[Yonhap Photo]
SEOUL -- German auto giant BMW will recall its 118d model sold in South Korea after experts discovered the risk of fires stemming from faulty components in its engine like other cars recalled earlier, the transport ministry said Friday.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Friday that BMW Korea would recall 2.0-liter 118d sedans mounted with B47U engines after a team of civilian and government experts inspected a 118D car which caught fire on September 11.
The 118d model was excluded from the recall of some 106,000 vehicles that began in July after dozens of cars caught fire on the road. BMW Korea has insisted that due to a faulty component in EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) modules, the high-temperature exhaust gas is suspected of inflowing into the intake manifold without being cooled, leading to the creation of a hole and a fire on the engine cover.
The transport ministry said the 118D engine exposed similar defects. EGR reduces nitrogen oxide emissions from diesel engines. There have been unconfirmed allegations that BMW overlooked or covered up structural defects.
