BMW recalls 65,000 more cars

BMW Korea announced the recall of an additional 65,000 cars on Tuesday.

According to BMW, the recall of the vehicles, which span 52 different diesel models under the BMW and Mini brands, is due to defects in the emission gas recirculation system (EGR). The EGR is also to blame for the ongoing recall of roughly 106,000 cars that began on Aug. 20.

Despite ongoing investigations and speculations that claim otherwise, BMW has always maintained that a leakage of coolant from the EGR and accumulated sediment in connected pipes is the sole source of a spate of burning BMWs over the summer. For this reason, the carmaker has limited recalls to diesel models that include an EGR.

The carmaker said it chose the additional models to be recalled after discussions with the government.

“Though models on the new recall list carry little risk of burning up, we decided to go ahead as a preventive measure to eliminate any risk,” the Korean unit of the German carmaker said in a statement.

A total of 65,763 cars are included in the latest recall, including specific models of the BMW 118d and Mini Cooper D produced between May 2011 and May 2017.

BMW will send letters to the owners of cars subject to recall today and start replacing the old EGR modules from Nov. 26. Customers can also check whether their car is on the latest list by visiting the carmakers homepage or calling a dedicated call center for recalls (080-269-5181).

Though BMW has emphasized that the additional recall is a voluntary move, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said in a statement Tuesday that the measure will have no impact on ongoing investigations into the cause of the BMW fires.

“Through a private-public joint investigation team we will find out whether any information regarding the fires has been covered up or under-reported,” a spokesperson from the Transport Ministry said. “We will closely monitor the recall process and also conduct random inspections on site.”

The inspection team was set up by the government in August to uncover the cause of the fires. As for the ongoing recall, the company said it has so far recalled about 56 percent of the roughly 106,000 cars as of Sunday.

BY KIM JEE-HEE [kim.jeehee@joongang.co.kr]