Family terrified as recalled car catches fire
An Auckland couple and their toddler are ‘‘traumatised’’ after the car they thought that been made safe erupted in flames on an Auckland motorway.
On Wednesday night, Stuart and Renee Hartley were travelling in their 2013 Ford Kuga on the Northwestern Motorway when its engine died.
Seconds later, with 3-year-old Joshua and mum Renee in the back seat together, the SUV filled with smoke and caught alight, Stuart Hartley said.
‘‘I had to pull my three-year-old out of a burning vehicle ... It was terrifying. Luckily the first person to pull over was an off-duty fireman,’’ he said.
Unhurt but upset, Hartley and HIS family are now demanding answers about why the recall of their near-$38,000 car didn’t prevent it catching fire.
In March, Ford New Zealand issued a car recall involving 911 Kuga SUVs (2012 to 2014 models).
Hartley is adamant neither Ford New Zealand nor the John Andrew Ford dealership ever contacted him asking him to bring in his Kuga.
Hartley discovered the potentially deadly Kuga issue in March after reading a Stuff article reporting the recall.
He said he repeatedly called the dealership to book the car in for checks. In April, Hartley received an ‘‘interim’’ recall fix for his Kuga from John Andrew Ford. A coolant bottle and cap was replaced and an engine coolant line was re-routed. Hartley drove away from the dealership believing his car was safe to drive.
John Andrew Ford referred all questions to Ford New Zealand.
Ford spokesman Tom Clancy said the company has requested access to the Hartleys’ Kuga to investigate and determine the fire’s root cause.
When asked if Ford was concerned the interim recall fix may not have prevented the Hartley’s Kuga catching fire, Clancy said the ‘‘interim action’’ was ‘‘designed to reduce the risk of a cooling-system failure’’.
A ‘‘stage two’’ fix in late 2017 would involve installing a coolant level sensor system and wiring harness and updating dashboard software, he said.
Clancy said Ford sent a recall advisory to the Hartley’s recorded address on April 12.