Volkswagen Passat sedans recalled in China over gearbox problem

BEIJING — SAIC Volkswagen, a joint venture between Shanghai-based SAIC and German automaker Volkswagen, has filed a recall of its New Passat sedans in China due to a gearbox problem.

Beginning on June 9, the company will recall 146 New Passat cars manufactured between August and November 2016, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said in a statement.

Possible malfunction of the electronic control unit in the gearbox may lead to sudden loss of engine power. The company will replace the defective units free of charge, the statement said.

Although the recall affects a small number of cars, it is not the first time for the German manufacturer to recall cars with defective gearboxes.

In March 2013, Volkswagen announced a massive recall of 384,181 vehicles in China, after a China Central Television program highlighted the malfunction in the company's direct shift gearbox transmissions could cause a sudden loss or gain in engine power.

Later that year, Volkswagen announced a new recall of 3,863 imported vehicles with the same problem.