• 16 Ford dealers in the major centres in South Africa have received permits to repair emergency and essential service Ford vehicles during the 21-day coronavirus lockdown
• Applies to emergency medical and response teams, safety and security services and companies granted government permits in the grocery supply chain
• Ford’s AA Roadside Assistance available to assist qualifying customer breakdowns

Pretoria, South Africa, 02 April 2020 – Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa (FMCSA) is supporting the vital work of the emergency and designated essential services during the COVID-19 national lockdown, having been granted government permission to make selected Ford dealerships available to repair Ford vehicles involved in essential services.

The action will enable the selected dealers to repair Ford vehicles used by essential services only, including emergency medical and response teams, safety and security personnel such as the police, traffic officials and the military, as well as those allowed to operate in the grocery supply chain.

“The emergency and essential services are crucial to implementing and maintaining the national lockdown and social distancing measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus,” says Neale Hill, MD of FMCSA. “To keep these services running and ensuring that the provision of primary healthcare, community support and deliveries of food continues, Ford Motor Company, together with the selected dealers, applied for and were granted government permission for 16 Ford dealers in the major centres across the country to conduct essential repairs on Ford vehicles used by these personnel.

“We appreciate the sacrifice and dedication of every individual that is involved in dealing with this coronavirus pandemic, and we have ensured that the selected dealers are ready and equipped to attend to any essential vehicle repairs without delay,” Hill adds. “We are following the strictest guidelines to protect the safety of our dealer staff and these customers throughout this period.”

No other customer vehicles can be accepted during this period, and vehicle owners will be required to wait until the end of the lockdown to make bookings at their local dealers.

“Although we aren’t able to accommodate our regular customers currently, we are working with our dealers on solutions to mitigate any backlog that might result from the 21-day lockdown,” Hill states.

Ford’s Roadside Assistance programme, provided by the AA and applicable for a period of three years from the date of purchase of a new vehicle, remains operational throughout the national lockdown. Customers that experience a breakdown can contact the AA on 0861 150 250 and, if necessary, a recovery unit will be dispatched to assist the customer.

In the event of an essential service Ford vehicle needing repairs, the closest dealer should be identified from the list below, and this information sent along with the vehicle’s VIN number, and details of which essential service is represented to dlawre30@ford.com. The local dealer will then make contact to set up an appointment.