Reams of Recalls
The automakers that topped the recall list in the first half of 2015 are GM Korea in the domestic automaker sector and Mercedes-Benz in the foreign automaker sector.
According to data from the Korea Transportation Safety Authority (TSA), the number of homemade vehicles recalled in the first half of this year amounted to 428,285 units, including two-wheeled vehicles and commercial vehicles. The figure was down 18.3 percent from the same time last year.
GM Korea recalled a total of 217,000 vehicles during the first half, showing the highest figure among five domestic automakers. Its figure makes up more than half, or 50.7 percent, of the number of all domestic vehicles recalled.
For the recall list of a single model, the GM Korea Cruze also ranked first, while the Malibus and Alpheons ranked third and fifth, respectively. The Kia Bongo and the Hyundai Avante came in second and third on the list. In particular, GM recalled 95,000 Cruzes in Feb. due to defective brake hose parts. An official of GM Korea said that it is largely due to the fact that the company is taking a strict policy to voluntarily recall its vehicles if any fault is spotted after the recall crisis of GM.
Hyundai Motor took second place in the recall list, recalling 56,000 vehicles in the first half of this year. The company recalled 10,000 Grandeur Hybrid due to a faulty electronic program in the vehicle's brake system that may fail to warn the driver of a leak or lack of brake fluid, leading to brake system failure. Also, Hyundai recalled 36,000 Avantes due to a defective software system related to motor driven power steering (MDPS).
Kia Motors, which recalled 47,000 Bongos in Feb., ranked third. The company recalled a total of 53,000 vehicles in the first half of this year. Renault Samsung Motors recalled 31,000 vehicles during the same period, taking fourth place, while Ssangyong Motor did not recall any vehicles, standing at the bottom of the list.
Of foreign carmakers, Mercedes-Benz ranked first by recalling 34,000 in the first half of this year alone. The company recalled 16,000 cars, including the E-Class, in March due to a risk of engine fires. Engine-related defects were the main reasons for the recall. BMW Korea came in second by recalling 10,548 vehicles. The total number of its vehicles recalled was lower than that of Mercedes-Benz. However, the number of its models recalled amounted to 55, which is the highest in the industry, while the figure for Mercedes-Benz was 37. Although the figure included the MINI and Motorad, the motorcycle brand of BMW, the BMW figure alone also stood at 35.