Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa says it "sincerely apologises" for its initial silence on the Ford Kuga fire debacle, insisting that it cares "about the safety and well-being" of all of its customers.

The local arm of the US automaker says it met with the National Consumer Commission earlier this week to update it on the recall of the 1,6-litre Kuga models.

"We know that the incidents of engine compartment fires in Ford Kuga 1,6-litre vehicles in South Africa have created concerns for Kuga owners and for the general public," said Jeff Nemeth, president and CEO of Ford SA.

"We understand and appreciate the feelings of our customers and other stakeholders, and we want to assure you that your safety is our priority. Whenever an incident raises concerns about one of our vehicles we treat it with the utmost seriousness," he added.

"We recognise that, during the initial process, customers and the public were not well enough informed about the situation, and for that Ford sincerely apologises. We care about the safety and well-being of our customers. It's at the heart of everything we do, and we understand that our customers have questions and concerns.

"Our current focus is on working with our dealers and our customers to resolve these issues as quickly as possible, through open and direct communication," Nemeth said.

A total of 4 556 model year 2013 and 2014 1,6 Kugas, built between December 2012 and February 2014, are affected by the two-stage safety recall.

Ford SA says it has increased the capacity of its call centre, adding a "dedicated Kuga support team", with longer hours and weekend support.

"We're talking directly to our customers. Since the launch of the maintenance check we have contacted over 3 800 customers via email and posted letters. We have also put a request in to get the outstanding customers detail from eNatis. We are flying in parts to alleviate the shortage. All outstanding parts will arrive in South Africa by mid-February," the brand said in a statement.

"Courtesy vehicles are being provided to keep our customers mobile while their cars are being repaired. To date, Ford has supplied over 4 080 courtesy cars to affected 1,6 Kuga customers. This number excludes the number of dealer loaner and Ford South Africa's company vehicles that were given to customers while their vehicles underwent the safety recall action," the statement added.

Ford SA said that dealers would provide each Kuga 1,6 customer with a letter confirming that the necessary repair has been made on their vehicle.

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Original article from Car