One in Three Carsharing Vehicles Poorly Maintained... Safety 'Red Light'

Terms Also Disadvantage Consumers
About 100 Related Disputes Annually

One out of every three car-sharing vehicles was found to have inadequate safety management conditions.

According to the Korea Consumer Agency on the 5th, a total of 66 vehicles?22 each from three car-sharing platform companies, Green Car, Socar, and Turuca?were inspected from March to June, and 24 vehicles (36.4%) were found to have poor safety management conditions. Nine vehicles either lacked tire repair kits or had kits that were used but not replaced. Seven vehicles had tire pressures that were either unbalanced or excessive. Additionally, six vehicles had license plates that were not illuminated or were damaged, three vehicles lacked black boxes or had malfunctioning ones, two vehicles had engine warning lights on, and one vehicle had broken wipers.

The inspection procedures for vehicle exteriors before and after return were also found to be insufficient, raising concerns about potential disputes. Green Car and Socar did not require users to upload exterior inspection photos to the application after driving, unlike before driving. Turuca allowed photo uploads both before and after driving, but the maximum number of photos was limited to eight, which the Consumer Agency pointed out as insufficient to prevent disputes.

The terms and conditions were also unfavorable to consumers. Green Car and Socar only notified consumers of expected repair costs if the consumer requested it, and Turuca prohibited the use of designated drivers even when direct driving was difficult due to injuries sustained during driving. The standard car rental terms require that customers be notified in advance of expected repair costs when renting a car for repairs, and drivers may entrust driving to a designated driver service provider when direct driving is difficult due to reasons such as intoxication.

From 2020 to 2022, a total of 306 consumer damage relief applications related to car-sharing were received by the Consumer Agency, averaging about 100 cases per year. Disputes over repair costs were the most common with 117 cases, followed by contract termination and unfair practices with 64 cases each, vehicle defects with 27 cases, and return-related issues with 14 cases. Based on the results of this investigation, the Consumer Agency stated that it recommended companies improve terms and conditions that are unfavorable to consumers and strengthen the management and inspection of car-sharing vehicles.

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