Latest news with #Kuga
North Wales Live
17-07-2025
- North Wales Live
Knifeman threatened to cut off victim's face after pub car park row
A knifeman threatened to cut a man's face off in a North Wales pub. Martin Pritchard targeted his victim after an incident in a car park involving Pritchard's sister. A judge today jailed Pritchard, 43, of Scott Close, Marchwiel, for 16 months for threatening a person with a knife in a public place. Caernarfon Crown Court heard the offence took place at The Black Lion Inn in Bersham, Wrexham on July 13 last year. Prosecutor Ryan Rothwell said the complainant Mark Robertson heard a commotion outside the Black Lion Inn at 8pm. He saw a Ford Kuga - with the driver who appeared to be intoxicated - and a stationary Range Rover in the car park. You can sign up for all the latest court stories here The keys were taken off the Kuga's female driver. Twenty minutes later the defendant Pritchard came into the pub and demanded the keys back, the court heard. The Kuga driver was Pritchard's sister. Mr Robertson asked Pritchard to leave but Pritchard initially refused. As he eventually left, Pritchard took out a knife and told Mr Robertson: "If you speak to me like that (again) I'll cut your f****** face off." He also said he would "slice" him, said the prosecutor Mr Rothwell. Police were called and officers found a Stanley knife believed to have belonged to Pritchard. Pritchard himself was arrested the following day. Richard Edwards, defending, said the defendant had been working at a nearby site so that was why he had the knife. He added: "The defendant had been trying to help his sister out when she bumped into another car in the car park. "That was nothing to do with the defendant but he was trying to resolve (it). He did feel a little aggrieved at the way he perceived the (pub) staff were treating him." But Mr Edwards accepted that Pritchard "did not deal with the situation properly". The court heard the father-of-three is a self-employed builder with nine full-time staff, 20 part-time staff and four apprentices. District Judge Gwyn Jones said whether to sent the defendant to jail immediately or not was a finely-balanced exercise. He has family and work responsibilities but the offence happened in a pub with children present and he has a poor record. Jailing him he said he will probably serve 40 per cent or 50 per cent of the sentence. He also made a restraining order prohibiting him from contacting Mr Robertson and from entering the Black Lion for five years.
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Ford to recall 687,000 SUVs in U.S. for possible engine fires, will cost it $570 million
Ford Motor Co., which leads all automakers in the number of recalls it has issued this year, put out a new recall this week and said the company will take a $570 million charge to its second-quarter earnings because of it. The Dearborn-based automaker is recalling 694,271 SUVs in the United States and its territories due to a problem with fuel leaks that could heighten the risk of the vehicle catching on fire, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a July 14 filing, following a yearlong investigation. In the United States alone, the recall affects about 687,000 vehicles, Ford spokesman Mike Levine said. In the United States, the recall covers certain 2021–24 model year Bronco Sport and 2020–22 model year Escape SUVs with 1.5-liter engines. The NHTSA estimates that 0.3% of recalled vehicles may have the defect. According to the NHTSA filing, fuel injectors in the impacted vehicles may crack, causing fuel to leak into the engine compartment and possibly ignite. It said vehicle occupants may notice a strong fuel smell inside or outside the vehicle, instrument panel warnings, smoke, or visible flames. Levine said the automaker is not aware of any injuries related to this issue. He added that about 858,000 2021-24 Bronco Sport, 2020-22 Escape and 2019-24 Kuga vehicles globally, that includes the United States and its territories, are part of the recall. Ford's struggle with quality Ford primarily builds its Escape at its Louisville Assembly Plant in Louisville, Kentucky. It builds the Bronco Sport in its plant in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. This is Ford's 88th vehicle recall filed with the NHTSA since January of this year, topping all other automakers in the number of recalls filed. Ford has struggled with its quality for the past several years, in fact, it has been near the top or led in recall filings since 2020, according to NHTSA data. When Jim Farley was appointed as Ford CEO in October 2020, he listed fixing quality and lowering warranty costs as a top priority. So far, he has paid for not achieving it. His compensation fell by $1.6 million to $24.9 million in 2024 compared with 2023 because he failed to hit company-set quality improvement targets. Meanwhile, in November 2024, Ford agreed to pay the second highest civil penality in the NHTSA history as part of a three-year consent order. The fine is up to $165 million, topped only by the Takata air bag consent order. A NHTSA investigation that started in 2021 found that Ford did not recall vehicles with defective rearview cameras in a timely manner. It also said Ford failed to give accurate and complete recall information in line with the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act requirements. Some safety advocates say the consent order, which requires Ford to meet various safety mandates, is partly driving the number of Ford recalls higher in recent months. The NHTSA can impose civil penalties for violation of federal safety laws — Volvo, for example, agreed in 2023 to pay $65 million for problems related to recalls. But such large fines against carmakers have been generally rare. In a government filing on July 16, Ford said of the latest recall: "We estimate the aggregate cost of the action, based on the remedy options we are evaluating, to be about $570 million and will be reflected in our second quarter 2025 results." Ford is expected to report its second-quarter earnings after the market closes on July 30. Many analysts expect Ford to report earnings lower than the year-ago period. Dan Ives, managing director and senior equities analyst at Wedbush Securities