Ford Kuga PHEV fire risk warning in Ireland as software fix due within two weeks

In a statement on Tuesday, Ford Ireland said software update would be available 'within 10 to 15 days'.

Drivers of Ford Kuga plug-in hybrids in Ireland have been warned to continue to avoid charging its battery over a potential fire risk.

However, a fix to the cars’ software is set to be rolled out in the next fortnight, Ford has said.

Since March, owners of the Ford Kuga have been told by the carkmaker of the risk the high-voltage battery in the car could “short circuit” on the road, which could potentially result in a fire.

At the time, Ford said its engineers were developing “new software” to remedy the issue, but told owners to avoid charging the battery until then and instead use the “auto EV” mode when driving the car only, which sees it operate as a petrol-powered vehicle.

In an update from the carkmaker on Tuesday, it said only a “small” number of vehicles worldwide had reported the kind of “thermal venting” that can lead to fire as a result of this short-circuiting issue.

“Zero issues have been reported in Ireland,” its managing director for Britain and Ireland Lisa Brankin said. She said the company was “really sorry” for the issue.

“Our engineers are working closely with the supplier of the affected part, and are putting all of their resources into perfecting a software update to remedy the issues,” she said.

“This software update will be available within 10-15 days and 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.”

She said, in the event of an anomaly detection, dealerships would replace the vehicle’s high-voltage battery pack.

“If customers have any concerns about their Kuga PHEV, they can contact their local dealership for reassurance, and to book in for a complimentary 'Kuga PHEV Check-Up' to reassure them the vehicle is safe and road-worthy when in Auto EV mode,” she said.

However, this “check up” is not designed to be a battery safety check, and drivers should not charge the battery and still drive in “auto EV mode”.

The company is also extending its warranty for affected vehicles' high-voltage components to 10 years/240,000km — whichever comes first.

The Ford Kuga hybrid model typically retails for about €45,000 when new. Last month, the Irish Times reported drivers were launching legal actions against Ford over the issues.