Ford issues new Kuga warnings following brake issues: report
Ford South Africa has issued new warning letters to owners of its 2.0-litre diesel-powered Kuga SUVs for to resolve a potential “brake problem”, according to a report by Wheels24.
The brake issue is said to affect 848 Kuga models, manufactured in Spain, built from 2014 to 2015, said Ford in an official statement.
“A small number of Kuga 2.0-litre diesel engine vehicles have been built where the brake booster vacuum pipe is routed too closely to the turbo heat shield, which could cause damage to the pipe.
“This would increase the brake-pedal effort required during braking, though the vehicle still meets all legal brake requirements in this situation.”
However the company wwas quick to point out that the issue was not the same as the older Kuga model which had burst into flames on several occasions. They also highlighted that these were just warnings and did not amount to a recall.
“Field service actions do not constitute a safety recall, and we are unaware of any incidents involving this issue. They are also common, with many thousands of field service actions taking place across the globe. For example, in 2016 alone there were around 900 vehicle-related field service actions in the US.”
Ford SA has faced heavy criticism over the course of December and January following a large number of Ford Kuga’s catching fire in those two months. This resulted in a class action lawsuit planned against the company, with documents showing that Ford knew about existing problems with Kuga models.
This was compounded by reports in early March by several disgruntled Kuga owners who had reportedly been threatened with legal action for not paying for hired vehicles despite the assurance of Ford South Africa that it would pay the costs of the temporary vehicles.
Read: Ford Kuga owners threatened with rental bills and legal action: report
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