Park Jae-hyuk is a seasoned journalist who has provided comprehensive coverage of South Korea's corporate dynamics, economic policies, industry challenges and the global positioning of Korean companies. Based on the articles he has written since joining The Korea Times in 2016, his investigative approach has helped readers understand corporate governance, economic trends and business strategies shaping South Korea’s economy.
'MAN Truck sought to conceal defects'
MAN Truck & Bus Korea CEO Max Burger
By Park Jae-hyuk
The MAN TGS dump truck / Courtesy of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport
Recall of 1,191 trucks fails to satisfy truckers
By Park Jae-hyuk
MAN Truck & Bus Korea is still facing criticism from the nation's truck drivers, although it “voluntarily” decided to start recalling 1,191 TGS dump trucks of four models this week, industry officials said Tuesday.
Critics pointed out the local subsidiary of the German truck maker's continuous attempts to conceal the defects in its vehicles, saying the recent recalls are irrelevant to the faults that drivers of MAN trucks have complained about so far.
To urge the company to admit its blunder, the truckers plan to hold a rally in front of the National Assembly on Saturday, along with owners of Daimler and Volvo trucks, who have also criticized various errors found in their vehicles.
They expect the lawmakers will bring this issue to the National Assembly audit next month.
According to truckers' attorney, 72 drivers of MAN trucks have already filed a class action suit against the importer, and are waiting for the first date to make a plea.
The attorney regards the recent recalls as insufficient to call off the lawsuit.
“The recent recalls will unlikely influence the lawsuit, because the company has yet to correct the problems that we've complained of,” said Ha Jong-sun of Barun Law Firm, who is leading the suit. “The truck makers are still trying to hide the defects in their products.”
Earlier this week, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said MAN Truck & Bus Korea would recall 1,191 TGS dump trucks for faulty cooling hoses which can damage their engines.
The ministry added those who repaired the flaw at their own expense can claim compensation with the company.
MAN Truck & Bus Korea said its recent decision is a voluntary measure, not a follow-up measure to the government order.
It also said it has yet to make any plan to carry out additional recalls.
Drivers of MAN trucks, however, said the company should also recall vehicles having problems with steering wheels, brake pedals and retarders.
They have complained about the engines of their trucks getting rusty because of malfunctioning water retarders, secondary braking systems for large trucks.
Some of the drivers held a rally in front of the Busan International Motor Show on June 7, the opening day of the event, as MAN Truck & Bus Korea was the only foreign commercial vehicle maker that opened a large promotional booth at the show.
Back then, the company was hit hard for attempting to disrupt a consumer protest claiming critical defects in their trucks, as it applied for an injunction to stop the rally.
As the protesters ended their rally after two days, it dropped the request for its injunction.
The company has refused to carry out recalls for the other flaws, saying the defects were not generally found in the model, but only in several vehicles.