90,000 cars recalled in Korea made by six companies

A photo of Hyundai Motor's Ioniq 5 [HYUNDAI MOTOR]

Hyundai Motor, BMW, Volvo and three other companies will voluntarily recall more than 90,000 vehicles to fix faulty components, the transport ministry said Wednesday.

The six companies are recalling 33 models, 93,575 units in all, including 51,471 Ioniq 5s from Hyundai Motor.

It was found that a software error in the Ioniq 5s automatically unlock parking brakes when the vehicle door is opened.

For Volkswagen’s A6 45 TFSI qu. Premium and 15 other cars, 34,216 had engine power decreases as moisture entered their vehicular communication systems.

And two other Volkswagen models, including The Beetle 2.0 TDI, have been found to harm the driver with metal shards as the airbag inflated with too much power.

Volvo recalled 2,587 cars for faulty brakes in XC60s and six other models, where the anti-lock braking system (ABS) and electronic stability control (ESC) did not function properly.

Toyota picked up on 2,397 cars including Sienna Hybrid failing to meet the safety standard of sounding the seatbelt alarm for longer than four seconds.

BMW also found errors in 1,487 cars including 740is. If the front passenger seat, which was already adjusted to its full forward or backward position, was further adjusted in the same direction, the vehicle’s sensor failed to recognize the seat’s position and did not inflate the airbag.

Owners of those vehicles can visit designated repair and service centers of the companies to have the parts replaced for free, the ministry said.

Volkswagen and Volvo provide free repairs from Friday, BMW from Feb. 21, Hyundai and Toyota from Feb. 23 and Korea Motor Trading from Feb. 24.

BY HYEON YE-SEUL, SOHN DONG-JOO [sohn.dongjoo@joongang.co.kr]