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Cape Town - The National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications told Parliament it will continue with its investigations into Ford Kuga engine incidents, in which engines have caught alight despite being reworked.
The regulator also said it plans to appoint an expert to conduct an independent investigation.
Last month a 2016 1.5l Ford Kuga model reportedly caught alight, stoking fears that the challenge of car engines catching fire has not been adequately dealt with. This was the first 2016 1.5l model whose engine catch alight; the others were Ford Kuga 1.6l eco-boost models.
NRCS acting CEO Edward Mamadise told Parliament’s portfolio committee on trade and industry that the regulator is still trying to determine the cause of the fire, as even reworked vehicles are said to have had engine combustion.
“The NRCS deemed it necessary to seek for an expert who can conduct an independent investigation on the cause of the fire. Another fire incident was reported on 22 February 2018. Unlike the previously reported cases, this vehicle was for a 2016 1.5l Ford Kuga model, which was not covered in the initial recall,” said Mamadise.
Mamadise told the committee that the regulator met with Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa in September, where it was agreed that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration would be consulted on the recall and reworking of vehicles.
He said the regulator would work to identify the systems and components covered by compulsory specification, to ensure that they meet compulsory standards.
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