A couple walk through a Volkswagen auto dealership in Beijing. (Photo : Getty Images)
Nearly 50,000 vehicles made by German auto giant Volkswagen in China will be recalled starting next month due to brake design defects, the Economic Times said in a report.
According to the statement released by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, China's quality control watchdog, imported Beetles that were produced between July 1, 2012 and Aug. 6, 2015 will be included in the recall of some 49,480 vehicles starting Feb. 6.
Imported Golf Variants manufactured between July 1, 2012 and July 6, 2013, are also included in the recall, the statement added.
The agency ordered the recall on Monday, Jan. 9.
The Xinhua News Agency reported that the recall was due to a defective noise filter on the vehicles' brake boosters, which could cause the brake system to malfunction while cruising.
According to the report, Volkswagen China offers free repair of the brake booster and advised car owners of the vehicles to refrain from using the cruise control system in the meantime.
In Oct. 2015, almost 2,000 Volkswagen cars in China were also recalled, following the diesel emissions scandal in which the German automaker admitted that it installed software to cheat the tests.
At least 1,950 Tiguan models imported into China were recalled but Volkswagen said that 11 million vehicles worldwide were affected by the scandal.
The scandal had no significant effect on Volkswagen operations and sales in China, which is its largest market in terms of sales.
Also, China has a more balanced approach than Europe when it comes to reducing emissions. In addition, there are fewer diesel cars in China than in the U.S.
Since 1978, Volkswagen has been active in China and has been producing cars in the country since 1983. The company is a market leader in the country, with about 13 percent of market share, followed by Japan's Honda with 5.5 percent.
Last year, the German automaker sold about 3 million passenger cars in China, almost half of its total sales worldwide. About 4 million cars are sold by the company every year, which include brands such as Audi and Porsche. It has also formed joint ventures with Chinese firms such as FAW-Volkswagen and SAIC Volkswagen.
