China recalls over 4 million defective cars

China recalled 4.15 million defective cars in the first nine months of this year, 15 percent fewer than that in the same period last year, according to the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.

The number of recalls was relatively low compared with previous years.

Due to COVID-19, overall recall work was impacted in January and February. That gradually increased in March, reaching a peak in April of 1.02 million units and then slowly declined over the following months.

In the third quarter, 25 batches of recalls were initiated, involving a total of 1.11 million vehicles of 21 brands, a year-on-year decline of 56.3 percent and a decrease of 51.5 percent from the second quarter.

In September, 184,400 defective vehicles were recalled, a drop of 69.48 percent year-on-year and 67.47 percent from August.

Joint ventures had more recalls in the first nine months. Affected by the pandemic, the number of recalls of imported cars dropped.

Airbags and seat belt failures became the main cause of recalls, with a total of 261,600 vehicles recalled, accounting for 23.61 percent of the third-quarter total.

Volvo recalled 240,000 vehicles in the third quarter due to seat belt problems. 

The second main reason was brake defects with the Buick GL8 accounting for 22.56 percent. The third largest cause of failure was electrical equipment problems involving wiring harnesses and software systems, accounting for 21.95 percent of the total.

The country's regulations on the recall of defective automobile products came into effect on October 1, 2004. On September 30, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said China had implemented more than 2,100 recalls, involving more than 80 million vehicles.

Cui Dongshu, secretary-general of the China Passenger Car Association, said recalls from January to February were affected by the pandemic and was postponed to the second quarter. The number of recalls in the third quarter was relatively small.

Cui said the number of engine and brake system recalls last year was relatively large. The emerging problem in 2020 related to batteries of new-energy vehicles.