Inspection appointment difficulties lead to 100 million won used Mercedes to catch fire

[Anchor]

A fire broke out in a used Mercedes-Benz that was purchased for nearly 100 million won.

The owner claims that he noticed issues with the vehicle months before the incident and tried to have it checked at an official service center, but had difficulty making an appointment.

Reporter Lee Ye-rin has the details.

[Report]

In April, Mr. A purchased a used Mercedes-Benz with 5,000 km on it, for nearly 100 million won.

While driving, he experienced the shocking incident of the trunk catching fire.

It was just three months after he took possession of the vehicle from the used car dealer.

[Mr. A/Owner of the used Mercedes-Benz/voice altered: "Smoke was coming from the back of the car, and there was a strange smell. The firefighter said that if I hadn't reported it quickly, the front door would have locked, that it was an emergency situation, that it was dangerous."]

Mr. A entrusted the car to Mercedes to find out the cause of the fire, but the inspection results indicated that it was unclear whether the fire was due to external factors or internal overheating.

Various malfunctions had already occurred since taking possession of the vehicle.

[Mr. A/Owner of the used Mercedes-Benz/voice altered: "The surround-view wasn't working. It's a convertible, but the roof wouldn't open. Suddenly, the trunk opened by itself; I have video of that."]

Mr. A expressed frustration, stating that he had tried to get an inspection before the fire, but it was difficult to make an appointment at the official Mercedes service center.

Mr. A made first contact with the center in May.

However, the earliest available inspection date across nearby centers was July 10, which was after the fire had occurred.

[Ahn Sang-jun/Used Mercedes car dealer: "If such cases happen simultaneously, I think there must be some defect in that vehicle..."]

However, Mercedes stated that it is difficult to conclude that the issues with Mr. A's vehicle were the cause of the fire.

They also mentioned that service waiting periods can vary by center.

[Lee Ho-geun/Professor, Department of Future Automotive, Daedeok University: "There is a high possibility of an electrical defect. If the car was serviced immediately, there is sufficient possibility that it would not have led to a fire, but we cannot be 100% certain about that."]

Considering that the warranty period was still valid, Mercedes offered free repairs, but ultimately, Mr. A received a refund from the used car dealer who sold him the vehicle and returned the car.

This is KBS News, Lee Ye-rin.