Hyundai Motor headquarters in Yangjae-dong (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 23 (Korea Bizwire) – A record number of vehicles have been recalled in South Korea this year due to manufacturing defects, according to data released by the Korea Transportation Safety Authority’s Auto Recall Center on December 22.
The center reported that 5,142,988 vehicles across 1,684 models underwent recalls in 2024, tripling last year’s figure of 1,691,870 and substantially surpassing the previous record of 3,247,296 set in 2022.
Hyundai Motor Group dominated the recalls, with Hyundai Motor and Kia accounting for 79.2% of the total with 4,074,684 vehicles. Hyundai Motor alone recalled 2,456,959 vehicles, while Kia recalled 1,617,725 units. BMW Korea followed with 7% (358,212 vehicles), Tesla Korea with 4.1% (210,136 vehicles), while both Renault Korea and Mercedes-Benz Korea exceeded 100,000 vehicles with 2.6% (133,760) and 2.3% (115,933), respectively.
Breaking down the defects by category, brake system issues led with 2,130,529 vehicles affected, followed by electrical systems (1,202,928), power generation systems (447,572), and power transmission systems (281,763).
The surge in recalls is attributed to both short-term factors and long-term trends. Popular Hyundai Group models faced numerous defects, naturally increasing recall numbers. The group’s recall share this year (79.2%) is the highest since 2013′s 89.5%, significantly above a five-year average of 61.3% from 2019 to 2023.
Notable recalls included the Grandeur (348,651 units) and Santa Fe (203,793 units) for potential fire risks related to their Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU), while the Sonata, including hybrid models, saw 312,744 units recalled for airbag control unit errors. Kia’s K5, including hybrid versions, underwent recalls of 210,283 and 122,178 units for HECU and airbag control unit issues respectively.
Experts also point to increasing vehicle electrification and electronic systems as contributing factors. “Cars are no longer simple mechanical devices but complex electrical-electronic fusion products,” explained professor Kim Pilsoo of Daelim University. “Many unexpected issues arise, particularly with software.”
This trend is evident in the rising number of electrical system defects, which grew from under 100,000 in the late 2010s to 1,202,928 this year, passing through 187,560 in 2020 and 707,088 in 2021.
March saw the largest electric vehicle recall to date, with 169,932 Hyundai and Kia electric vehicles, including the Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6, and EV6, recalled for Integrated Charging Control Unit (ICCU) software errors. In November, an additional 119,774 Hyundai and 58,608 Kia vehicles were recalled for the same issue.
While acknowledging recalls as a proactive safety measure, Kim emphasized their inconvenience to consumers, urging manufacturers to strengthen new vehicle testing to reduce recall frequency.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
