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Ford Kuga owners are desperate to trade in their vehicles in fear of an engine combustion. Dealerships, however, are turning them away.
To date, there have been 51 reported cases of self-combustion of the Ford Kuga EcoBoost 1.6 litre, due to an engine issue.
Naturally, many Ford Kuga owners have attempted to trade-in their vehicles. But, they are finding it difficult as car dealerships either undervalue or turn them away. 
Tshabalala's 2014 Ford Kuga Ecoboost 1.6 litre Ambiente has roughly 57 000km on the odometer. According to the TransUnion Vehicle Trade Value Book, her car retails at R199 335. She said the highest she has been offered is R120 000.
Praneet Khandoo, an East London Kuga owner tried to do a trade-in of his vehicle, but was told by Eastern Cape Motors that he would, "get nothing for it".
Reservoir Hills resident Nivesh Sewpersadh’s Kuga was damaged by fire despite being inspected at a Ford dealership.
Fiona Pelma said the best she could get for her 2014 Kuga was R160 000.
Centurion resident, Maureen Naude, said the best her dealership offered her was R115 000.
The Recent Recall
Ford issued a safety recall of Kugas with a 1.6litre EcoBoost engine, manufactured between December 2012 and February 2014 last week. The recall will affect 4556 Kuga 1.6l EcoBoost models. The Ford Kuga was not recalled despite incidents occurring as early as January 2015 when Reshall Jimmy lost his life after being trapped inside his burning Ford Kuga. Insurance companies have said they alerted Ford more than a year ago. But, the maintenance recall only happened when the National Consumer Commission stepped in and gave Ford an ultimatum if they did not comply.“One incident is one too many and this issue has dragged on for too long. No brand is above the law,“ commissioner Ebrahim Mohamed said at last week's press conference when the recall was announced. “The NCC has concerns for the users of the Kuga and the various life-threatening incidents. A product which poses risks to consumers doesn’t have a place in our marketplace,” he said. The spokesperson for Automobile Association, Layton Beard said, "Obviously, negativity about a car will impact resale values. Perception is huge and will affect sales. If people believe that there is something specific occurring on a particular model's range, that may also possibly affect resales."Many disgruntled car owners have criticised Ford for their poor public relations and have said it would take them years to repair the damage they have caused by their slow response.
"It's terrible. I am so scared that my car us a ticking time bomb," said Doris Tshabalala. "I love it and we bought it as our family car. When I started making enquiries at different motor dealerships, I was laughed at." CLICK BELOW to compare car insurance across a variety of providers and stand to save 30% on your monthly premium.
Ford Kugas Devalued
Tshabalala's 2014 Ford Kuga Ecoboost 1.6 litre Ambiente has roughly 57 000km on the odometer. According to the TransUnion Vehicle Trade Value Book, her car retails at R199 335. She said the highest she has been offered is R120 000.
Praneet Khandoo, an East London Kuga owner tried to do a trade-in of his vehicle, but was told by Eastern Cape Motors that he would, "get nothing for it".
Reservoir Hills resident Nivesh Sewpersadh’s Kuga was damaged by fire despite being inspected at a Ford dealership.
Fiona Pelma said the best she could get for her 2014 Kuga was R160 000.
Centurion resident, Maureen Naude, said the best her dealership offered her was R115 000.
"They wouldn't say why. They said that it was the price they came to after evaluation. After I asked them what had knocked down the price, they said it was several things, but wouldn't elaborate."