Ford South Africa has been hit with another safety scare, issuing a third recall of its Kuga model.
The problem that this third recall is set to fix relates to the front seatbelt insulation.
“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 pretentioner can potentially cause the insulation material around the pretensioner to ignite. The solution is to remove the insulation material from the area around the seatbelt retractor-pretensioner to prevent the risk of fire,” a statement issued by Ford SA said.
Ford SA confirmed that this does not relate to all vehicles, only those bought between July 17, 2012 and June 19, 2014.
“Approximately 173 000 (7 219 in South Africa) Ford Kuga vehicles built in Valencia (Spain) and Elebuga (Russia) are affected,” Ford SA said.
This recall is unrelated to the previous recalls. The previous recalls were related to faulty coolant systems, which caused the vehicle’s cylinder head to crack, allowing oil to leak on to hot engine, resulting in the engine catching alight.
Since 2015, 64 such incidents have been reported, with one fatality. Reshall Jimmy tragically burned to death while on vacation with his family in Wilderness in 2015 after his Kuga caught fire.
For more information or regarding the recall and your vehicle, contact Ford Customer Service directly at either 0800 204 688; 012 843 5824 or [email protected]