The National Consumer Commission (NCC) has launched a probe into Ford South Africa over the recall of 4 566 Kugas after dozens of reports of the vehicles catching fire spontaneously.
Ford SA president and chief executive Jeff Nemeth said in January the company could confirm 39 incidents of the cars catching fire. A Kuga fire has also been linked to one one death, although Nemeth said itwas not directly linked to the defect.
Ford SA under pressure from National Consumer Commission and Kuga fires reported in Australia #fordkuga #kugafire https://t.co/JMMN1osaQq pic.twitter.com/baDZgjE4kV
— Reuben van Niekerk (@ReubenVN) March 2, 2017
The local Ford division has, however, confirmed that it would co-operate with the NCC probe.
"The National Consumer Commission says it has instituted an investigation into the activities of Ford Motor Company Southern Africa and its dealerships for alleged prohibited conduct," the commission said on its website on Thursday.
"The NCC received more than 130 complaints against Ford SA relating to various issues, including the combusting of Kuga vehicles, since December last year," it said.
Ford SA spokesperson Rella Bernardes said the firm had followed safety guidelines.
"We have received the notice from the NCC and will continue to fully cooperate with them on all fronts. At all times, we operate in line with the Safety Recall Guidelines in terms of the Consumer Protection Act, 2008," she said.
In January Ford announced a two-stage recall for 4556 Kugas built between February 2012 and February 2014. But the company’s handling of the situation came under severe criticism after it emerged that insurance companies had alerted Ford to the problem more than a year earlier.