Five carmakers to recall over 76,000 vehicles for faulty parts
The five companies, including Renault Korea Motors Co., Tesla Korea and Jaguar Land Rover Korea, are recalling a combined 76,382 units of 37 different models, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said in a press release.
The problems that prompted the recall include a faulty air bag system in Kia's Niro electric vehicle, problems in the cooling pump wire connector of BMW's 528i sedan and transformer software problems in Renault Korea's Arkana sport utility vehicle, according to the ministry.
Tesla will recall a faulty electric power assisted steering system in the Model Y SUV, it said.
Vehicle owners can check the government's homepage at www.car.go.kr or call 080-357-2500 to see if their vehicles are subject to the recall, the ministry said. (Yonhap)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Korea Herald
Tesla's brand loyalty collapsed after Musk backed Trump: data
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -- Tesla for years had more repeat US customers than any other major automotive brand but its loyalty has plunged since CEO Elon Musk endorsed President Donald Trump last summer, according to data from research firm S&P Global Mobility shared exclusively with Reuters. The data, which has not been previously reported, shows Tesla's customer loyalty peaked in June 2024, when 73 percent of Tesla-owning households in the market for a new car bought another Tesla, according to an S&P analysis of vehicle-registration data in all 50 states. That industry-leading brand loyalty rate started to nosedive in July, that data showed, when Musk endorsed Trump following an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania on the Republican nominee. The rate bottomed out at 49.9 percent last March, just below the industry average, after Musk launched Trump's budget-slashing Department of Government Efficiency in January and started firing thousands of government workers. Tesla's US loyalty rate has since ticked back up to 57.4 percent in May, the most recent month the S&P data is available, putting it back above the industry average and about the same as Toyota but behind Chevrolet and Ford. S&P analyst Tom Libby called it "unprecedented" to see the runaway leader in customer loyalty fall so quickly to industry-average levels. "I've never seen this rapid of a decline in such a short period of time," he said. The timing of Tesla's plunging brand loyalty suggests the CEO's involvement in politics turned off customers in the EV pioneer's eco-conscious customer base, some analysts said. "If they have Democratic leanings, then perhaps they consider other brands in addition to Tesla," said Seth Goldstein, an analyst at Morningstar. Tesla's aging model lineup also faces stiffer competition from an array of EVs from legacy automakers including General Motors, Hyundai and BMW. The only new model Tesla has released since 2020, its triangular Cybertruck, has proved a flop despite Musk's prediction of hundreds of thousands of annual sales. On an April earnings call, Tesla CFO Vaibhav Taneja singled out "the negative impact of vandalism and unwarranted hostility towards our brand and people," but also said there were "several weeks of lost production" when the company retooled factories to produce a refreshed version of its top-selling Model Y. Musk on the April call said that "absent macro issues, we don't see any reduction in demand." Tesla vehicle sales overall are falling globally and have declined 8 percent in the United States the first five months of 2025, according to S&P. Sales fell 33 percent over the first six months of the year in Europe, where public backlash to Musk's politicking has been particularly fierce. Musk's increased political activism was "very bad timing" for Tesla, said Garrett Nelson, an analyst who tracks the EV maker at CFRA Research, because it came exactly as the company faced heightened competition from Chinese EV makers and other traditional automakers. He said his top concerns for Tesla are its loss of market share and "what can be done to repair the brand damage." Tesla remains the US electric-vehicle sales leader but has seen its dominance erode as Musk last year delved into politics and focused Tesla more on developing self-driving technology than on new affordable models for human drivers. Customer loyalty is a closely watched auto-industry metric because it is 'much more expensive' to take new customers from competitors than to retain existing ones, said S&P's Libby. S&P offers some of the most detailed industry data on automotive purchases because it analyzes vehicle registration data from all 50 states on a household-by-household basis. Unlike survey data, it follows actual vehicle transactions to track how consumers migrate among brands and models. From the fourth quarter of 2021 through the third quarter of last year, more than 60 percent of Tesla-owning households bought another one for their next car purchase, the data show. Only one other brand -- Ford -- posted a quarterly loyalty rate exceeding 60 percent during the period, and only once. S&P's data also examines another aspect of the automotive market: Which brands and models are taking customers away from others, and which ones are losing them? Until recently, Tesla was in a different stratosphere than other automotive brands on this metric. For the four years prior to July 2024, Tesla, on average, acquired nearly five new households for every one it lost to another brand. No other brand from a major automaker was even close: Hyundai's luxury Genesis brand was the next best, acquiring on average 2.8 households for every one it lost, followed by Kia and Hyundai, which acquired on average 1.5 and 1.4 households, respectively, for every one they lost. Ford, Toyota and Honda lost more households on average than they gained during that period. Tesla's average inflow of customers started to decline in July 2024 along with its loyalty rate. Since February, Tesla has been gaining fewer than two households for every one it loses to the rest of the industry, its lowest level ever, according to the data.
