Photo of the Ford Kuga courtesy of Ford.

Photo of the Ford Kuga courtesy of Ford.

Ford South Africa has begun the second phase of its safety recall for Kuga SUVs that have reported having engine fires in South Africa.

Over 4,500 Ford Kugas produced from December 2012 to February 2014, equipped with  a 1.6-liter Ecoboost engine, were recalled in March by South Africa Ford following dozens of reports of vehicles catching fire, according to Reuters.

Ford South Africa is continuing the recalls of the vehicles, which also now includes the Fiesta ST hot hatch, in what the automaker has described as “Phase 2," according to Wheels 24

"Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa (FMCSA) has commenced with Phase 2 of the safety recall action for all affected Kuga 1.6 models, and is requesting customers to schedule an appointment with their dealer in order to have the vehicle enhancements completed,” the automaker said in a statement.

For the second phase of recalls, new hardware will be installed, which comprises of a new coolant expansion tank with a sensor that monitors the level of the vehicle’s coolant, according to Business Tech.

Ford South Africa has requested customers to schedule an appointment with their dealer in order to have the vehicle enhancements completed.

Additionally, the vehicle’s updated software introduced as part of the second phase of recalls includes the vehicle's ability to reduce engine power, as well as providing notification to the driver to safely pull over if coolant levels drop below the minimum required level.

Shortly after the second phase was announced, a Ford Kuga caught fire in Ekurhuleni, a metropolitan municipality in South Africa, according to Times Live.

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