KUGA CRISIS
Ford SA reacted badly in a crisis, but it did not have to be that way
Ford required a push to get to the involuntary recall phase and then only after overwhelming negative publicity, writes Owen Skae
In December 2015, Reshall Jimmy burnt to death in his 1.6l EcoBoost Ford Kuga. Since then a recorded 51 Kugas have caught alight across the country, and two more in Swaziland and Botswana. The Jimmy family recently announced they intended to bring a class action suit against Ford. Yet it was more than a year after Jimmy’s death that Ford recalled 4,556 1.6l EcoBoost Kugas in SA and more in other southern African countries. Ford took the decision only after the intervention of the National Consumer Commission. At a joint media briefing, commissioner Ebrahim Mohamed stated that section 60 of the Consumer Protection Act had been invoked to compel Ford into corrective action. When confronted with the possibility of having to decide on a recall, manufacturers can respond in one of four ways: • Denial; • Involuntary recall; • Voluntary recall; and • Super effort. That Ford only acted after the consumer commission got involved suggests that it was in denial. It required a push to at least ...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.