Ford issues fresh fire warning to 2,865 Irish Kuga hybrid owners
Michael McAleer
Ford has issued another urgent fire-risk warning to 2,865 Irish owners of its popular Kuga plug-in hybrid crossover.
The car maker warns that a battery defect could cause the vehicles to catch fire. Ford said it did not yet have a fix, but expected a remedy by midyear.
It follows an earlier urgent safety notice issued last March affecting the same vehicles, where owners were told not to charge the battery because of a risk it could short-circuit while driving.
Ford had promised that a software update rolled out last July would resolve the issue. At the time, Lisa Brankin, chair and managing director of Ford of Britain and Ireland, said the new software would “detect an anomaly with the battery and prevent any fire risk”.
Despite this assurance, owners who had an update installed received a fresh warning letter in recent weeks, instructing them to “follow these instructions regardless of whether that prior action was completed on your vehicle”.
It warns owners that “you may experience battery thermal venting, potentially resulting in a vehicle fire, increasing the risk of injury”.
Ford has told affected customers that “once a remedy is available, Ford will send you a letter instructing you to contact your dealer”. It said it anticipates a remedy by the middle of the year.
In the meantime, owners are told to limit charging of the EV battery to a maximum of 80 per cent, warning that “it is crucial not to exceed this limit.”
“Additionally, it is important to only use the default Auto EV mode and avoid deep mud and snow modes until further notice,” the letter states.
The vehicles affected were manufactured before November 28th, 2023, while unsold affected vehicles have been placed on hold.
Last year some owners affected by the initial defect began legal actions against the car maker.
One Circuit Court summons issued at the time claimed the car was effectively worthless, while the owner must continue to make personal contract plan repayments “for fear of risking his credit rating”.
Asked why the company would not simply replace the battery packs, and whether it would consider compensation for owners struggling to sell on their cars amid the ongoing uncertainty, Ford said it would “define the right remedy for this issue”.
“We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause to our customers. If customers require further assistance, they can contact our customer contact centre. We remain committed to providing our customers with safe and high-quality vehicles, addressing potential issues and responding quickly.”
The Kuga crossover has been one of Ford’s best-selling models, with 3,124 registrations over the past three years. More than 95 per cent of those sales were plug-in hybrids.
