Owners of the Ford Kuga plug-in hybrid, first introduced in 2019, are starting to pursue legal action against Ford over being left with cars that they cannot plug-in, after an official recall. 

Ford issued an urgent recall on the latest Kuga plug-in hybrid in early March and have told drivers not to charge their vehicles due to a risk of a short-circuit, which can lead to loss of power or fire. The car can be used, but not in fully electric model. The recall notice also advises motorists to exit their car immediately if the "stop safely now" warning light comes on while driving.

Just under 3,000 Irish drivers are affected and Ford says all have been informed. However, the company has also said that engineers are working on a solution that should be available in July. This has angered owners, not just because of potential dangers, but also because loss of the electric mode significantly increases fuel costs. 

One Ford owner has already filed Circuit Court proceedings, saying that the company has failed in providing “an adequate solution to deal with the potentially dangerous and life-threatening issues”. 

Other legal proceeding now seem possible because of the time that it is likely to take before a solution can be rolled out to owners, who may also face delays because of limited dealer capacity.