This is how much you’d lose if you sold your Ford Kuga now

With the combustion issues surrounding the Ford Kuga, its owners can expect to sell their vehicle for more than 40% off the car’s book price, according to reports.

Two forensic reports based on an inspection of the vehicles in January last year revealed that the fire was apparently caused by an electrical fault behind the dashboard on the passenger side of the vehicle.

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According to reports by The Times, as many as 23 Kugas have caught fire last year. Some of the affected owners are considering a class action lawsuit‚ including the family of a man who died after being trapped inside his burning vehicle.

Democratic Alliance provincial leader Zwakele Mncwango witnessed a Ford Kuga bursting into flames in December last year and posted photographs of the smouldering wreckage after calling the fire department.

“Wonderful work by eThekwini Fire Emergency team‚ they were able to be on site in few mins after receiving a call. The owner of the car is safe but the car is beyond repairs‚” he wrote on Facebook.

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However, Ford has expressed reluctance to recall the vehicles, stating that there currently isn’t enough evidence to initiate a recall.

In one incident, Kuga owner Doris Tshabalala admitted that she was “laughed out the door” when making inquiries at local motor dealerships.

One brave dealer eventually offered R120 000 for the vehicle, which is about 40% less than the car’s book value of R199 335 with 57 000 km travelled, according to the TransUnion Vehicle Trade Value Book.

Another Kuga owner, Fiona Pelman, said she faced similar issues when trying to sell the vehicle, with R160 000 the most being offered for her. Meanwhile, Maureen Naude of Centurion said the best price she was offered from a Ford dealership was R115 000.

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The AA has urged buyers to research their second-hand purchases thoroughly, including having the specific vehicle they are purchasing mechanically checked, as well as double-checking any issues that may exist with a specific model’s range.

“Obviously negativity about a car will impact resale values. Perception is huge, and will affect sales – and if people believe that there is something specific occurring on a particular model’s range, then that may possibly also affect resales,” said AA spokesperson Layton Beard.