Ford has started installing the 25SC4 update on Kuga PHEV plug-in hybrids with a 14.4 kWh battery. Instead of replacing the battery, the dealer reprograms the battery management module: part of the capacity remains unavailable to reduce the risk of internal short circuits in the cells.

According to Ford, the average loss of electric range will be about 12%, with the specific result depending on the battery's condition and operating conditions. The car still shows 100% charge — the available capacity at this level itself changes.

However, owners report a more significant reduction after the update. Measurements published on the Tweakers forum show that the loss of available energy in some cases reaches 20–30%. Ford states that drawing conclusions from individual charging cycles is incorrect, and the 12% figure is an average for the fleet.

The problem is related to Samsung SDI battery cells: internal short circuits can lead to overheating and fire. Ford previously recalled the Kuga PHEV due to a similar risk, and for affected vehicles, it extended the high-voltage battery warranty to 10 years or 240,000 km.

For the pre-facelift Kuga with a claimed range of 56 km, this means about 49 km according to Ford's calculation. The actual range, of course, additionally depends on temperature, speed, and driving conditions.

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