called the July 16 recall, "another headwind for Ford and speaks to the constant challenges ahead." Ford said in its government filing, "Consistent with our corporate policy, which considers the magnitude of individual field service actions, the expense will be treated as a special item. Accordingly, it will not impact our total Company adjusted (earnings before interest and taxes), adjusted earnings per share, or adjusted free cash flow." More: Ford's latest sale may be just the start in a summer of car-buying deals, experts say Eight vehicles had underhood fires This recall expands on previous recalls from 2022 and 2024, which affected about 42,000 vehicles at the time. The recall provided software updates but did not replace the potentially faulty injectors, according to a Reuters report. The report said an internal committee had recommended a software update and a drain tube to redirect fuel away from ignition sources. But in 2024, the NHTSA opened a recall query to study Ford's solution and found that the proposed remedy did not fix the root cause of the problem. "After reassessment, Ford reported this month that it found cracked fuel injectors in eight vehicles that experienced underhood fires, despite having undergone repairs," according to Reuters. "Six of these vehicles did not have the updated engine software the company previously recommended." According to NHTSA's report, Italy-based Dumarey Flowmotion Technologies supplied the fuel injectors in the 687,000 vehicles being recalled. In a statement to the Detroit Free Press, Ford's Levine said the automaker is not aware of any injuries from "underhood fires related to cracked fuel injectors." He confirmed that Ford had two earlier recalls for similar issues and this new recall supersedes the prior recalls. "This safety recall ... will include a new remedy for this issue, which is currently under development and expects to be finalized in the near future," Levine told the Free Press. "The recall includes an interim software update, which will help detect cracked injectors and mitigate fire risk." More: Used cars under $20K have almost vanished from the market: Here's what's behind the surge He said the automaker is recalling an additional number of vehicles produced with these injectors that were not previously recalled, Levine said. That's because those are the vehicles that might result in a leak that produces the fuel smell and cause "drivability symptoms, instrument cluster warnings, or smoke and flames emanating from the engine compartment or underbody." The NHTSA filing said dealers will update the engine control software free of charge until a mechanical repair is determined. Letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed Aug. 18 and second letters will be sent once the remedy is available. In the meantime, vehicle owners may contact Ford customer service at 866-436-7332 and provide Ford recall number 25S76 for more information. (This story has been updated to include new information.) Jamie L. LaReau is the senior autos writer who covers Ford Motor Co. for the Detroit Free Press. Contact Jamie at jlareau@ Follow her on Twitter @jlareauan. To sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ford recalls SUVs for possible engine fires, will cost $570 million
Irish Daily Mirror
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- Irish Daily Mirror
Irish Ford Kuga owners issued with urgent fire defect warning
Ford is set to implement early warning software to over 2,500 Kuga models across Ireland, following a defect which could cause some plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models to short-circuit and catch fire while on the move. The US carmaker issued a recall notice in March, affecting thousands of motorists. While no Irish incidents have been reported, the early warning software is expected to be available here in at least ten days - until then, Kuga drivers are instructed to refrain from charging their cars, and to drive only in 'Auto EV' mode to avoid further short-circuits. If a short-circuit occurs while driving, owners will be shown a 'Stop Safely Now' message and a warning light in the instrument cluster. A loss of power might also be experienced, although other electronic controls will remain operational, as well as the steering and brakes. 'To all of our affected customers, we're really sorry that an issue has occurred with the Ford Kuga PHEV battery," said managing director of Ford UK and Ireland Lisa Brankin. "Our engineers are working closely with the supplier of the affected part, and are putting all of their resources into perfecting a software update to remedy the issue." Brankin describes the software fix as giving the car's battery energy control module "enhanced capability to detect cell anomalies indicative of separator damage, providing advance warning to owners of a high-voltage battery issue before thermal venting occurs." "In the event of anomaly detection, dealers will replace the vehicle's high voltage battery pack." Currently, Ford dealers in Ireland are offering complimentary "Kuga PHEV Check-Ups" until the software updates are rolled out. The check-up consists of a 29-point inspection including wheels, tyres, brakes and wheel bearings, steering and a Ford Video Check - a video report of the car's inspection sent to the owner's phone. In addition, Ford has extended the warranty on all high-voltage Kuga parts to ten years or 240,000 kilometres for all affected PHEV models. "Resolving this issue speedily and expertly is our priority, and while our engineering and software team fully focuses on that we will continue to monitor vehicles in operation," said Brankin. "Only a very small number of vehicles on the road worldwide have reported an issue with battery thermal venting with zero reported issues in Ireland." Only the latest third-generation Kuga is affected by these issues. The model suffered another unrelated recall shortly after going on sale in 2020, after seven models caught fire while charging. The fourth-generation Ford Focus is based on the same platform as the Kuga, but is thought to be unaffected. Customers with further concerns are asked to contact Ford's Customer Relationship team on 1800 771 199, between the hours of 09:00 and 17:00, Monday to Friday.
