German car brands top in recalled rates in South Korea over five years

[Graphics by Song Ji-yoon]

German cars remaining best sellers in South Korea among import brands also have been most frequently recalled car brands in the country over the last five years.

According to the data from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport on Wednesday, BMW Korea administered 2,702 recalls, the largest in the past five years. Recalls grew annually: 417 in 2018, 684 in 2019, 527 in 2020, and 703 last year. As of August this year, it registered 371 recalls.

Mercedes-Benz came next with 1,555 recalls, followed by Volkswagen with 467 rates.

Of five domestic finished carmakers, Hyundai Motor made 162 recalls during the same period, ranking fifth. Kia Corp. ranked ninth with 96, GM Korea 19th with 51, Renault Korea 21st with 34, and SsangYong Motor 34th with eight.

In number of recalled vehicles, Hyundai topped with 4.45 million units, followed by Kia with 2.85 million units, BMW with 1.43 million units, Mercedes-Benz with 736, 757, GM Korea with 729,973, Renault with 380,039, and SsangYong with 181,275.

In the ratio of repairs in recalled units, Hyundai and Kia recorded below 70 percent—66.46 percent and 69.39 percent. The ratio for German carmakers hovered above 70 percent, with BMW at 77.02 percent, Mercedes-Benz at 88.83 percent, and Volkswagen at 79.24 percent.

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