April 27, 2024

• 

[THE INVESTOR] BMW, Mercedes-Benz and other carmakers will voluntarily recall more than 47,936 vehicles and motorcycles to fix faulty parts, the Transport Ministry said on March 29.

BMW‘s recall affects 25,732 units of the BMW 128i and 20 other models built between March 2, 2006, and Oct. 6, 2011. The vehicles are affected by problems in the crankcase ventilation valve heaters, which can melt and cause a fire, according to the ministry.

The ministry also said 70 units of the BMW X5 M50d produced between July 18 and Dec. 20, 2013, are subject to the voluntary recall as their air bag inflators built by Japan’s Takata could potentially hurt drivers when they are deployed.

The latest recall will affect 11,882 units of the Mercedes-Benz CLA 200 CDI and 22 other models because an air bag in the driver’s seats can be deployed randomly, which can hurt drivers and even lead to accidents.

The affected vehicles also include 5,800 units of the Audi A6 50 TFSI Quattro and another Audi model due to a leak in the fuel supply line that could cause a fire.

The ministry said other vehicles suffering from problems include 526 units of the Peugeot 308 2.0 Blue-HDi and four other models and 513 units of the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso 2.0 Blue-HDi, as well as Harley-Davidson and Japanese Kawasaki motorcycles.

People who had the defects in their cars fixed on their own before recalls were issued are eligible for compensation from the automakers.

The ministry advised owners of vehicles to visit the recall center at www.car.go.kr to get information on the recalls.

By Song Seung-hyun and newswires (ssh@heraldcorp.com)