This comes after the automaker recalled a total of 4 556 Kuga's in January fitted with the engine in question, following the publishing of videos and pictures on social media showing models either on fire or completely burned out.
A faulty cooling, leading to the engine overheating and the cylinder head cracking causing oil to leak out, has been attributed to the destruction of over 50 Kugas made between December 2012 and February 2014 at the Blue Oval's Almussafes Plant in Valencia, Spain.
Less than a month after announcing the recall, Ford also confirmed the extension of warranties on all 1.6-litre models, including its 1.5-litre replacement, as well as the unaffected 2.0-litre EcoBoost, 2.0-litre TDCI and first generation 2.5T to six years or 200 000 km.
Speaking in a statement, FMCSA Managing Director Casper Kruger said the second phase involves the installation of new hardware to affected Kugas, consisting of a new coolant expansion tank with monitoring sensors and warning indicator, updated software able to reduce power in the event of coolant levels dropping, fitting of an additional coolant pipe and rerouting of the system's pipes, fitting of an electrical harness, and software designed to monitor the coolant level sensor.
"Our customers are our top priority, and their safety is of the utmost importance to us. We are taking additional precautions to protect our customers and their vehicles with the Phase 2 recall action," Kruger said.
"Our global engineering team has finalised the second stage of the recall, and South Africa is the first market to receive parts and implement Phase 2 of the recall. Accordingly, we have now begun rolling out the final recall and are notifying customers to make an appointment with their nearest dealer.”
Owners of affected Kugas are required to schedule an appointment with the nearest Ford dealer or one of their choice as quickly as possible, while transport will be pre-arranged upon the appointment being made.
