Ford is warning Ford Kuga plug-in hybrid owners in Ireland not to charge their vehicles until a software update is ready to fix technical issues with the battery in some cars.
The company says issues with battery thermal venting have been reported in a “small number of vehicles” worldwide with no reported issues in Ireland.
The warning follows a safety recall notice issued in March that alerted Kuga owners to a problem with the battery that could potentially lead to a fire.
Ford said there are 2,850 vehicles potentially affected by the issue in Ireland that require the software upgrade.
In a statement, Ford said its engineers are working on a software update to remedy the issue, which is expected to be ready in 10-15 days.
In the meantime, Kuga drivers are advised to drive in “Auto EV” mode only and not to charge their cars.
Ford said the software update “will give the Battery Energy Control Module enhanced capability to detect cell anomalies indicative of separator damage, providing advance warning to owners of a high-voltage battery issue before thermal venting occurs”.
It added that in the event of an issue detected in Ford Kuga models here “dealers will replace the vehicle’s high voltage battery pack”.
Irish Ford dealers are offering free “Kuga PHEV Check-Ups” for concerned customers, however, this check is not an EV battery safety check, and drivers will still have to run their cars in Auto EV mode until the software has been upgraded.
Ford is also extending the warranty for high-voltage components to 10 years or 240,000km (whatever comes first).
