April 24, 2024
Automobiles
Shortage of imported car repair centers hits Koreans
[THE INVESTOR] The shortage of repair centers for imported vehicles is a growing inconvenience for more than 1 million owners here, according to a consumer agency on Dec. 23.
As of the end of November 2015, the number of foreign vehicles registered here came to 1.26 million, according to the Korea Consumer Agency.
However, the number of service centers operated by 20 major import vehicle brands, including BMW and Mercedes-Benz, only stood at 359.
The number compares to 2,245 service centers operated by just two top automakers here -- Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors.
Such a lack of service centers for imported vehicles is also raising safety concerns as a long line of vehicles to be repaired at each service center may lead to poor service.
The consumer agency said the number of consumer complaints filed by imported car owners for poor service came to 3,807 between January 2012 and June 2014.
The number translates into 476 cases for each 100,000 imported vehicles operated here, more than 3 times higher than 145 for locally produced cars, it added.
(theinvestor@heraldcorp.com)
As of the end of November 2015, the number of foreign vehicles registered here came to 1.26 million, according to the Korea Consumer Agency.
However, the number of service centers operated by 20 major import vehicle brands, including BMW and Mercedes-Benz, only stood at 359.
The number compares to 2,245 service centers operated by just two top automakers here -- Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors.
Such a lack of service centers for imported vehicles is also raising safety concerns as a long line of vehicles to be repaired at each service center may lead to poor service.
The consumer agency said the number of consumer complaints filed by imported car owners for poor service came to 3,807 between January 2012 and June 2014.
The number translates into 476 cases for each 100,000 imported vehicles operated here, more than 3 times higher than 145 for locally produced cars, it added.
(theinvestor@heraldcorp.com)
