Ford Kuga TF.I (2013-2014) Questions & Answers

If you can get to a shopping centre the key places can change the battery OR look in the manual for how to get the key fob open, they take a CR2032 button battery (Woolies or Coles) BUT it is a bugger to get it apart, need a small flat screwdriver to prize apart.

Sorry, we have not had that problem so I am not sure what it could be. It depends how many seconds it takes to engage when you put it into Drive. Our cars usually took two seconds to engage. Have you typed that problem into Google or you could try typing that into the USA and UK Ford Kuga owners club websites. It may be already answered or someone will answer it if they have had that problem.

Only if she has lots of dollars for repairs. I bought new $40 k then at only 36000 km needed to spend $10500 for new transmission. Ford nor dealership would fix. Wish I'd never bought it

Many problems with these cars in UK, US, South Africa etc. I have read so many stories that I wish I had read before purchasing. Lesson is do your homework. My car is running ok now but I shouldn't have had to spend $10500 after just 36, 000, KMs. Given others stories I wonder now how long till next problem. Wouldn't recommend.

Wouldn't recommend at all, dealing with same as above gearbox issue and needing whole.replacment

Ps it’s a ford kuga

take it to another mechanic

After the problems I have had with my Ford Kuga, I would NEVER deal with Ford again. Mine has had an engine replacement due to a recall then the stereo blew up. Bought second hand from Victory Ford Tweed Heads - never again..I don't know why the recall wasn't done before it was sold but they only tell you nonsense.

No idea sorry.best talk to your mechanic

did the dealer give you a warranty? what type is it? this seems to me to be an issue with the dealer for selling a car which seems not to be correct on the km reading.. since it is supposed to be only at its 77k reading... this is an issue with the dealer... best to chase the dealer with the issue. it might also help to secure the car history from ford... since it has only done 77lk supposedly.

The best thing you can do is register your complaint with Fair Trading.Its unacceptable if the dealer and manufacturer are passing the buck. I will never buy another Kuga due to the power shift Transimssion issues, all you have to do is Google Focus Kuga Power Shift Transmition faults.

There was a class action last year with affected customer vs Ford, as I sold this heap of crap I didn’t follow what the results were..

Good Luck!

100% the dealers responsibility .

Which dealer did you purchase the car from?

Was it a Ford dealership?

Thank you all for your quick answers. Roy - The dealer gave me a 3 yr mechanical warranty and I am still covered by the statutory warranty. I think that they will be obliged to try to repair the transmission but I suppose what i am really asking is, "Can i get a refund?" According the Australian Consumer Law if a product shows a "major problem" within a reasonable period (i.e. one which if you had known about would have prevented you from buying the product) you should be entitled to either a refund or replacement.

Arthur - Thanks for the advice. If I don't get any further with the dealer or Ford I will definitely lodge a complaint with Fair Trading and also take the dealer to VCAT. Sorry to hear you were similarly effected. All the reviews I read when going to purchase the Kuga were positive. Perhaps I wasn't looking hard enough!

Amanda - I would prefer not to say for now who I bought the car from but they were not a Ford dealership. I think it was a trade in. It was a Ford service centre that diagnosed the problem with the transmission though.

So, does anyone think I have any hope of a refund? Or will the dealer be within their rights to see if they can repair it?

From what I have read about the Kuga transmission faults now it doesn't seem like this is simply a small job. I don't want to get a patch job now and then continue to deal with it for the next few years. Better to just start afresh with a different car!

mate, do you still have the problem with the Kuga transmission? I have been told that there is 'burned fluid' in the transmission of my 2013 Kuga. I'm getting the usual run around from the dealer and Ford Australia - each with blaming the other. I'm about ready to find a legal remedy rather than shell out for a new transmission on a car that would barely be worth 8k.

Hi Matt. Sorry to hear you’ve had similar issues. It’s difficult to know if the problem is fixed. The dealer had a look at it and said there’s nothing wrong with it. They’ve serviced the transmission and now want to give it back. Without a third opinion it’s hard to know for sure. The challenge as I understand it though is that you need to basically take the transmission apart to really assess whether it is stuffed or not. I don’t think either mechanic has done that yet and it will cost me a couple thousand to have that done. Sounds like this is a recurring issue though. Wonder how many others are encountering it? I think Ford knows it’s an issue but don’t want to acknowledge it or they’ll end up in the Focus/Firsta situation again.

Hi I bought 2012 kuga from a dealer in 2013 and have same issue and the dealer is saying same.It's done 79000 As it alredy done 3000km at sale.I was told it will cost me 8000 .Wonder how many more people are going through the same problem.What could be the root cause or is it factory fault which they dont want to admit.

