Ford South Africa has once again had to recall some of its cars due to fire risk, The Times reported on Friday. This time, Ford's entry-level Figo and Ikon models have been recalled.
Owners of 15,600 of these vehicles, reportedly built in India between 2004 and 2012, received emails from Ford asking them to immediately contact Ford to replace their power steering pressure hose.
This follows the recall of 50 Kuga SUVs which caught fire due to overheating in January.
According to The Times, the email said: "The hose may split‚ resulting in a power steering fluid leak. A power steering fluid leak could result in fumes being emitted from the engine compartment‚ and it may also be possible for power steering fluid to come into contact with the vehicle's exhaust system components‚ creating the potential for smoke and‚ in extreme cases‚ fire."
The email said that there would be no charge for the replacement but that the process could take longer than a day due to "service scheduling requirements". Car owners were "respectfully reminded" that while Ford relies on its dealerships to provide customers with courtesy cars, "this cannot be guaranteed".
While none of the vehicles had caught fire in South Africa, Ford reportedly said that 16 cases had been reported globally.
Next month, Ford will invite 4,556 Kuga owners whose vehicles were recalled to have a sensor installed in their cars that alerts the driver when the coolant drops, The Times reported.