Massive Recalls

The South Korean transportation ministry ordered Renault Samsung to recall 94,069 SM6 sedans for various defects uncovered in a safety investigation.
The South Korean transportation ministry ordered Renault Samsung to recall 94,069 SM6 sedans for various defects uncovered in a safety investigation.

 

The South Korean government ordered Renault Samsung to recall 94,069 SM6 sedans for various defects uncovered in a safety investigation, including loose plastic covers on accelerator and brake pedals. The government this time recalled a total of 97,038 vehicles across 17 models from Renault Samsung Motors, Jaguar Land Rover Korea, Forza Motors Korea and Mercedes-Benz Korea. 

Separate from the recall, Renault Samsung, the Korean unit of French automaker Renault S.A, was ordered to pay a fine of 611 million won (US$530,000), for the model's violations of national vehicle safety regulations, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said.

According to the transportation ministry on March 9, a total of 50,110 SM6 cars, which were produced by Renault Samsung between Oct. 5, 2015 and Oct. 24, 2016, were found to have a problem in their brake and accelerator pedal covers. The plastic covers could detach from the pedals while driving, possibly leading to an accident.

The automaker should also recall 43,959 units of the popular mid-sized sedans additionally, which were produced between Nov. 26, 2015 and Nov. 11, 2016, were found to have a defect in the vehicle's body control module (BCM). Due to possible errors in the vehicle's BCM, the vehicle's brake lamps could not operate properly for several seconds after a driver steps on the brake pedal for more than five minutes. 

In addition to the defect in the BCM, the SM6 sedan was also found to have another defect in its child safety device. A total of 15,938 SM6 sedans produced between May 19 and Aug. 8 last year were found to have a defect in the child safety lock in the rear seats. 

The vehicle was also found to have yet another problem in its gasoline engine model. A total of 5,626 2.0-liter gasoline-powered SM6 models produced between Jan. 21 and Mar. 19 last year were found to be equipped with a faulty water pump pulley. The device could be easily broken down while driving, increasing the vehicle's coolant temperature to affect battery performance. 

Meanwhile, the transportation ministry said that Jaguar Land Rover Korea, the local importer of the two luxury brands, will recall some 2,100 cars sold here.

A software problem in the automatic transmission of 1,265 units of the Range Rover Evoque SUV and the Land Rover Discovery Sport, which were made from June 28, 2013 to Jan. 12, 2015, could cause the gear to shift to the neutral position, causing the car to lose power while driving and possibly leading to an accident, the ministry said.

837 Jaguar XF models produced between May 1, 2013 and June 15, 2015 and 85 Jaguar XEs produced from Dec. 16, 2014 to June 30, 2015 also will be recalled for problems related to fuel hoses and the fuel cooling system that could lead to a fuel leak and fire.

Other recall targets include 536 units produced between Aug. 22, 2013 and Jan. 5, 2015 by Maserati for defective fuel hoses, 198 from Mercedes-Benz for varying issues including central console defects and 48 Jeep Compass units for faulty engine sensor wiring.  

The automakers said they will be offering free repairs for all recalled cars at their services centers

 



 

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