Ford has issued an urgent recall for more than 26,000 Kuga Plug-in Hybrid SUVs due to a serious fire risk — but has told owners that a fix is still months away and warned them not to charge their vehicles in the meantime.

The US carmaker confirmed that a defect in the high-voltage battery could lead to thermal venting and potentially cause a vehicle fire, posing a significant risk of injury. The recall affects all current-generation Kuga PHEV models equipped with a 2.5-litre petrol engine, first launched in April 2020.

In a letter sent to affected owners, Ford said:

“Ford engineers are developing new software to remedy this potential condition.”
Until that remedy is ready, it instructed customers:
“DO NOT PLUG YOUR VEHICLES IN TO CHARGE THE HIGH VOLTAGE BATTERY and use the drive mode ‘Auto EV’ only.”

The software fix, designed to detect early signs of battery cell damage, won’t be available until the second quarter of 2025 — potentially not before June. In the meantime, drivers will be forced to rely solely on petrol power, sacrificing the main cost-saving and emissions-reducing benefits of plug-in hybrid ownership.

Ford Urges Caution, But No ‘Stop Drive’ Order Issued

Despite the risks, Ford has not issued an instruction to stop driving the vehicles. However, drivers are warned that a “Stop Safely Now” message may appear in the instrument cluster if a battery cell develops an internal short circuit. In such cases, drivers are advised to pull over and exit the vehicle safely.

Owners are also being warned of battery thermal venting, which could result in a fire — a risk highlighted prominently in red-bordered recall letters sent out in February.

“You may experience a loss of motive power, increasing the risk of an accident… You may also experience battery thermal venting potentially resulting in a vehicle fire, increasing the risk of injury,” the letter said.

Fix Can’t Be Delivered Over-the-Air

While the fix is a software update to the Battery Energy Control Module, it cannot be performed remotely, meaning affected cars must be taken to a Ford dealership once the update becomes available.

Ford says the remedy will be provided free of charge, but at this stage there are no plans to compensate customers for the temporary loss of electric driving capability.

A spokesperson said:

“We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may cause to our customers… We remain committed to providing safe and high-quality vehicles.”

Deliveries of New Kuga PHEVs Paused

Ford has confirmed it has halted new deliveries of the Kuga PHEV — which starts from £40,555 — until the software patch is installed in those vehicles.

While the Transit PHEV van shares the same powertrain, Ford says the issue is currently isolated to the Kuga SUV.

Kuga PHEV’s History of Battery Issues

This is not the first recall for the Kuga plug-in hybrid. In August 2020, Ford recalled early models after seven vehicles caught fire while charging, prompting a full battery replacement across affected units. That incident was traced to cell contamination in the drive battery system, worsened by the proximity of the fuel tank.

The latest issue, while unrelated to the 2020 fires, raises renewed concerns about the long-term reliability of PHEV battery technology.

Car Recalls on the Rise

The Ford Kuga recall comes amid broader concerns about unresolved vehicle safety issues in the UK. A recent study by CarVertical found that 72% of recalled vehicles in the UK were never repaired, raising questions about consumer awareness and insurance implications.

In 2024, Ford recalled over 67,000 vehicles in the UK — just 3% of all affected cars that year, with BMW topping the list at over 637,000 vehicles recalled.

Industry experts warn that failing to address safety recalls can invalidate insurance policies if defects contribute to an accident.

What Should Kuga Owners Do Now?

Until Ford provides a software fix:

• Do not charge the vehicle.
• Use only ‘Auto EV’ drive mode.
• Watch for warning messages in the dashboard.
• Contact Ford Customer Contact Centre for support or guidance.

Ford says customers will be contacted again when the remedy becomes available. For now, the advice is clear: keep your Kuga off the charger, and stay alert behind the wheel.