Kia Carnival, Ray, Mercedes-Benz CLS and 26 Other Models Recalled for 266,632 Units

Kia Carnival.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 10th that a total of 266,632 vehicles across 26 models manufactured or imported and sold by Kia, Mercedes-Benz Korea, MAN Truck & Bus Korea Co., Ltd., Giheung Motors, and Hwacheong Sangsa have been found to have manufacturing defects and will undergo voluntary corrective action (recall).

Among them, 250,590 vehicles of five models including Carnival, Ray, K3, Soul EV, and Soul manufactured and sold by Kia were found to have a defect in the airbag control device manufacturing, which may cause the airbags not to deploy in the event of a collision, potentially resulting in injury to occupants.

Additionally, 10,781 vehicles of seven models including CLS 400 d 4MATIC imported and sold by Mercedes-Benz Korea were found to have a defect in the engine control unit software, where the vacuum pressure inside the coolant pump was set too high, potentially causing damage to the vacuum line seal and coolant leakage. In such cases, an electrical short circuit in components such as the coolant pump electric switch valve may cause a fire.

For six models including the Benz S 580 4MATIC, totaling 3,805 vehicles (including those before sale), a software error in the engine control unit was identified, where data from the vehicle theft prevention device was not stored in the engine control unit after engine start, potentially causing the engine to shut off and preventing restart.

For 838 units of the S 400 d 4MATIC, it was confirmed that rear wheel brake pads were certified to European specifications but were actually equipped with brake pads certified to U.S. specifications, constituting a safety standard non-compliance. The Ministry plans to have the importer conduct a voluntary recall first and impose fines later considering the correction rate.

For 395 vehicles (including those before sale) of two models including the TGX tractor imported and sold by MAN Truck & Bus Korea, a software error in the brake control unit caused a delay in the illumination of the malfunction warning light for the vehicle stability control system (lighting after reaching a driving speed of 7.2 km/h), failing to meet safety standards.

For 181 motorcycles (including those before sale) of two models including the Harley-Davidson Pan America imported and sold by Giheung Motors, a defect was found where the passenger handgrip could detach from the seat support due to improper fixation.

Additionally, 42 motorcycles of three models including the Indian CHIEF VINTAGE imported and sold by Hwacheong Sangsa are subject to recall. These models may experience failure of the headlights and fog lights to illuminate during driving due to poor contact in the vehicle control unit and connector parts.

Vehicles subject to this recall can be repaired free of charge at the service centers of each manufacturer or seller. Manufacturers will notify owners of the corrective measures via postal mail and mobile text messages. If vehicle owners have repaired the defect at their own expense before the recall, they can apply for reimbursement from the manufacturer.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.