Ford Kuga plug-in hybrid recall warns owners not to charge their cars

Ford has issued a recall to Kuga plug-in hybrid drivers stating the car’s battery could short circuit. The firm has warned owners to not charge the car battery until a fix has been issued, recommending that they use their cars in ‘Auto EV’ mode to run on petrol power. 

The issue affects every current-generation Ford Kuga plug-in hybrid with the 2.5-litre petrol engine. This same system is used in the Ford Transit PHEV van, but Ford has confirmed the charging issue only applies to the Kuga. In the event of a short circuit of the Kuga’s plug-in hybrid battery, Ford says drivers will receive a ‘Stop Safely Now’ message on the dash and a warning light on the driver’s display. Steering and braking will be unaffected, but if the issue occurs while driving, the drivetrain may lose power.  

Ford says its engineers are working on a fix and owners can expect this to be offered sometime in Q2 this year - letters will be sent to owners when it’s available. The fix will be a software-based one, though owners will be told to take their cars to a dealer as it’s not possible to install via an over-the-air update. 

The remedy for the plug-in hybrid issue will be sorted free of charge, but Ford has said there are no plans for compensation for owners until then. Speaking to Auto Express, a representative from Ford said, ‘Customers can always contact a customer relationship service if they have any further questions’.

This isn’t the first recall to afflict the Kuga. While not directly associated with this new issue, the Kuga plug-in hybrid experienced a recall in August 2020 due to battery safety concerns. In certain cases owners reported faulty batteries overheating when charging and this very occasionally resulted in fires. 

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