Ford of Europe is recalling 20,500 Kuga plug-in hybrids after seven of the compact SUVs sold in the region caught fire while recharging.
The U.S. automaker is working to fix the problem, which is related to venting heat from the batteries, Jay Ward, a company spokesman, said Tuesday, adding that the issue could take months to resolve.
Ford is allowing European customers to continue driving their plug-in Kugas but has instructed them not to plug their cars into a charger, Ward said. The vehicles can operate in conventional hybrid mode without charging. The company extended vehicle warranties and issued 500-euro gasoline cards to reimburse customers for a loss in fuel economy, Ward said.
The recall could cause Ford to fall short of European emission regulations limiting CO2 output from its vehicles, Matthias Schmidt, an automotive analyst and publisher of the European Electric Car Report, wrote in a tweet Tuesday.
“We are committed to meeting our CO2 obligations this year and in future years, as we always have,” Ward said.
