SEOUL: The BMW iDrive 7 system tends to go haywire when passing through the South Korean province of Gangwon, according to a report by car news website autoevolution.
The report — citing BMW car owners airing their grouses on Korean social media — claimed that other than the iDrive crashing, CarPlay stops working, emergency services are disabled, navigation is no longer available and systems like auto-braking are turned off.
Such symptoms point to a networking issue in the province.
An owner of a 2020 530i said the iDrive crash typically happens after using CarPlay for a long period of time, with the screen turning black and then rebooting automatically after some 20 seconds.
The problem apparently boils down to a corrupted modem that seizes up when nearing Gangwon, said autoevolution.
BMW seems to be the only cars affected by what is known locally as the Gangwon Disease. Affected car owners are still waiting for a permanent fix.
Gangwon, located east of Seoul, is known for its natural beauty.
