Ford asks Kuga owners to do daily car checks to prevent fires
The tightness of wheel nuts and the operation of air-conditioning systems‚ lights and indicators are just some of the checks and balances Ford requires its Kuga owners to do to ensure their vehicles do not catch alight.
In a document titled: “Announcing Ford Kuga EcoBoost Maintenance Check Programme”‚ issued to owners and drivers of the 1.6l Kuga models under threat of self combustion‚ Ford says that it is investigating reports of engine fires in Kugas equipped with the 1.6l engines in South Africa.
To date, 51 of the 1.6l Kugas manufactured between 2012 and 2014 at Ford’s factory in Valencia‚ Spain‚ and sold in South Africa‚ have caught alight in this country.
The global car manufacturer‚ in a letter to its Kuga customers‚ states that while the company’s investigations into the incidents are not complete‚ they have found that the fires may be caused by the engines overheating. “To help reduce the risk of engine overheating‚ we are advising affected customers to contact their Ford dealer to request further check of the maintenance items‚ especially to check coolant system conditions and integrity.”
The letter‚ which is signed by Ford SA’s director of service engineering operations‚ Pieter Verster‚ adds: “Ford Motor Company would like to remind customers of the need to check their vehicle coolant and oil levels between regular service intervals to ensure correct operation of the vehicle“.
Durban Kuga owner Janet Watson‚ who received the letter when she took her Kuga in last week to the Umhlanga dealership‚ said she was puzzled by its contents.
“It feels like they are trying to pass responsibility onto us the owners. They don’t explain how the tightness‚ or not‚ of wheel nuts or the non-operation of the air conditioner contribute to the fires,” she said.
