(Photo: AP)

JOHANNESBURG, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- South African consumer agency, the National Consumer Commission (NCC), has slapped Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa with a 35 million rand ($2.4 million) fine for contravening the Consumer Protection Act.

The fine came after scores of consumers lodged complaints with the NCC regarding their combusting Kuga 1.6L Eco-boost vehicles. Some of these vehicles caught fire while being driven or parked.

The NCC received 160 complaints from affected car owners who said that their rights had been infringed by the motor company. Between 2015 and 2016, 56 Ford Kuga vehicles caught fire in South Africa. In 2016, a 33-year-old man died after his Ford vehicle burnt while he was driving it to the Western Cape.

Releasing the findings of an investigation into the matter on Friday, NCC Acting Commissioner Thezi Mabuza said: "Our investigation into these allegations confirmed that Ford had engaged in prohibited conduct by distributing Ford Kuga vehicles that failed or could have failed as a result of a cooling system failure."

"This meant that the failure of the cooling system rendered the vehicles not suitable for the purpose for which they were generally intended and this resulted in the vehicles being unsafe at the time of the fires." she said.

Mabuza said the agreement between the NCC and Ford means that consumers have been given three options to settle the dispute including receiving a payment of 50,000 rand from Ford.

Car owners believing that their damages were beyond 50,000 rand must submit claims or take the matter to court.

"We will communicate with the individual consumers who filed their complaints with the Commission to determine the route they elect and to provide any guidance should they so require on the claim," she added.