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| A sign bars BMW 520d cars from the underground parking lot of a hospital in Seoul amid a string of engine fires in BMW vehicles, Tuesday. / Yonhap |
By Lee Suh-yoon
BMW drivers in Korea are finding themselves in an increasingly tight spot amid mounting public fears over engine fires in some German cars.
Over 30 BMW vehicles – mostly 520d diesel engine models – have caught fire here this year, including one that burst into flames last Saturday in Mokpo, South Jeolla Province — despite undergoing an emergency safety check at one of the brand's official service centers four days earlier.
The frequency of these accidents – about one every week – and BMW's sluggish response to the problem has fanned the public's fears.
Some apartments and commercial buildings now ban BMW vehicles from their parking lots, unwilling to risk a fire hazard on the property.
Howard Kim, 45, who drives a gasoline engine-powered BMW 528i, said the situation is causing him some discomfort.
"The parking restrictions apply to all BMW vehicles, not just the 520d sedans," he said. "Even though I own a gasoline engine vehicle, relatively less of a risk than diesel cars, it is still uncomfortable. And people around me keep asking me if I'm okay with driving it."
The transport ministry publicly urged BMW 520d drivers last week to leave their cars at home until they get them checked.
Tom Dahl-Hansen, 72, a Norwegian expat living in Seoul, says he stopped driving his BMW 520d xDrive a week ago. He plans to use public transportation until the vehicle gets a faulty component switched through the recall plan.
"I don't want to get me, my wife, or other people in trouble if it starts a fire, particularly if it's in a tunnel where it can really be bad," he told The Korea Times over the phone on Tuesday. "Also, I heard taxi drivers don't want to drive next to BMW cars."
A spate of engine fires are limiting his daily activities.
"My wife has to travel an hour and a half with a bus to visit her father now, and when I go to the supermarket, I cannot buy a lot because I have to carry it back using public transportation," he said. "I have been driving BMW my whole life and had a very good experience with it in Norway, Switzerland and Egypt. But this is really very disappointing."
BMW Korea announced a voluntary recall of more than 100,000 vehicles starting Aug. 20, offering to change the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) module in the engine. It attributed the fires to a "leaky cooler" in the EGR.
The recall process, however, has not been smooth, according to drivers.
"I tried calling the customer service center over 10 times regarding the recall process but couldn't even get through," a BMW 520d M Aerodynamic driver surnamed Yoo told The Korea Times.
Some 300 BMW owners, including Hansen and Yoo, are planning a joint suit against BMW Korea, hiring Ha Jong-sun, an attorney at Barun Law.
But thousands more are likely to field another joint lawsuit against the German automaker as some local law firms are currently gathering BMW drivers.
