Jaguar Land Rover Starts China Recall of Evoque After TV Report on Quality Issues

The recall will cover 36,451 imported cars made between June 3 and Dec. 24 last year, the automaker said in a statement posted on its official microblog. The automaker also extended the warranty period for gearboxes in the recalled vehicles to seven years or 240,000 kilometers (150,000 miles), it said.

JLR opened a plant outside Shanghai in October to start producing vehicles such as the Evoque in China. The company plans to capture 10% of the country's premium SUV market, it said at the time.

Jaguar Land Rover's recall marks the latest victory by China Central Television in its push to force automakers to react to consumer complaints over quality. Volkswagen Group's record recalls in China in 2013, involving defective gearboxes, took place less than a week after the state broadcaster featured buyers' complaints about the problems.

A separate report by the TV station on March 18 this year said Volkswagen ignored complaints of oil leaks from engines in models including the Magotan sedan and the Tiguan SUV. Volkswagen China is conducting an investigation into the issue and apologized to customers, it said in an emailed statement on Thursday.

China's automotive safety regulator didn't respond to a fax sent Thursday seeking comments on what actions it would ask Volkswagen to take.