Angry Kuga owners get bad news as PR disaster escalates for carmaker

Shocked Ford owners are being told that their Kugas are worthless‚ as the global motoring giant scrambles to calm the storm over burning cars that has plunged it into a public relations disaster‚ the newspaper reported.

Kuga owners said they were turned away when they tried to trade in their cars for other Ford models‚ with dealers either refusing or reluctant to give owners trade-in values.

Since December 2015‚ when Reshall Jimmy burnt to death in his 1.6-litre EcoBoost Ford Kuga in Wilderness in the Western Cape‚ 51 Kugas have caught alight across South Africa. Two more have caught fire in Swaziland and Botswana.

Ford is now facing a flood of criticism‚ questioning why it was so slow to act after having ordered a recall in the US after just 11 cars had ignited.

East London Kuga owner Praneet Khandoo told the Sunday Times this week he was shocked when he attempted to trade in his 1.6-litre EcoBoost Kuga‚ whose cooling system was replaced in October‚ only to be told by Eastern Cape Motors that he would get nothing for it.

Tiso Black Star Group Digital/Sunday Times