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Thousands of drivers have reportedly been left in limbo after warnings that their car could catch fire due to a battery defect.
Ford issued an urgent recall of its Kuga plug-in hybrid car in early March, warning drivers not to charge the battery because of a risk it might short-circuit while on the road. The problem could cause a loss of power or a fire, according to the recall notice. Four weeks later, the manufacturer has yet to announce a timescale for repairs and owners report that it is failing to respond to their requests for an update.
David Ellis is one of an estimated 26,000 owners to have received the red-hatched letter from Ford warning of potential injury if the battery is plugged in. It instructs occupants to exit their vehicle immediately if the “stop safely now” warning is triggered while on the road and advises that it will be in touch when engineers have developed a software fix. However, it says that affected vehicles are still safe to drive.
“The advice to exit the car quickly is alarming,” Ellis said. “My husband uses a hoist and a wheelchair so we can’t exit anywhere quickly. I therefore can’t drive him in the car until it is made safe.”
Ellis bought his car eight months ago in order to reduce fuel costs and emissions. He says the monthly running costs have nearly doubled since he stopped charging the battery.
“Aside from the safety issue, it calls into question Ford’s green credentials and customer service,” he said. “They have advised they are not proactively offering customers any form of recompense for increased fuel use or damage to the battery from lack of charging for up to four months.”
Ford did not respond to requests for a comment.
The recall affects the current-generation Kuga which has been on sale since 2019. There are more than 26,000 on the road across Europe. The manufacturer has suspended deliveries of new models until the software glitch has been addressed.
It estimates that a remedy will be available to dealers by July, but given the number of affected vehicles, drivers face a wait of many more weeks for a repair slot.
This is the second time the Ford Kuga has been recalled because of a potential fire hazard. In 2020 the manufacturer had to replace the battery units of more than 27,000 cars after seven caught fire while charging.
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Drivers could be held liable if an unresolved recall issue causes a crash. According to the Association of British Insurers, failure to inform a car insurance provider of a recall notice could invalidate their cover if they need to make a claim.
Owners unwilling to wait indefinitely for a repair could demand a courtesy car or a refund, according to the consumer rights expert Martyn James. The Consumer Rights Act entitles consumers to a repair, replacement or refund if a purchase is not as described, fit for purpose or of satisfactory quality. “I would demand a timescale for a repair and if that turns out to be longer than is reasonable I’d ask to return the car,” James said. “If Ford refuses, that’s when you can start a small claims case.”
Owners can also complain to The Motor Ombudsman which said that Ford had only just informed it of the recall. A spokesperson said: “We are in discussion with Ford as to their response to consumers who are affected by this issue, and clarification regarding when the work is to be undertaken on customer vehicles.”
