A consumer group has launched a class action lawsuit against BMW after a spate of reports of the German carmaker’s vehicles catching fire in South Korea.  

The Korea Consumer Association said Monday it will begin the legal action by forming a legal support team for BMW drivers that are at risk.

The 30-member task force includes lawyers and a technical support team comprising professors, technicians and auto mechanics.

The task force is headed by Professor Lee Ho-geun at Daeduk College who is experienced in conducting various studies on automobile defects. Other renowned experts in respective fields have also joined as members.

The association's collective lawsuit so far involves a hundred members of a BMW drivers' hobby club. The agency will recruit more participants from next Monday over a two-week period.

The association's president said the class action lawsuit aims to help consumers fight for their rights against a global enterprise and should serve as an opportunity to improve BMW's customer service.