Ford is recalling thousands of its top-selling plug-in electric hybrid family cars following a safety scare after seven of the popular ‘green’ sports utility vehicles caught fire while charging. 

Ford said the fires were likely started because of the proximity of the fuel tank to the car’s batteries which overheated.  

The petrol-electric hybrid Kugas have only been in showrooms since April and the recall affects 1,800 owners in the UK out of an estimated 27,000 globally. 

Recall: Ford has called back the 1,800 Kuga PHEVs sold in the UK since April after seven fires broke out as the vehicles were being charged

Recall: Ford has called back the 1,800 Kuga PHEVs sold in the UK since April after seven fires broke out as the vehicles were being charged

Recall: Ford has called back the 1,800 Kuga PHEVs sold in the UK since April after seven fires broke out as the vehicles were being charged 

In extreme cases the fire could destroy the entire vehicle, government safety watchdogs have warned. 

The car giant apologised for the problem and, as a ‘goodwill gesture’ to customers, offered UK owners £500 of petrol as compensation – to make up for the fact that their cars are less fuel-efficient than they should be – to keep them on the move until the plug-in charger can be safely fixed.

However it warned that this would take ‘months not weeks.’

The firm said the seven fires took place ‘on the Continent’ not in the UK, while the vehicles were being charged overnight at home or for long periods, but that there were no casualties.

Ford said: ‘We are aware of seven confirmed fire incidents in other markets, which are being investigated with the utmost urgency, not involving any accident or injury.’

It said sales of the Kuga PHEV – which stands for plug in electric vehicle – ‘is temporarily suspended to address a potential concern with the high voltage battery, which in certain circumstances could result in a fire in the battery area.’

The official recall notice on the government’s website notes:’The HV (high voltage) battery pack can overheat and result in the venting of hot gas which can ignite vehicle components or in extreme cases the entire vehicle.’ 

A Ford spokesman said that initially it believed the issue was with the shielding between the battery and the fuel tank, but it had subsequently decided the problem was more to do with the proximity of the two. 

Ford said the fires were likely started because of the proximity of the fuel tank to the car's batteries which overheated

Ford said the fires were likely started because of the proximity of the fuel tank to the car's batteries which overheated

Ford said the fires were likely started because of the proximity of the fuel tank to the car’s batteries which overheated

The new Ford Kuga plug-in hybrid only went on sale in the UK in April priced from £36,255.

But within a couple of months, sales of the vehicle were stopped over concerns about the batteries overheating and causing fires.

Ford said the sale of Kuga PHEVs built before 26 June 2020 had been temporarily suspended and a safety recall issued that is believed to affect up to 27,000 cars globally.

Ford said the fires were likely started because of the proximity of the fuel tank to the car’s batteries which overheated.

The car is powered by a 2.5-litre Duratec petrol engine linked to an electric motor giving it a combined 225 horsepower and the ability to sprint from rest to 62mph in 9.2 seconds up to a top speed of 125mph.

Blending the electric and petrol hybrid power means lower CO2 emissions. It takes 3.3 hours to charge on a wall-box and six hours on a domestic plug.

Owners who have already taken delivery of Kugas are being told to only use their cars in ‘EV auto drive’ mode, which is the setting the car automatically reverts to when the batteries have been run down.

This means owners can’t make use of the car’s official pure electric-only driving range of 35 miles – which is gained when the car is charged from the mains. However, the car will still function as a ‘self-charging’ hybrid – in which the movement and braking of the car charges the vehicle’s battery while it is on the move.

In addition to a free £500 fuel card, the company has also affected owners a free three-year service and maintenance plan as a goodwill gesture over the fault.

Ford has written to customers to say it is working ‘with urgency to develop a complete and approved service solution for your vehicle.’

It notes: ‘The reality is this solution may take longer to resolve for you than we had initially anticipated… this may be a matter of months rather than weeks.’

In addition to a free £500 fuel card as a goodwill gesture, Ford has also affected owners a free three-year service and maintenance plan as a goodwill gesture over the fault

In addition to a free £500 fuel card as a goodwill gesture, Ford has also affected owners a free three-year service and maintenance plan as a goodwill gesture over the fault

In addition to a free £500 fuel card as a goodwill gesture, Ford has also affected owners a free three-year service and maintenance plan as a goodwill gesture over the fault

Owners will be contacted individually for a ‘rework by a Ford dealer once a complete and approved update is in place’, said the car giant.

Ford said: ‘From 8 October 2020 as a gesture of goodwill, we are providing a fuel card to the value of £500 to affected customers acknowledging that the fuel economy of the cars is higher when the battery can’t be charged’

Customers have also been sent an e-mail with a video from the firms managing director ‘to give an update on the situation, to apologise for the ongoing inconvenience and to offer them the goodwill gesture as a result of their car not functioning in the manner it was intended.’

It adds: ‘At this time we cannot give a precise fix date, but we are being clear with customers that this will be measured in months and not weeks.

Ford insisted: ‘The safety of our customers is a top priority. We realise that vehicle recalls are inconvenient to customers, but they assure vehicle safety in service. As part of our commitment to safety, the sale of all Kuga PHEV vehicles is temporarily suspended to address a potential concern with the high voltage battery, which in certain circumstances could result in a fire in the battery area.’

It added: ‘Customers currently in possession of any Kuga PHEV are advised to not charge their vehicles and to only drive in EV Auto mode until rework is completed by their Ford dealer. It is important to stress that the vehicles remain safe to drive in EV Auto mode.’

It noted: ‘This latest action includes all Kuga PHEVs built to date, many of which have already been reworked by a Ford dealer.’

Owners are being individually contacted. We also will discuss with them as soon as possible when to schedule the rework at their chosen dealership once a complete and approved update is in place.

Ford said: ‘We apologise for the concern this issue is causing and thank our customers for their patience and co-operation. We will take care of our Kuga PHEV owners and are looking at ways to improve customer experience during this difficult situation, including providing an extended warranty or maintenance service provision, depending on market.’

The Government’s recall service says of the Ford Kuga problem: ‘The HV (high voltage) battery pack can overheat and result in the venting of hot gas which can ignite vehicle components or in extreme cases the entire vehicle.’

It adds: ‘To prevent a vehicle fire the vehicles should not be charged using the external charging cable and the vehicles should only be driven using the default Auto EV mode only.

Consumer magazine WhatCar? said of the recall: ‘The Kuga PHEV is a significant model for Ford because it accounted for half of the sales of the model in Europe earlier this year.’ 

Although it’s not believed that any injuries have been reported as a result of the fires, the fact that multiple fires have been reported on a relatively new car is cause for concern. 

However, it is great to see Ford being proactive about issuing the safety recall and offering owners two forms of compensation. ‘ 

Ford said later: ’Ford teams are working globally on the cause with battery cell suppliers but, for the time being, we do not have a single root cause’.

Customers with concerns are asked to contact the Ford Customer Contact Centre on: 0203 564 4444.

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This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk

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