Johannesburg - Ford South Africa has issued another recall for its ill-fated Kuga SUV, but this one has nothing to do with fires and doesn’t even affect the 1.6-litre turbopetrol model that’s been in the headlines recently.
The new recall relates to the braking system and only involves 848 turbodiesel (2.0 TDCI) models that were built between September 2014 and late December 2015. Ford SA says that in these models, “the brake booster vacuum pipe is routed too close to the turbo heat shield, which could cause damage to the pipe. This would increase the brake pedal effort required during braking on the vehicles affected in SA.”
However, Ford pointed out that it’s “not a safety action” and that the company is not aware of any incidents involving the aforementioned fault. “The vehicle can be effectively braked and meets all legal brake requirements in this condition,” Ford’s statement said.
Ford has instructed its dealers to inspect the vacuum pipe for any damage and replace it if necessary. Even if there is no visible damage, an additional clip will be fitted.
Owners have already been notified, according to Ford.
In January Ford recalled 4556 Kugas following the much-publicised engine-fire saga affecting the 1.6T petrol models built between February 2012 and February 2014.
According to Ford, the engine fires were due to a coolant circulation problem causing the engines to overheat, resulting in a cracked cylinder head and oil leaking onto hot engine components.