Korean Gov't Suspends Operation of Uninspected BMW Cars

On August 14, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Hyun-mi announced the government's decion to stop the operation of uninspected BMW cars.

“Among the 106,317 BMW vehicles that have been recalled, 27,246 cars have yet to go through emergency safety check as of 24:00, August 13,” she said, adding, “In accordance with Article 37 of the Automobile Management Act, I ask mayors, county governors and district office heads to issue vehicle operation suspension and safety check orders against the uninspected 27,246 cars.”

The owners of the vehicles in question will receive a notification from August 15. The written order for vehicle operation suspension and safety check becomes effective upon arrival. Then, the vehicles cannot be driven for any purpose other than safety inspection.

The ministry is not going to punish the owners who violate the order though. Those violating the article may face a fine of up to 10 million won or up to one year in prison. According to the ministry, however, the BMW vehicle owners cannot be held responsible for the current situation, and thus the punishment cannot be applied to them. Still, the ministry is going to accuse those violating the order in the event of fire accidents. The ministry called for BMW to take measures without delay, including free courtesy cars, too.

A total of 39 fire accidents have occurred from BMW vehicles so far. Those cars include nine that are not a recall target and the nine include gasoline vehicles such as 528i, 428i and 740i. In the safety check, 8% to 9% of the vehicles have been classified as risky. According to the ministry, the 27,246 cars to be inspected are likely to include less than 2,000 risky vehicles.