Ford South Africa issues safety recall for Ranger, Everest, EcoSport and Puma models

Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa (FMCSA) has announced a recall campaign that affects more than 5,000 vehicles in South Africa, spread across the Ranger, Everest, EcoSport and Puma line-ups. 

The recalls are not related, as they involve separate components on each of the vehicle lines.

In the case of the Ford Ranger and Everest, only the 3.0-litre turbodiesel V6 models are affected.

Ford SA says that certain vehicles built between June 2022 and March 2025 may experience a camshaft sprocket fracture, causing the engine to stall without warning. Although Ford has not instructed owners to refrain from driving their vehicles, they have been warned that a sudden stall could result in an accident.

A total of 571 Ford Ranger and 479 Everest vehicles are affected by the recall, with a handful of these also located in neighbouring countries such as Botswana, Namibia and Swaziland.

A separate recall campaign involves Ford EcoSport models built between April 2021 and July 2022.

FMCSA says that in some of these vehicles the front half shafts may not have been fully inserted into the transmission during assembly. 

Should the half shaft disengage from the transmission while driving, the vehicle could lose power. There is also a risk of the vehicle rolling away while stationary, with ‘Park’ engaged, and if the parking brake is not applied.

The EcoSport recall affects 2,872 vehicles in Southern Africa, including 25 in Botswana and 41 in Namibia.

Finally, Ford Puma models built in the period up to September 2024 are at risk of a fire due to potential fuel line damage.

According to FMCSA, the fuel line may rub against a bracket, damaging the fuel line, which could lead to a fuel leak. This could result in an engine stall, or if there is a source of ignition nearby, a fire. Potential signs of a fuel leak include the obvious fuel smell, as well as smoke rising from a hot surface or the visible presence of a leak beneath the vehicle.

In all three recall cases, FMCSA is advising affected customers to contact their preferred dealer to schedule an appointment. The dealer will then inspect the vehicle and carry out any necessary repairs at no charge to the customer.

Ford owners can also check if their vehicle is affected on the Ford SA recall website, by entering their VIN number in the search bar.

Those with further queries can contact Ford’s relationship resolution centre at 0860 011 022, or +2712 843 5824 in the case of international callers.

IOL Motoring