[THE INVESTOR] Five carmakers and importers will voluntarily recall more than 5,000 vehicles to fix faulty parts, the Transport Ministry said on March 22.

It is the latest in a series of recall measures being undertaken by carmakers and importers to ensure their vehicles meet current safety rules.

The five companies -- BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Ford Motor, FCA and Toyota Motor -- plan to recall 29 different models totaling 5,137 vehicles, the ministry said in a statement.

The models include Mercedes-Benz’s C 200 sedan, BMW’s X3 xDrive20d SUV, Toyota’s luxury sub-brand Lexus NX300h sedan and Ford’s Fusion sedan, it said. 

The problems include a malfunctioning seat belt pretensioner in the C 200 sedan, a faulty part in the fuel tank of the BMW X3 xDrive20d SUV and a faulty air bag sensor in the Lexus NX300h sedan, the statement said.

Vehicle owners can now visit designated repair and service centers to have the parts replaced free of charge, it said.

By Song Seung-hyun and newswires (ssh@heraldcorp.com)