5 automakers to recall over 23K vehicles over faulty parts

Porsche Korea, Honda Korea and three other auto companies will voluntarily recall over 23,000 vehicles to fix faulty components, the transport ministry said on Thursday.

The five companies, including Mercedes-Benz Korea, Ford Sales & Service Korea and Bike Korea, are recalling a combined 23,986 units of 11 different models, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said in a statement.

The recalls are due to software problems in the dashboard of the Porsche Cayenne SUV, faulty safety belts in Honda's Accord gasoline hybrid model and a faulty front brake system in the Mercedes-Benz AMG G63 SUV, it said, reports Yonhap news agency.

Vehicle owners can visit designated repair and service centers of the companies to have the parts replaced for free, the ministry said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor, South Korea's biggest carmaker, said its sales jumped 21 per cent last month from a year earlier on robust sales of its models despite an extended chip shortage.

Hyundai sold 381,885 vehicles in March, up from 314,704 units a year earlier, on strong demand for its high-end and SUV models, the company said in a statement.