Hi Sony. After having the car serviced and the dealer and Ford saying there was nothing wrong with it we took the car back and drove it for a little while longer. After about a month and another 1000 kms the car finally properly died. We got a transmission fault and RACV said it was undriveable. I cracked it with the dealer and eventually arrived at a deal where we traded the Kuga in for a new car and paid the difference.

I would definitely say that there is a known issue with Kuga transmissions of that era which may also explain why newer models have been rebranded as Ford Trends...? Transmission shouldnt be failing that early and Ford should be replacing them if they are. I definitely wouldn’t recommend a Ford Kuga to anyone I know.

Good luck with it mate!

Hi sorry exactly same problem with my Kuga 2013 model diesel.can you pls tell me the outcome as Ford has declined my warranty blaming that i didn't carry out the 60000km service and i gave at 79000km.

Thanks sony.

Hi all cocerned, As I understand the model you have was fitted with a gearbox that was suitable for general use.If by chance you do not do the mandatory servicing, the transmission will overheat and cause it to slip. Hence the Brown/black or burnt oil colour especially if you are towing. I have a Kuga as well, but have had no problems AS I fitted an oversized Canadian made OIL COOLER. Have serviced and flushed the transmission every 40,000 klms. Vehicle has done 176,000 klms now and still going strong. have had minor problems (electrical, brakes, suspension. ) But the key thing to do in Always do your services on time or just before the due service times. I wish you luck with resolving your problems. Rod

One last thing if towing .....if towing do not labour the trans in overdrive, select lower gear . That one thing will kill a auto trans.....

Sorry stephen, i dont have this issue

Yes mine makes a clunking noise when I brake!

Hmm. Dosent sound good. Sorry I havent had this issue. Not that my kuga gets 2 days rest very often

I don't know if this may have been your problem but if you leave anything plugged in to the 12 volt outlet e.g. a car fridge it remains on. Most cars disable the 12volt outlet when the ignition is off but not the Kuga/Escape.

Our 2014 Kuga Trend 2.0L Diesel has had the same problem, we purchased it new in 2015 (superceded model) it has happened to us approx 9 times, have recently had it back to my dealer, but of course the fault doesn't occur, so if they can't see it they can't fix it! My research has shown that it could very well be the bluetooth not turning off once the vehicle has been stopped/switched off, since turning off the bluetooth I haven't had a discharge of the battery, but it has only been a month since it last happened. I am afraid that unless the solution to the problem jumps out & hits the dealer in the head they are not prepared to investigate any further. My research on a Ford owners site in the UK suggests that this problem has occured on several Ford Kugas in the UK & that Ford UK would be aware of it & probably have a known fix for it, after suggesting to my dealer that maybe getting in touch with Ford UK might be an option I got the impression that it was just a bit too hard, maybe Ford Aust doesn't talk to Ford UK?? My next step is to contact Ford Australia & register the fault with them (warranty runs out soon) & perhaps suggest to them that Ford UK may hold the answer. I trust this has been of some help to you.

Hi Allyson, As I am not sure of the case of petrol ones, as I so used to driving diesel SUV which is fuel efficient and got good torque. Never had this issue. Probably one of the dealer can support you or contact the customer service number in this regards as they might need dealer explanation for the same.

Cheers

Anto

Hi Allyson, Feel for your challenges sadly most cars are so complex that now very hard for the layperson to diagnose so we are at the whim of our dealers...If you have a 1.6 litre Turbo do a search for issues as some had issues due to internal design. It would cost a few hundred but may pay to get independent (NRMA/RACQ etc.) inspection to see if they believe what dealer is saying. If not happy with dealer contact Ford Head Office with documented (time frame of issues and result of work completed by dealer/s) and/or go to another Ford dealer with good reputation. There are also some car sites that give advise (look in weekend papers motoring section or do a search) some will contact Ford on your behalf (if believe have a case). Also keep all correspondence, write in e.g. diary every time have conversation with time/date and persons name etc.) as stated your warranty is out soon so need documentation in case need to go to fair trading as sounds like you may have a case for a product not fit for the purpose designed unless Ford can prove owner neglect like missed servicing etc. Trust this helps :)

So sad to hear. Sorry I can't be of help. I have a 2016 Ford Escape trend and love it immensely. Have had no problems with it. It is petrol and I only put vortex 98 in it.

There is a class action happening at the moment where a large number of Ford customers across the country have filed suit.

You may want to look into this.

Not sure about this car in particular, but a number of cars with smaller engines (1.6ltr etc) can have issues with longer/steeper hills. Particularly if they are carrying the weight of an SUV rather than a small car (fiesta etc). It really could just be a power to weight issue

Hi, we haven't this issue with ours.

Yes I have had A problem with this. When I approached the local dealer about this they told me it was due to me using the wrong cleaning fluids on my vehicle and also the calcium that is in our water. The only cleaning fluids I used on that vehicle up to them was the ones that I bought specifically from the dealership.

