Transport ministry considers banning BMW on the road
  • 6 years ago
We might no longer see BMWs on the roads here in Korea... because the transport ministry says, it's considering a ban on driving BMWs amid growing concerns over engine fires.
Our Choi Si-young tells us more.
On Wednesday, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said it is considering banning BMWs from the road to prevent any more fires.
The ministry said the ban will apply to cars that have not passed a safety examination.

BMW Korea is supervising the safety examinations which are focused on the faulty engine part known as EGR or Exhaust Gas Recirculation,... believed to be the cause of recent BMW engine fires.

Out of 100-thousand vehicles subject to recall, only about 47-thousand have gone through the examinations as of Tuesday.

Meanwhile, a group of BMW owners in South Korea said on Wednesday they will file a police complaint this week,... seeking a criminal investigation into BMW officials like Vice President Johann Ebenbichler, in charge of quality control at BMW Group, and Kim Hyo-joon, the chief of the South Korea unit.
Barun Law Firm says it plans to lodge a complaint on behalf of 20 BMW owners and one victim of a BMW vehicle-related fire.

In the petition, the owners claim BMW was aware of the extent of the problem with the part after an engine fire in Europe in 2016... but has only recently concluded that the EGR is the source of engine fire.
The lawyer representing the owners said that the authorities should initiate a probe into BMW Headquarters and BMW Korea to prevent any evidence from being destroyed.

On Wednesday local time, a German newspaper reported that a faulty EGR module in some BMW diesel cars,... which caused engine fires in South Korea, prompted a massive recall of 324-thousand units in Europe.
So far this year, 36 engine fires have happened in Korea.

Choi Si-young, Arirang News.
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