BMW Completes Most Recalls 3 Months After Fires

BMW Korea said Thursday that it has completed 86 percent of recalls over spontaneous engine fires in certain models in some three months since the scandal erupted in August. But around 14,000 sedans remain on the recall list.

A total of 92,072 vehicles have been recalled since Aug. 20, while the automaker said 99 percent of emergency safety checks are complete.

It usually takes one to two years for automakers to achieve 80 percent of their recalls. According to data from the Korea Consumer Agency, Volkswagen took a year and 10 months to service 70 percent of 125,509 vehicles that were recalled due to faulty exhaust systems. It had pledged to complete 85 percent of the recalls by June of this year but has failed to do so.

Mercedes-Benz, the No. 1 foreign automaker in Korea, pledged late last year to recall 32,000 cars due to defective airbags but has not fixed a single one.

But there are still around 14,000 potentially dangerous BMWs on the roads. Owners have to call BMW's recall center and schedule an appointment or request home service. They are then given the option of a rental car while their own is being serviced.

The affected models are the BMW 3 and 5 Series manufactured between March 2011 and November 2016 and X Series and Minis made from May 2011 and May 2017.

They are listed on BMW Korea's website. The automaker said it is contacting owners of the remaining vehicles by telephone, text message and mail.