Ford Kuga won't be recalled... yet

Ford is holding off a recall announcement for the 1.6-litre Kuga SUV sold in Australia during the years 2013 and 2014, despite engine fires overseas that have been traced back to coolant-system design.

In South Africa, over 4500 units of the Kuga with this engine have been the subject of a recall, following over 40 instances of the vehicle catching fire. Ford in South Africa has attributed the engine fires to improperly maintained cooling systems, which have resulted in a cracked cylinder head in each case, allowing oil to leak onto the exhaust manifold.

The recall there will be conducted in two stages: Firstly to replace cooling system components, update engine management software and check for oil leaks, and secondly to update cooling system components for "more robust" operation.

Locally, Ford has no plans to announce a recall for the 1.6-litre Kuga, says Ford Australia Brand Communications Manager Jasmine Mobarek.

"There is no recall in Australia, and what we are saying to customers is that if they have specific concerns about their car, that they should go and see their local dealer for an assessment – and that we encourage all customers to maintain regular servicing, ensure coolant levels are at the right level, pay attention to any warning signals…" Ms Mobarek told motoring earlier this week.

"There's no specific safety concern for Australia."

Asked why Ford has announced a recall for the same vehicle in one country, but not the other, Ms Mobarek replied: "It's too early to be able to make that assessment.

"We're working through what that means. Of course, if anything changes locally, we'll act quickly and swiftly to ensure we notify our customers, but at this stage we don't have the data to say that it's an issue in Australia."

There have been no official reports of Kuga engine fires in Australia due to oil leaking from the head, although it was revealed in Facebook last week that a Kuga has caught fire in Logan, Queensland. That fire was centred on the car's engine bay. Ford Australia has contacted the owner, requesting VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) and registration details for the burnt-out Kuga.

If this fire is the first of a few in Australia, it may force Ford's hand. For the present, however, Ford Australia is unconvinced of the need for a recall, but motoring.com.au understands that the Kuga in Logan isn't the first local case that could be attributed to the cooling system design in the 1.6-litre models. At this stage, however, little is known about that earlier incident, and it's yet to be established that the fire in Queensland is related to the cooling system design.

"We have to make sure we do our due diligence and understand exactly what the issue is, and make sure we don't just make a quick assumption that it's got to be the same, so we've got to take this action," said Ms Mobarek.

"We've got to go through the right process to ensure that, and not cause customers unnecessary stress or fear, where it's not warranted."