I’m the owner of a 2020 Kuga st. line all the spot welds around the door strap have failed, Ford are saying it’s out of warranty however in America the same car marketed there as the escape is being recalled for the same issues across the us has anyone else got this problem ???

I think you are the first to mention that problem here on the forum. 

That is quite a serious fault and makes you wonder about the rest of the spot welds. 

 

Is this an issue for all 4 x doors?

Sounds like a manufacturing fault.

It might take a bit of heel digging, but you can pursue this under your consumer rights.

You might have to get an independent engineers report to confirm it is a manufacturing fault, but you'd be able to claim this back.

3 hours ago, unofix said:

I think you are the first to mention that problem here on the forum. 

That is quite a serious fault and makes you wonder about the rest of the spot welds. 

 

I’m surprised really as across the us this is a huge problem with the sister car the Ford escape and seeing that Ford USA are recalling from 2020 cars I wonder when Ford uk will follow suit

4 minutes ago, Jimmythecabbie said:

I’m surprised really as across the us this is a huge problem with the sister car the Ford escape and seeing that Ford USA are recalling from 2020 cars I wonder when Ford uk will follow suit

The only thing with that I will say is that they are built in different factories.

I have contacted Ford Uk who have said they are willing to pay a warranty rated percentage of the repair cost a local dealer seem to be quoting over 3500 pounds for a replacement door, I would have thought a repair of about six spot welds would be much cheaper however Ford Uk would only pursue a nominated Ford dealer to repair and the policy is for a new door???

im hoping they see sense and sort this out I’m also exploring maybe bringing legal Proceedings against Ford Uk as this is a manufacturing fault that they clearly know about due to the recalling of its sister marque the Ford Escape in USA where lawyers are already advertising legal Claims has anyone got any advice on that route ??

Just now, alexp999 said:

The only thing with that I will say is that they are built in different factories.

Yes they are but the Kuga and Escape are basically the same vehicle and it appears regardless of different factories in different countries the design and build is exactly the same the local Ford dealer has said they are seeing many Kuga with the same problem I’ll also look at consumer rights too to see if that is an avenue of use 

46 minutes ago, Jimmythecabbie said:

I have contacted Ford Uk who have said they are willing to pay a warranty rated percentage of the repair cost a local dealer seem to be quoting over 3500 pounds for a replacement door, I would have thought a repair of about six spot welds would be much cheaper however Ford Uk would only pursue a nominated Ford dealer to repair and the policy is for a new door???

im hoping they see sense and sort this out I’m also exploring maybe bringing legal Proceedings against Ford Uk as this is a manufacturing fault that they clearly know about due to the recalling of its sister marque the Ford Escape in USA where lawyers are already advertising legal Claims has anyone got any advice on that route ??

Ford dealerships don't have the tools for spot welding so a warranty repair will need to be a full new door.  It might be worth asking a local body shop how much they'd charge to repair it though.  Could be cheaper than your cost even after the Ford goodwill discount.

That's why I asked how many doors this effected, bad enough with a single driver's door, but all 4 would be horrendous!

The same thing has happen to my 2022 Kuga. Did you manage to get a resolution on this issue?

I have the same issue with my ford Kuga - 2021 hybrid diesel. The door welds connecting the hinges to the door have failed.

Spoke to ford dealers who said it was a body shop issue and recommended a body shop for me.

However I went to a local body shop (following a recommendation) who said that this is a known problem affecting Kuga's and Puma's (and one other which I cant remember). He has seen several. 

He indicated my dealer was a bit naughty as by getting a third party to look at it allows ford to deny warranty rights. Manufacturing warranty should be 6 years. 

I'm going to contact Ford to see how I get on - not expecting a speedy resolution ☹️

Have exactly the same fault with my Kuga. An obvious manufacturing defect but Ford have rejected the claim as its done over 60000 miles. Anyone any suggestions to force a rethink

12 minutes ago, scott lambert said:

 Anyone any suggestions to force a rethink

I purchased a Kuga 15 months ago ,it was first registered on 01/04/2021. 6 weeks ago I went to get in my car and there was an almighty clunk. It turned out to be the spot welds on the door had broken. I have been told by a garage used by ford in kings Lynn that I am not covered by any warranty from ford. I plan to take this further because it has to be a manufacturing fault.

Good luck, you will need it.

2 hours ago, nigel blyth said:

... It turned out to be the spot welds on the door had broken....

The door has numerous spot welds. Did they all break simultaneously, or from a specific area?

Hi, bit late to the discussion.  Yeah I have a 2021 kuga PHEV. Door welds failed as well. Initially the told me that Ford won't cover it as it a trim bit dug my heels in and it turns out it need a new door and Ford will cover it.  I know of a least 4 other Kugas this has happened to, so its a major issue they have

Why is this thread so full of "One Post Wonder's" ?

