Audi Volkswagen Korea, the local importer of the German cars, will recall Audi A8 4.2 FSI Quattro cars for a coolant leak problem that can cause the car engine to stop while driving, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said on Wednesday. The recall of the German carmaker’s model will be the first of its kind in the world as the problem in the car was first identified in Korea, the ministry added.

The transportation ministry launched investigations into possible coolant leaks in the Audi cars in June 2014 following a series of reports from owners of the vehicle in Korea. The government confirmed coolant leaks and also that the leaked coolant found its way to the engine control unit (ECU) connector, causing a short in the electrical device, which in turn caused the engine to stall, according to the ministry.

After its own investigations, Audi Volkswagen Korea, however, issued a technical service bulletin to fix the defect free of charge in February 26 by arguing that the problem did not create serious safety concerns as the short in the ECU triggered a dashboard warning signal that gave drivers up to two minutes to safely stop the car.

Under a technical service bulletin, car makers are not required to notify vehicle owners of problems in other countries while a safety recall requires companies to report the recall to other countries that import the same model.

The ministry concluded the problem in the vehicle is a serious manufacturing flaw and did create serious safety concerns. As a result, Audi Volkswagen Korea submitted its plans for the recall to the government after discussion with its German headquarters.

The recall affects 1,534 Audi A8 4.2 FSI Quattro cars and free repair services will be available at Audi Volkswagen Korea service centers.

It is not confirmed whether the German car company would expand the recall to other countries.

By Jeon Jong-heon

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