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Johann Ebenbichler

Are the BMW fires solely an issue of faulty exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) devices in the vehicles’ engines?

Questions about the cause of the fires continue to rage even as press conferences by BMW Korea and the headquarters in Germany on Aug. 6 attempt to explain the situation. Even after its announcement that the fires were the result of an EGR module defect, the automaker failed to produce a clear answer on why the fires have occurred so often with South Korean vehicles, which use the same parts as the European ones.

The situation may not be a simple one if BMW is incorrect in its presumptions focusing on the EGR module – as there would be no guarantee against additional fires even after the parts are replaced according to BMW’s recall plan.

Automotive experts who have been observing the situation suggested on Aug. 7 that the issue of the fires’ cause should be reexamined in light of the questions raised to date, with consideration given to all possibilities.

“BMW has only acknowledged a hardware issue while denying a software issue, but it has offered no explanation at all on why more fires are happening in South Korea, which uses the same parts,” said Kim Pil-soo, a professor of automotive studies at Daelim University.

“Now that the ball is in the South Korean government’s court, the role of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) has become more critical,” Kim added.

“To resolve the public’s fears, they will need to investigate the cause in as objective and swift a way as possible,” he suggested.

Issues with the software controlling the EGR module are a potential source of complex problems for the manufacturer, which would require recertification for environmental standards rather than a simple replacement of parts. Some analysts have suggested BMW may have hoped to resolve its technical limitations through software settings to meet South Korean standards regulating exhaust gases.

Some of the same parts found in BMW’s EGR devices are also used in certain Hyundai and Kia models. But with no issues yet discovered in Hyundai or Kia vehicles, some are suggesting BMW will not be able to put the issue to rest simply by replacing the parts.

The casual relationship with the leaking of coolant from the EGR cooler – which BMW claims to have identified through its own investigation – does not add up either.

“BMW claimed that holes appeared in the EGR cooler because its vehicles could not withstand high temperatures, but it gave no explanation on the reason for the high-temperature gases occurring,” said Lee Ho-geun, an automotive studies professor at Daeduk College.

“In its recall plan, BMW said it is going to clean accumulated sediments in the EGR pipes in addition to replacing the EGR modules, but it’s not clear what will happen if more sediments build,” Lee added.

“We need a full-scale investigation into all these questions,” he suggested.

As fears continue even after BMW’s apology and explanation, many are criticizing both the automaker and MOLIT for exacerbating the situation with a belated recall and complacent response.

In a statement on the same day, the group Citizens United for Consumer Sovereignty (CUCS) complained, “The government’s current measures are not capable of guaranteeing consumer safety.”

“An inspection team with the participation of external experts needs to be formed immediately to precisely determine the cause of the fires,” the group said.

Many consumers have been banding together to take legal action. The Korea Consumer Association (KCA) established a litigation support team with automotive experts to assist in legal cases related to BMW vehicles, while other owners have pursued legal action through Barun Law and other firms.

Meanwhile, MOLIT announced that it had requested additional data from BMW to confirm whether another cause of the fires might be present besides the EGR module defect identified by the company.

By Hong Dae-seon, staff reporter

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