All seeking help and answers and yet so many of them don't even return after making their one post.

On 6/24/2025 at 4:35 PM, Lindsay Boy said:

I have the same issue with my ford Kuga - 2021 hybrid diesel. The door welds connecting the hinges to the door have failed.

Spoke to ford dealers who said it was a body shop issue and recommended a body shop for me.

However I went to a local body shop (following a recommendation) who said that this is a known problem affecting Kuga's and Puma's (and one other which I cant remember). He has seen several. 

He indicated my dealer was a bit naughty as by getting a third party to look at it allows ford to deny warranty rights. Manufacturing warranty should be 6 years. 

I'm going to contact Ford to see how I get on - not expecting a speedy resolution ☹️

Just to update everyone, I had to take my car to my purchasing dealer who indicated that it was a manufacturing issue (interestingly they also indicated they had seen other Kuga's with the same issue . However Ford wanted me to take it to a ford approved body shop to assess. Their local one in Edinburgh said they were not doing any ford bodywork warranty work until 2026 (this was back in August and probably tells it's own story). So contacted Ford again and they said there was another bodywork dealership in Fife.

The expectation was that I spend a day taking it over to this shop (probably 100 miles round trip) to get assessed then another day to get fixed. Ford made no commitment to repair other than they said they would possibly make a contribution. So two days (earnings or holiday)for me, 100 mile round trip each time and no commitment. As you can imagine I was not particularly enthusiastic about this option.

So I took it round to my little local garage who welded a small plate on the inside and the door hinge to that. in stripping the door down he said that he's not surprised that it failed as the design is so poor - hinge fixed onto thin metal with spot welds was never going to be robust.

While it cost me £150, that was significantly cheaper than the Ford option.

I had been in touch with Ford throughout this process and e-mailed them to tell them what I had done and didn't even get the curtesy of a reply or acknowledgement. Shocking customer care.

Anyway good luck to anyone who is trying to get Ford to deal with this issue. That will be a challenge as I probably did what they wanted me to do - basically go away without any commitment from their part.

So no future purchases of Ford cars for me and everyone who I have a discussion about cars with (family and friends) know how I've been treated. It's a shame because I really liked the car.

i have exactly the same issue drivers door welds failed on the door check ..i went to independent motor repair shop they sent report to ford fords refused it mines a 22 plate stline ecoblue ..has anyone had success with a ford repair ? im contemplating pop riveting it would that work ?

2 hours ago, captainkevey1 said:

im contemplating pop riveting it would that work ?

Based on my reading and if it is anywhere near the solid hinge it really does need something substantial with a solid weld/reinforcement and remedial paintwork but I've never seen a picture which would really help understanding?

Have exactly the same fault with my Kuga. An obvious manufacturing defect but Ford have rejected the claim as its done over 60000 miles. Anyone any suggestions to force a rethink

(Replying to everyone in a similar position as quoted).

It's natural when products fail like this for us to reach out to the manufacturer to try to make a warranty claim, but this is not necessarily the right approach to take. Under the consumer rights act, when you purchase a product from a company, a contract is established. If subsequently a fault develops with the product, you have certain rights, even years later, to complain to the company you bought it from. If the claim is reasonable (ask yourself what a reasonable person would think of the situation - is it reasonable for doors to be falling off a relatively new car) then there are provisions for a repair or even returning it for a refund (which can be reduced from what you originally paid to account for the use you've had out of it). There are certain limitations on these rights, including allowing the company to pick the option that is cheapest to them.

This could prove to be a much more effective option than trying to make a warranty claim with the manufacturer, especially if the warranty period has expired. If you just go to the manufacturer and accept an offer from them, you could loose the option to have things done via the company you bough it from. Same goes if you just have a third party do a repair; you can't then go and try to claim the money back from the company you bought it from since you've robbed them of the choice about how to handle the situation in a manner most economical to them.

Don't expect the manufacturer to tell you about this, since it's not their job to do so, and not necessarily in their financial interests to do so (if you go back to the company you bought it from and settle things with them, they might then subsequently claim against the manufacturer themselves and get more out of them than you could have).

Of course none of this necessarily applies if you purchased the vehicle privately. In that case the company it was originally purchased from don't have a contract with you, and your only option would likely be directly with the manufacturer, or to just give up and get a third party repair at your own expense.

I suggest trying to read the actual law to understand your rights, or try asking the citizens advice bureau.

On 7/3/2025 at 4:27 PM, nigel blyth said:

I purchased a Kuga 15 months ago ,it was first registered on 01/04/2021. 6 weeks ago I went to get in my car and there was an almighty clunk. It turned out to be the spot welds on the door had broken. I have been told by a garage used by ford in kings Lynn that I am not covered by any warranty from ford. I plan to take this further because it has to be a manufacturing fault.

what was the outcome on your claim Nigel ?