SA responds

Ford South Africa's Kuga dilemma began in December 2016, since then, several other SUVs caught fire prompting a huge local recall.

The automaker issued a national recall of affected Kuga models in 2017. In January 2018, another Kuga had caught alight, bringing back the nightmare to Ford.

In June 2018, the saga continues as images and videos of yet another Kuga on fire has gone viral on social media.

Exact details of the incident are still unknown, unconfirmed reports suggest the vehicle  caught fire at the London Road off ramp on the N3 close to Alexandra, outside Sandton. 

Ford SA responds

Ford South Africa says: "We are aware of an incident involving a Ford Kuga in Johannesburg on Monday, 18 June 2018.  At this time, we do not have any further details on the cause of the incident, so we are unable to comment further.

"We are investigating the cause of the fire as a matter of urgency. The safety of our customers is always a priority for us and we are engaged with the customer to minimize the inconvenience caused."

On August 22, 2017, Ford SA issued another safety recall, the third in 2017, to address a potential fire risk posed by insulation material fitted near the SUV's front seatbelts, that could catch fire in the event of a crash.  

Ford recalled 4556 Kuga 1.6-litre Ecoboost models, produced from December 2012 to February 2014, in January 2017 following several reports of its utility vehicles bursting into flames.

Risk of insulation catching fire

Ford SA said: "In the event of a frontal collision, these vehicles have been identified as having a possible risk for a B-Pillar fire. The activation of the seatbelt pre-tensioner can potentially cause the insulation material around the pre-tensioner to ignite. 

The latest recall affects all Kugas‚ regardless of engine type‚ built at the automaker's Valencia factory in Spain from July 2012 - June 2014. Approximately 173 000 (7219 in South Africa) Ford Kuga vehicles, built in Valencia (Spain) and Elebuga (Russia) are affected.

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