LISTEN: Latest on Ford Figo, Ikon recall

Listen to Wendy on the topic below, or read the details under the podcast.

Certain models of the Figo and its sedan counterpart, the Ikon, have been found to have a hose which is prone to leading to the car catching fire - just six months after the recall of 4556 petrol-engined Kuga SUVs.

This time there are more than three times that many cars involved - 15 600 Figos and Ikons built in Ford’s Indian plant between August 9, 2004 and March 24, 2012.  That’s a lot of people around the country who now have to take their cars in to a Ford dealership to get the high pressure hose of their car’s power steering mechanism replaced.

All going well, that should be a quick process, but here’s the thing - Ford is saying that the dealerships may well have to keep the recalled cars for more than a day because of pressure to get routine services done as well. 

ALSO READ: LISTEN: No party for Ford as the Fiesta’s recalled

And speaking of bad timing, Phase 2 of that Kuga recall is about to happen - those Kuga owners are going to be asked to take their cars back to a Ford dealership to have a sensor fitted to better monitor the coolant level in order to prevent the car catching fire. 

Ford has told those 15 600 Figo and Ikon owners that there’s no guarantee that they are going to get a courtesy car while the dealership keeps their’s for a day or two.

I can’t see that going down too well.

Naturally, I asked Ford if any of those Figos and Ikons caught fire in South Africa. The answer was: “Not that we know of”.

Sixteen of them  have caught fire in other countries - India and South Africa are those two cars’ main markets so I’m guessing most of those 16 fires happened in India.

I asked Ford about the Figo which was videoed burning outside a Mediclinic in Nelspruit in mid-January and was told they don’t know whether or not that fire was related to the recall issue.

So here, in a nutshell, is what people, especially those who own a Figo or Ikon, should know:

This recall has got nothing to do with the Kuga recall. It’s a different hose in a different part of the vehicle.

It applies to petrol models only and to Figos and Ikons built between August 2004 and March 2012.

The key word there is BUILT. If you drive a 2013 model, it could well have been built in 2012 and then first registered in 2013, making it a 2013 model.

Your car’s VIN number tells you the month and the year the car was built.  If you bought the car second-hand you won’t have got a letter from Ford about the recall unless you registered with Ford, which few people do. So phone a Ford dealership and give them your car’s VIN number. 

Don’t assume you’re going to get a courtesy car, although to my mind, if you have to be without the use of the car you’re paying for, and insuring, you should be given the use of another set of wheels. 

The number of cars involved is clearly going to be a bit overwhelming…

Finally, if you own or are planning to buy a used car, make sure you register your and your car’s details with the OEM - original equipment manufacturer. That way if there is a recall - and they are more common than most consumers realise - you will be notified directly.

And if you own one of the affected cars, please let us know how the recall process worked - email [email protected]. 

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