Volkswagen said Wednesday it would recall 384,181 vehicles in China over gearbox defects, marking the German auto giant's biggest ever recall in the world's largest auto market. The recall came after Chinese state television alleged in an annual corporate malpractice programme that Volkswagen had used substandard gearboxes in some models, causing acceleration problems and accidents.
In a company statement, Volkswagen said an electronic malfunction could cause its cars to lose power while being driven. A spokesman for Volkswagen in China said the decision to recall was not initiated by the television programme, and the company had already been monitoring the issue.