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Ford SA investigating Kuga fires as spare parts run out

Ford South Africa has urged owners of 2013-2014 Kuga vehicles to book their vehicles in for a free maintenance check only there are apparently no parts to fix any problems it might find.

The Ford Kuga has made headlines over the last few months given the vehicle’s propensity for catching fire. To date, as many as 43 Kugas have caught fire since December 2015 according to Times Live.

The manufacturer believes that a faulty coolant system in the 2013 and 2014 Kuga models fitted with a 1.6 Ecoboost engine is the cause behind the problem but independent investigators have pinned it on a faulty plastic fuel pipe and a wiring problem. At this stage the exact cause for the fires is unclear.

The trouble is that Ford has seemingly run out of the parts it needs to repair these vehicles. Several Kuga owners have vented their frustrations on the Ford Vehicles Burning group on Facebook.

“Before you send in your Kuga for the inspection service/check that Ford is calling for, ask them if they have the required replacement parts in stock. There is a stock shortage currently. My Kuga has been grounded – deemed unsafe by Ford – until they receive parts, which might only arrive on the 16th of January,” said Dirk Van Den Berg on the group.

The shortage will seemingly only be alleviated in the middle of this month though Times Live reports that it may stretch into February.

“We expect full spare parts coverage at all our dealerships in the next few days. In the interim‚ should a dealer find that a part needs to be replaced on a customer car‚ but that the part is not currently in his stock‚ the customer will be provided with a courtesy car until the part can be replaced,” Ford news operations director John Gardiner said.

However, a quick scroll through the Ford Vehicles Burning group reveals that vehicle owners who have booked their cars in for a maintenance check are not getting a courtesy car.

“They [Ford] told me they will call me in January, I am still waiting for them to call me and I am still not driving the Kuga. No courtesy vehicle whilst waiting for them to “fix the problem”. This is such a huge inconvenience to me,” writes Thami Danxa.

The question on everybody’s lips is when – or rather if – Ford is going to recall the vehicles. While we understand that the correct procedure must be followed the problems seem persistent and we ourselves have seen several owners on social media complain that problems persist even after repairs have taken place.

Have you experienced any problems with your Ford Kuga? Let us know in the comments below.

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