Ford has been asked by the Chinese General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) to recall 220,000 sport utility vehicles (SUVs) due to potential fuel leaks. The recall affects the Kuga SUVs produced at the Changan Ford Automotive joint venture in China between 2012 and 2014, reports Reuters.
Significance: Ford has begun to witness falling sales in China and is losing market share to other original equipment manufacturers—local Chinese automakers are in fact gaining market share in fast growth segments such as the SUV segment. The number of Kuga SUVs recalled in China relates to the total number of units produced in the country, IHS Automotive production data shows. Production of the Kuga started at the tail end of 2012, with just 277 units produced that year, rising to 97,404 units in 2013 and a further 138,396 units in 2014, bringing the total number of Kuga SUVs produced in China to 236,072 units. According to the AQSIQ the Kuga SUVs' fuel tubes could rub against other components and, over time, rupture due to the friction, potentially causing a fuel leak. Ford Kuga SUVs are also assembled in Taiwan with the Lio Ho Group where a further 8,392 units have been produced in the 2013–14 period.
