[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] On July 15, South Korea’s Ministry of Environment announced that a total of 82,537 vehicles from five domestic and imported car manufacturers will be subject to mandatory recalls due to defects in emission-related components.
Under the Clean Air Conservation Act, manufacturers are required to initiate a recall if a specific emission-related component records more than 50 defect cases and a defect rate exceeding 4% of total vehicles sold within a given year.
Mandatory Recall Summary:
Companies involved:
▪ Mercedes-Benz Korea
▪ BMW Korea
▪ GM Asia Pacific
▪ Ford Sales & Service Korea
▪ GM Korea
Key defects include:
▪ BMW 520d: Condensation leading to sensor damage
▪ Mercedes-Benz S580 4MATIC: Fuel leakage at hose connections
▪ Ford Lincoln Corsair 2.0: Defective purge valve causing vapor gas leakage
▪ GM Korea Cruze 1.8: Catalyst damage under high temperatures
▪ Cadillac CT4 (GM Asia): Malfunction in emission purge pump
Manufacturers will address the defects via software updates and component replacements.
Voluntary Recalls Also Underway:
In addition to mandatory recalls, five other automakers including Kia and Volkswagen Group Korea are carrying out voluntary recalls for 42,605 units across 16 models. Under the Clean Air Conservation Act, owners of voluntarily recalled vehicles may claim compensation from manufacturers.
Notable voluntarily recalled models:
▪ Kia Sportage 2.0 Diesel 2WD
▪ Mercedes-AMG GT S
▪ BMW R 12
▪ Ford Mustang 5.0
▪ Volkswagen A4 30 TDI
Lee Kyung-bin, Director of the Transport Environment Division at the Ministry of Environment, stated:
“We will thoroughly investigate the causes of emission component defects and ensure manufacturers take swift corrective action. The Ministry remains committed to reducing air pollution and safeguarding public health.”
Alphabiz Reporter Kim Jisun(stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)
