Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa (FMCSA) has started the second phase of the safety recall for all affected 1.6-litre Kuga models, and is requesting customers to schedule an appointment with their dealer to have the vehicle enhancements completed. 

Around 4 556 1.6-litre Ford Kugas, built between December 2012 and February 2014, were affected by the safety recall, which started in January.

This second phase is designed to mitigate the risk of an engine fire and applies to all affected Kuga 1.6-litre models built at Ford’s Valencia assembly plant in Spain.

The engine fires have been the result of the engine overheating causing the cylinder head to crack, resulting in the oil leaking on to the exhaust system, which causes the fire.

“Our customers are our top priority, and their safety is of the utmost importance to us,” FMCSA MD Dr Casper Kruger said in a statement on Thursday.

He added that FMCSA’s global engineering team has finalised the planning for the second stage of the recall, and South Africa is the first market to receive the parts necessary to implement phase two.

“Accordingly, we have now begun rolling out the final recall and are notifying customers to make an appointment with their nearest dealer.” 

During phase two, new hardware, including a new coolant expansion tank with a sensor that monitors the level of the vehicle’s coolant, will be installed.

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 in advance if there is a risk of overheating owing to insufficient coolant in the system. 

In addition, the vehicle’s updated software, which will also be introduced as part of the second phase, is able to reduce engine power and notify 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. 

Customers are being asked to schedule an appointment with their dealer, to ensure the dealer is able to perform the recall action quickly and efficiently.

“Should the customer wish, their dealer will also pre-arrange alternative transport upon scheduling an appointment,” said FMCSA.