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Footage has emerged of a Ford Figo catching fire and burning out at a Mediclinic in Nelspruit on Wednesday.
This comes just two days after Ford South Africa announced a safety recall of Ford Kuga models.
The cause of the incident is not yet clear. No reports of injury or harm were recorded.
On Monday, Ford South Africa announced a massive safety recall of some of its Kuga models equipped with the 1.6-litre engine made between December 2012 and February 2014.
This was to address an engine overheating condition believed to be the cause of a fire.
Kuga models with the 1.5-litre and 2.0-litre engines were not affected.
Ford says a total of 4556 vehicles were affected by this safety recall in South Africa.
» If any 1.6l owner sees any indication that the engine may be overheating or sees warnings on the instrument cluster – pullover, switch off the engine and ensure all occupants are safely out of the vehicle.
» Do not open the bonnet.
» Call emergency services first, then Ford’s Roadside Assistance on 0861 150 250.
To date more than 40 Ford Kugas have caught fire while being driven since the tragic death of Reshall Jimmy in December 2015, whose Ford Kuga caught fire near Wilderness in the Western Cape, where he had been holidaying.
An online “JusticeforJimmy” petition to the Motor Industry Ombudsman of South Africa and the National Consumer Commission was started by a close friend of Jimmy’s after Ford SA reportedly took weeks to recall his Kuga model, despite numerous reports of problems.
A public Facebook page has also been created “for victims of FORD Kuga vehicles which has caught on fire in South Africa and other parts of the world,” the page states.
At a media briefing in Pretoria, Ford CEO for sub-Saharan Africa, Jeff Nemeth, said that the current data pointed to overheating caused by a lack of coolant circulation.
He said this could lead to cracking in the cylinder head, and therefore a subsequent oil leak.
If the leaking oil reached a hot engine component, it could potentially catch fire and this had been the root cause of the vehicles going ablaze.
On Tuesday Jimmy’s siblings, Renisha and Kaveen, held a media briefing in Pretoria to respond to Ford’s vehicle recall and express their dissatisfaction with the way Ford handled their brother’s death.
Kaveen said Ford made no attempt to contact his family after his brother’s death.
Ford maintains that the case involving Jimmy is unrelated to the vehicles catching fire.
Ford Kuga drivers have since united to file a class action lawsuit against Ford.