RTÉ News
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- RTÉ News
Ford issues update on potential fire risk with Kuga models
Ford has issued an update to almost 3,000 Irish owners of Kuga plug-in models, who have been affected by a potential fire risk with their cars. In March, Ford issued a safety recall notice alerting owners to a problem with the battery that could potentially lead to a fire and advised them to drive in auto EV mode and avoid charging the battery. This morning, Ford issued an update for customers saying the company was between 10 and 15 days away from issuing a software fix that would alert drivers to any potential problem with the battery. So far, no incidents have been reported by the 2,850 Irish owners of Kuga cars. However, the company is still advising them not to charge the battery and to keep the car in auto EV mode after a "small number" of incidents were reported worldwide. Lisa Brankin, Chair and Managing Director of Ford of Britain and Ireland, has apologised to owners and said Ford engineers and the suppliers of the affected part were putting all their resources into perfecting the software update to remedy the issue. The update would be available within 10 to 15 days, she said. In the event of what the company calls indications of "thermal separation", the high-voltage battery pack would be replaced by Ford. "Until the software update has been installed by your Ford dealer, we ask all Kuga PHEV drivers to use their cars in 'Auto EV' mode and avoid charging until the software update is complete. We are committed to resolving this issue as quickly as possible for our customers, and thank you for your patience and trust in us. "Resolving this issue speedily and expertly is our priority, and while our engineering and software teams fully focus on that, we will continue to monitor vehicles in operation. Only a very small number of vehicles on the road worldwide have reported an issue with battery thermal venting, with zero reported issues in Ireland", Ms Brankin said in a statement this morning. "If customers have any concerns about their Kuga PHEV, they can contact their local dealership for reassurance and to book in for a complimentary Kuga PHEV Check-Up to reassure them that the vehicle is safe and roadworthy when in Auto EV mode. "We are also extending the warranty for high voltage components to 10 years / 240,000km (whatever comes first), covering the high voltage battery, for all affected Kuga PHEVs in Europe. "If customers require further assistance or would like to discuss how they are being affected by this recall notification, they can contact the Customer Relationship team on 1800 771 199 between 09:00 and 17:00, Monday to Friday, to speak to a person who can advise them." However, the visual "health check" is not designed to be an EV battery safety check, and drivers will still have to run their cars in petrol mode until the software fix has been implemented. At that point, owners will know whether there is a risk to their car.
RTÉ News
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- RTÉ News
Ford warning Kuga owners not to charge their cars until software fix is ready
Ford is warning Ford Kuga plug-in hybrid owners in Ireland not to charge their vehicles until a software update is ready to fix technical issues with the battery in some cars. The company says issues with battery thermal venting have been reported in a "small number of vehicles" worldwide with no reported issues in Ireland. In a statement, Ford said its engineers are working on a software update to remedy the issue, which is expected to be ready in 10-15 days. In the meantime, Kuga drivers are advised to drive in "Auto EV" mode only and not to charge their cars. Ford said the software update "will give the Battery Energy Control Module enhanced capability to detect cell anomalies indicative of separator damage, providing advance warning to owners of a high-voltage battery issue before thermal venting occurs". It added that in the event of an issue detected in Ford Kuga models here "dealers will replace the vehicle's high voltage battery pack". Irish Ford dealers are offering free "Kuga PHEV Check-Ups" for concerned customers, while Ford said it is extending the warranty for high-voltage components to 10 years or 240,000km (whatever comes first).
