Cape Town - On Monday (Jan. 16), Ford South Africa CEO Jeff Nemeth announced the automaker would recall 4556 Kuga 1.6-litre Ecoboost models.
The decision was made in response to over 40 cases of fires emanating in the engine bay of vehicles.
The National Consumer Commissioner, Ebrahim Mohamed, said: "The primary concern of the National Consumer Commission with the Ford Kuga matter is the safety and well-being of every consumer. A product poses any risk to our consumers does not have a place in our marketplace."
Ford SA's huge recall: Here's what Kuga owners should know
In 2015, Reshal Jimmy was killed after his Kuga caught alight while he was on holiday in the Wilderness. Ford SA denies that Jimmy's death was as a result of a fire caused in the engine bay.
See how South Africans reacted on Twitter:
#FordKuga - Curated tweets by Wheels24