South Korea has just banned the sale of 10 models built by Nissan, BMW and Porsche after an investigation found the automakers fabricated documents related to emission tests. This move is very serious and could well start a retaliation by some.
The three manufacturers were slapped with total fines of 7.17 billion won (USD5.9 million), which apply to 4,523 vehicles, and the certifications given for these models have been withdrawn, the Ministry of Environment said in a statement Monday. Six of the models are on sale, while four were discontinued, it said.
Last month, South Korea imposed a record fine on VW’s local unit for falsely advertising emissions ratings on cars sold in the country and in August blocked sales of 80 of the automaker’s models because it fabricated documents related to emissions and noise-level tests.
Imported cars accounted for about 15% of the market in South Korea in the 11 months through November, and the most popular choices include diesel models made by BMW and Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz, according to data from the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association.