I rang one of the local water engineers and he told me it was a load of rubbish that the calcium in the water would not do that to the rubber.

When I complained again to the local dealership and told them what I had been told they sent someone round to clean the rubber with Mr Sheen Which helped return the rubber to the original colour but the white patches have now returned.

I'm having the same problem & Firs head office have admitted its a fault with the Kugas but won't replace it under warranty even though my car is still under full warranty. I'm going to the department of fair trading now because the dealer tells me they have to have approval from head office. The dealer tried to tell me it was an external factor or I wasn't hosing it off properly. I'm using the car wash Ford gave me as well & the manager in the sales department commented on the good condition my 13 year old laser was in when I traded it in so I know it's not from soap being left on it.

If anyone has a Ford Kuga & the rubber around the front windscreen is turning white you need to get your Ford dealer to lodge a report with head office. If there's enough of us that complain the fault gets moved up the list & Ford might then do something about it. At the moment they won't because it's not a safety issue & although they're aware it's a fault they won't admit it's a manufacturing fault so make sure the dealer lodges a report & we might have a chance. I'm not giving up on making them accountable for a fault that they should fix under warranty.

Yes ! I took mine into ford today and they said it was " wax " however i dont wax my car so im pretty sure its a cosmetic defect !!

Get your dealer to lodge a report with head office it's definitely a fault. The more of us that donut the more likely it'll be they do something about it.

Hi - I have had the exact same problem with the windscreen rubber turning white. My Kuga is a 2013 model. Has anyone made any progress with this?

I am currently logging the issue with my dealer.

What do you mean by derating - going into limp mode?

Also, is it the petrol or diesel version?

Hello Andrew, the car is diesel and yes it goes into limp mode.

My car goes into "limp mode" when I do long trips. When I originally bought my ford Kuga I was also looking at buying a petrol CX5. The salesman at the Mazda dealership knew I was looking at the diesel Kuga and told me diesel motors should not be run around town on a regular basis as diesel engines are better suited to long trips at higher speeds. I only ever use my car around town and only do short trips. I very rarely take it on the open road.

When I went back to the Ford dealership before i purchased the vehicle and asked the saleslady if this could be a problem because of my driving patterns, she told me it would not be a problem because the new diesel motors were different to the old diesel motors.

My car has since gone into "limp mode" every time I have taken it on a long trip, which is only about 2 - 3 times a year.The last time I almost had an accident. I went out to overtake a truck and at the same time the car went into "limp mode". When this happens the car loses all power, I had to pull back in behind the semitrailer because by then there was cars coming the other way. When I say it loses power i mean the engine is still running but even when you put the accelerator flat to the floor there is no additional power to the engine.

I was fortunate enough that there weren't any cars behind me because if this had been the case the outcome could have been disastrous.

I have spoken to the local Ford dealership about this and I have spoken to head office and have been told it is a maintenance problem - it is not a warranty problem. Apparently it is up to the owner of the vehicle to ensure the carbon is removed from the engine and the only way to do this is to take it into the Ford dealership and pay a ridiculous amount of money to have it done.

I am still in the process of trying to get this problem fixed and intend to take it to a lawyer to get their view on it. In my opinion it is very dangerous to drive a Ford Kuga unless you intend to use it on the open road at least once a week and get the vehicle up over 100 km an hour for more than 30 minutes.

Hi all Kuga owners, I bought a 2013 Kuga Titanium Diesel. Had the same problem. Almost got ever one killed on the Newcastle freeway on one trip. My research showed that in Briton they were having the same problems and it turned out to be the "Particle Diesel Filter". This is like a catalytic converter on the exhaust that burns off soot that accumulates in the trap.

If it fails then the exhaust becomes clogged. This will seemingly always fail when on longer drives once the the filter reaches optimal temperature.

I had a bit of running battle with my local Ford dealer over this and even after I told them what I had found I was still dismissed. Eventually got onto Ford Australia head office and it was then the problem was properly attended to. The PDF costs a couple of grand to replace so this might explain their hesitancy. After it was fixed the mechanic came out and explained to me that it was the PDF, DERRRR. Thanks for informing me what I had already tried to tell you on the last 3 visits.

Anyway, the car is now ok and running well. Also foot not to Suzie B, diesels don't like short trips. FACT.

Neil

We are having the same problem 2014 kuga trend diesel 93,000 Kim’s, thought it was bad fuel, no then took it to dealer cdid a full oil change even though just did 2,000klm previously, then did a burn on the dpf filter, not only going into limp mode but surging now dealer is saying to replace the turbo and the dpf filter the killer is using genuine parts is just over $12,000 waiting to here back from Ford Australia. More or less it’s like writing the car off. It is very dangerous so is now parked up not good the car isn’t even 5 years old