Mercedes-Benz, Maserati to Recall 724 Vehicles for Defects

Mercedes-Benz and Maserati will recall 724 cars sold in South Korea for safety-related mechanical defects, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Monday. (Image : Yonhap)

SEJONG, Dec. 7 (Korea Bizwire) - Mercedes-Benz and Maserati will recall 724 cars sold in South Korea for safety-related mechanical defects, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Monday.

German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz will make repairs on 721 S63 AMG 4Matic sedans for ignition problems. The defect has been determined to be caused by a program glitch in the electronic control unit (ECU) that sometimes keeps fuel from flowing to the engine when the vehicle slows down.

The drop in fuel can cause the ignition to turn off, which can cause safety problems, according to the ministry.

ECU is a key computer system that collects data from various sensors located on the car and controls how the car operates.

The ministry said cars made between May 13, 2013, and Nov. 21 of this year will be recalled starting Monday with repairs being made free of charge.

Related to the recall, the ministry had ordered the Korea Transportation Safety Authority to check the cause of the problem after the vehicle caused a public fervor when a frustrated driver publicly smashed his 200 million-won (US$171,600) S63 with a baseball bat and a golf club in Gwangju, a city about 330 kilometers south of Seoul, in September.

In addition to Mercedes-Benz, the ministry said two Gran Turismos and one Gran Cabrio made by Italian car maker Maserati will be recalled for problems in their door lock mechanisms.

According to the car maker, the side door of the two vehicles can inadvertently open in the case of a crash. The defect only affects cars made on Sept. 11.

Forza Motors Korea Corp., which is the importer and dealer of Maserati and Ferrari cars, will offer repairs from Friday onward.

(Yonhap)