Korea Herald
21-07-2025
- Korea Herald
BMW 7 Series tops Korea's premium import sedan sales in H1
BMW's 7 Series posted the strongest sales performance in South Korea's premium flagship import market during the first half of this year. According to the German carmaker's Korean unit on Monday, 2,885 vehicles were sold from January to June, reflecting a 23.7 percent increase from the same period last year. The 740i xDrive accounted for over half of all sales, leading the lineup with 1,512 sold, marking 40.8 percent year-on-year growth. The diesel variant, 740d xDrive, also recorded a 36.2 percent increase with 831 sold. BMW's performance further extended across its large luxury model lineup, which includes the full-size sport utility vehicles X7 and XM, the 8 Series coupe and M8 sedan models. The brand sold 5,776 vehicles in this segment during the first six months of this year, up 21.4 percent from 4,758 last year. The X7 alone posted sales of 2,421, a 21.5 percent increase year-over-year, demonstrating BMW's dominance in the large luxury SUV category with a total of 2,578 SUVs sold. South Korea continues to be a crucial market for BMW globally, ranking third in 7 series and overall luxury class sales. BMW Korea said that the market's alignment with BMW's values of innovation, luxury and personalization makes it one of the brand's most strategic regions worldwide. One key factor behind this success is the rise of tech-savvy middle-aged consumers in Korea who seek both advanced digital features and sophisticated design. The 7 Series addresses this demand with features like a 31.3-inch display in the rear, supporting streaming platforms such as Netflix and YouTube, as well as HDMI input for external content. Additional highlights include the 4D Bowers & Wilkins sound system, the Executive Lounge seating package and Executive Drive Pro for maximum ride comfort. BMW also offers a wide range of power trains under its Power of Choice strategy, including gasoline (740i), diesel (740d), plug-in hybrid (750e xDrive) and fully electric models (i7, i7 M70 xDrive). To further enhance exclusivity, the company operates the BMW Individual program for top-tier models like the 750e xDrive, i7 xDrive60 and i7 M70 xDrive. Customers can choose from over 22,000 combinations across exterior design, colors, trim lines and interior materials. Moreover, the BMW Excellence Club ㅡ a premium ownership program ㅡ plays a vital role in driving customer loyalty by offering once-in-a-lifetime experiences, such as VIP access to the Cannes Film Festival and the Ryder Cup golf tournament. Additional benefits include priority invitations to BMW-sponsored concerts, events and the BMW Ladies Championship, Korea's only LPGA tournament. "Through a continued focus on tailored benefits and premium services, BMW Korea is committed to redefining luxury mobility experiences and reinforcing its leadership in the domestic market," a company official said.
Korea Herald
07-07-2025
- Korea Herald
BMW 5 Series sells over 10,000 cars in Korea in H1
BMW Korea, the subsidiary of the Germany-based luxury vehicle manufacturer, announced Monday that its flagship premium sedan, the 5 Series, had sold more than 10,000 vehicles cumulatively for the first half of 2025. The model recorded 12,786 units sold from January to June, marking a 15 percent increase from the same period last year. The 5 Series continues to show strong demand in the Korean market, offering robust standard features on entry-level trims, alongside a broad range of power train options. These include the plug-in hybrid 530e xDrive, the high-performance 550e xDrive and the fully electric four-wheel drive i5 xDrive40. Since its eighth-generation debut in Korea in 2023, the lineup has expanded to 10 power train configurations. Leading sales was the BMW 520i, which sold 7,116. The model comes standard equipped with popular features such as adaptive light-emitting diode headlights with high-beam assist, BMW's curved display, a heads-up display and 19-inch wheels. It also includes advanced driver-assistance systems like active cruise control with Stop & Go and lane-keeping assist. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle models such as the BMW 530e and 550e xDrive are also gaining traction. The 530e, with a combined output of 299 horsepower and a range of up to 73 kilometers on electric power alone, sold 1,512 vehicles. The high-performance 550e xDrive delivers 489 horsepower and can operate for 62 kilometers on a single charge. Meanwhile, the fully electric i5 sedan posted strong results with 828 sold, the most among electric models in its segment.
