Ford's bosses in no-show at Kuga's fires inquiry

Ford's attempt to send junior staff to answer to allegations that a critical safety flaw was behind spontaneous fires on its Kuga has been shot down by the National Consumer Commission.

The company's senior executives were yesterday due to appear before an inquiry in Pretoria. But at the last minute the company notified the commission that its senior executives were not available.

Last week The Times exposed how at least 23 Kugas had caught fire this year. Two 2014 Kuga models burnt last week.

In December last year Reshall Jimmy, 33, was burnt alive in his 2014 Kuga while on holiday in the Wilderness in Western Cape.

The fire was caused, according to the police and an independent fire investigator, by an electrical fault.

The exposé led to the commission summoning Ford's senior executives to appear before it.

The meeting however was postponed.

John Gardiner, Ford's Europe director of news operations, said in an e-mail: "... Ford is committed to working with the National Consumer Commission ... A meeting will be taking place this week ... There is nothing further we can add at this time."

In an SMS, commission spokesman Trevor Hattingh said: "The company made a request for a postponement because the executives needed for the meeting are not available.

"We were not interested [in speaking] to junior people ... They will advise on the date."

Ford is also expected to meet vehicle ombudsman Johan van Vreden on Thursday.

Van Vreden said he had already spoken to Ford's executives.

"They wanted to know what my earlier angry reaction to the allegations was about. I told them I was alarmed that the company had yet to notify me about the fires, despite there being a death."

He said he would discuss the complaints he had received.

"The meeting will be to establish if there were any defective parts that were responsible for the fires, and where these parts were manufactured.

"If forensic investigation reports show a problem with any parts then Ford will have to take action. They cannot escape this."

Jimmy's brother, Kaveen, said the family was not surprised by Ford's delaying tactics.

He said the family's concern, aside from its inability to find closure, was that the longer Ford took to recall the Kuga, the more other owners were at risk of similar tragedy.