South Korea will ban driving recalled BMWs that haven't received safety checks following dozens of fires the German automaker has blamed on a faulty exhaust gas component. "The ministry will ask mayors to order owners of unchecked BMW vehicles to have their cars' safety checked or to stop driving them," Transport Minister Kim Hyun-mee said on Tuesday, according to the Korea Times. Once the ban comes into effect, drivers are forbidden from driving their vehicles unless they are taking them to be tested, the statement said, with a senior official telling Yonhap drivers would be liable in the event of a fire. BMW (BMWYY) recalled more than 100,000 vehicles in South Korea last month and has been carrying out emergency inspections. Officials at the German automaker identified the root cause as defects in the exhaust gas recirculation system, while the South Korean government is conducting a separate probe into the case and planning to take legal action if necessary. The company has identified the cause of the engine fires as leaks in their exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) coolers, which it said caused fires when the vehicles were driven at high speeds for long periods of time.The ministry says 27,000 recalled cars hadn't received safety checks as of Monday but it expected a portion of them to be checked before the ban goes into effect.
The government of South Korea announces that it will ban 20,000 BMW vehicles following engine fires.