Ford recalls 26,000 plug-in hybrid SUVs but warns fix isn’t ready and tells owners NOT to charge due to battery fire risk

Ford has issued a safety recall for its popular Kuga plug-in hybrid family car amid concerns the battery could short circuit – but the company says a fix to resolve the potential issue is not yet available.

The US auto giant has warned owners not to charge their cars until the problem has been remedied, which means drivers will lose out of the major cost-saving – and emissions-cutting – benefit of owning a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV).

In letters sent to over 26,000 affected owners of the Kuga PHEV, which has been on sale since April 2020, the company said: ‘Ford engineers are developing new software to remedy this potential condition,’ which it says could trigger battery thermal venting, ‘potentially resulting in a vehicle fire, increasing the risk of injury’.

It added: ‘In the meantime, please DO NOT PLUG YOUR VEHICLES IN TO CHARGE THE HIGH VOLTAGE BATTERY and use the drive mode “Auto EV” only.

‘This will prevent the potential issue from occurring while charging or driving.’

Owners have been told they will receive another letter in due course when a solution has been developed – though reports suggest this won’t be for a matter of months.

Ford has issued a safety recall on its Kuga PHEV over concerns the battery should short circuit and set on fire

The issue affects every current-generation Kuga PHEV with a 2.5-litre petrol engine, of which there are 26,328 on the road today.

A Ford spokesman told This is Money it will not have the fix ready until sometime in the second quarter of the year, meaning drivers might be unable to charge their PHEVs until June.

‘Ford constantly monitors production processes and vehicles in service,’ it said in the safety recall notices sent out to owners last month.

The letter, which has been seen by This is Money, features a border of red chevrons to showcase the seriousness of the warning.

‘While monitoring vehicles in operation, we have become aware of a number of Kuga PHEV vehicles on which the high voltage battery may have some cells that could potentially develop an internal short circuit,’ it says.

‘In the event of a high voltage battery cell internal short circuit, you will experience a Stop Safely Now message and warning icon in the instrument cluster.

‘You may also experience a loss of motive power, increasing the risk of an accident.

‘You will continue to have 12-volt (V) accessories, steering, and brake control.

‘You may also experience battery thermal venting potentially resulting in a vehicle fire, increasing the risk of injury.’ 

Thermal venting is a safety feature of battery packs designed to manage and release gases generated within the battery cells, particularly under abnormal conditions such as overcharging, overheating, or short-circuiting. 

The US auto giant has warned owners not to charge their cars until the problem has been remedied

While the remedy for the issue will be a software update, this cannot be installed via an over-the-air update, meaning owners will need to take their cars to their nearest Ford dealer.

‘The software update will enhance the capability of the Battery Energy Control Module to detect cell anomalies indicative of separator damage, providing advance warning to owners of a high-voltage battery issue before thermal venting occurs,’ Ford told us.

The remedy will be free of charge but Ford says it currently has no plans to compensate customers for not being able to use electric power and instead rely on the less economical petrol engine. 

‘If customers require further advice, they should contact our Customer Contact Centre who are ready to assist. We remain committed to providing our customers with safe and high-quality vehicles, addressing potential issues and responding quickly,’ the spokesperson told us.

The safety recall notice went on:  ‘When the remedy is available, Ford will send a letter to inform you to contact your Ford dealer as soon as practicable to schedule an appointment for a software update.

‘Ford has not issued instructions to stop driving your vehicle.

Ford’s recall letter to owners warned: ‘You may experience battery thermal venting potentially resulting in a vehicle fire, increasing the risk of injury’

‘Until a remedy is available, and if you experience a Stop Safely Now message in your vehicle’s instrument cluster, please do follow the advice and exit the vehicle as soon as it can be brought to a safe stop.’ 

The spokesperson added: We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may cause to our customers.’

They also confirmed that Ford has put a hold on deliveries of new models until they have also received the software update. 

Ford’s current Transit PHEV van also uses the same drivetrain as the Kuga, though Ford has confirmed that the issue only impacts the popular family SUV.

And this isn’t the first recall to afflict the Kuga. 

While not directly associated with this new issue, Ford was forced to recall the Kuga PHEV back in August 2020 – just four months from it entering UK showrooms – after seven had caught fire while charging.

Ford said the fires were likely started because of the proximity of the fuel tank to the car’s batteries which overheated.

In November 2020, Ford then confirmed it would need to replace the faulty battery units for every model impacted.

It said ‘cell contamination in the drive battery system’ was the cause of the issue, and as a result the battery packs for all models would need to be replaced.

The Ford Kuga PHEV has been available in the UK since April 2020

The latest recall notice comes just weeks after it was revealed that nearly three quarters of cars called back on safety or mechanical grounds have not been fixed – and if owners cause a crash due to an unresolved issue, they could be held liable.

A review of UK vehicle history reports from January 2023 to September 2024 by specialist CarVertical found that only 28 per cent of recalled vehicles in the UK had the defects addressed.

Many of these recalls involve critical safety components fitted at the time of manufacture, such as airbags, brakes, and electrical systems.

While many of these factory defects are minor, some can pose major threats, making it inadvisable to drive the vehicle – and could invalidate insurance claims if drivers have an accident after the manufacturer issued the call back.

Recalls, especially in the UK, are serious business.

That’s because the DVSA only forces the hand of car makers to issue a recall if there are safety concerns.

Any non-safety-related faults can also lead to voluntary recalls by auto makers, though it is up to the manufacturers discretion to do so.

The severity of a recall can vary, ranging from adjustments in maintenance schedules to ‘Stop Drive’ orders where a vehicle must not be driven until repairs are made.

And they can be very costly for car companies.

BMW Group’s most recent recall to resolve an internal braking system fault in around 1.5 million of its cars worldwide – including Mini and Rolls-Royce models – was estimated to cost $1billion to make the necessary fixes.

In a recent report by Auto Express, the German car giant was found to have issued almost 640 recalls in the UK in 2024 – the most across all manufacturers.