April 24, 2024

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[THE INVESTOR] A group of Korean customers filed a class-action lawsuit on July 30 against German automaker BMW over a defective part that may cause fires in one of its popular sedans, industry sources said.

The four owners of BMW 520d sedans lodged the suit with the Seoul Central District Court against BMW Korea and Deutsche Motors, the local distributor of BMW vehicles.

The legal action comes after several BMW 520d sedans caught fire while being driven in Korea.   

Attorney Ha Jong-sun of Barun Law, who represents the BMW car owners, said each customer is seeking 5 million won (US$4,472) in damages and is planning to expand the amount later depending on the outcome of an evaluation.

The number of BMW car owners participating in the class-action suit is expected to increase down the road, he added.

Separately, a BMW 520d sedan owner whose car caught fire has lodged a lawsuit against BMW Korea seeking 10 million won in damages.

Last week, BMW Korea said it will voluntarily recall 106,317 vehicles to fix a faulty component that may cause fires in the engine area of 42 different models.

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