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The wreckage of a BMW 730Ld model that caught on fire while the operator was driving along the Namhae Expressway near Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, on Aug. 9. (provided by the South Gyeongsang Provincial Police Agency)
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KATRI reportedly agrees to victims’ demands regarding the experimentation methods
On Aug. 31, an explanation on plans to investigate the case of fires in BMW vehicles was provided to victims of the incidents, which have attracted major attention in recent months. The Korea Automobile Testing and Research Institute (KATRI) under the Korea Transportation Safety Authority (TS) held a press conference after about 50 minutes of closed-door discussions with an association of BMW fire victims on its investigation plan at 10 am that morning at the Seum Building in Seoul’s Seocho neighborhood. During the discussions, KATRI reportedly agreed to the association’s demands regarding the experimentation methods. The institute plans to conduct a “stress test” that involves operating the BMW 520d model at high speeds under conditions of leaking coolant. For the BMW 120d, it plans to examine whether fires occur while the vehicles are parked with the ignition and air conditioner running. Also to be included in the plan are experiments to compare performance and mileage for vehicles before and after the recall. Worries about defects with BMW models have been mounting after the recent occurrence of fires during driving for several models, including the 520d. A fire also occurred with a parked BMW 120d while its air conditioner was running. No information has been found on whereabouts of the 120d in question, with no record of insurance processing or repairs since its towing. KATRI is working with police to locate the vehicle to investigate the fire’s cause. “The discussions today were quite fruitful,” said attorney Ha Jong-seon, who represents the victims’ association. “We are satisfied with KATRI announcement of plans to investigate [the fires] in a transparent manner by the end of the year, and we will continue watching to see what happens going ahead,” he added. KATRI director Ryu Do-jung said the institute would “make every effort to ensure that the BMW victims suffer no psychological or material damages.” By Choi Min-young, staff reporter Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]
