Korea recalls 28,946 vehicles from 6 major automakers

South Korea on Wednesday ordered a recall of 28,946 vehicles of 35 types either manufactured, imported or sold by six automakers -- Hyundai Motor, BMW Korea, Mercedes-Benz Korea, Jaguar Land Rover Korea, Toyota Motor Korea and Honda Korea.

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, 10,407 units of nine-seater van Grand Starex manufactured or sold by Hyundai Motor will be recalled after defects were found in the model’s propeller shaft.

“Damages were found on the connecting parts of propeller shafts. This can trigger failure of power transmission to the rear wheels and halt the vehicle while driving,” according to the ministry’s press release.

BMW Korea will recall 5,656 vehicles of 15 models after brake vacuum pumps were found to suffer malfunctions under certain conditions, which can potentially make brake pedals heavy and increase braking distance.

Mercedes-Benz Korea will bring in 4,781 cars of three models after software errors in the engine control unit caused a vehicle’s engine to continue running while the car was not on.

Jaguar Land Rover Korea will fix 721 vehicles from four models due to faulty battery bolts, which can cause power failure and turn the ignition off while driving.

Toyota Motor Korea will issue a recall of 488 vehicles of two types after a software collision could potentially cause latency in driver assistance functions before collision and cause accidents.

Honda Korea will recall 6,692 two-wheeled vehicles of nine models as their rear safety reflectors failed to meet safety standards.

By Kim Byung-wook (kbw@heraldcorp.com)