GM recalling 1 million cars in China

BEIJING - Agence France-Presse

U.S. auto giant General Motors and its partners in China will recall nearly one million vehicles over a fuel tank issue, a Chinese regulator said on Dec. 1.

It is the latest recall to hit car companies in China in recent months.GM and its joint venture partners SAIC and Wuling Automobile will recall 938,686 vehicles starting Dec. 1, according to China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.     

The recall involves its tiny Baojun model, a very popular China-specific model that has shot GM’s sales here upwards in recent quarters.

“Because of a supplier defect, some fuel tanks’ ventilation hoses will split open with long-term use,” the regulator said. 

“It’s a hidden danger.”     

It said some 2014, 2015 and 2016 Baojun models will be recalled and have the defective parts replaced for free.

In September, General Motors and SAIC recalled more than 2.5 million vehicles in China over concerns about airbags made by troubled Japanese giant Takata.

The airbag defect had been linked to more than a dozen deaths and scores of injuries globally.     

In China, the airbag recall involved 37 manufacturers and more than 20 million vehicles, of which 24 carmakers had recalled 10.59 million units by the end of June, the regulator said in September.