Honda's Chinese unit is recalling 408,000 sport utility vehicles to repair a defective shock absorber rod in a new setback in China for Japanese automakers.
Dongfeng Honda Automobile Co. will recall Siwei CR-V vehicles made between March 2, 2010 and Aug. 30, 2012, the Chinese government's product quality agency said Wednesday.
Honda will replace a front shock absorber piston rod that in extreme cases might fracture, causing safety problems, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said.
The recall is a setback for Honda Motor Co. as Japanese automakers try to rebuild market share they lost last year during tensions last year between Beijing and Tokyo over ownership of disputed islands in the South China Sea.
China is the world's biggest auto market by number of vehicles sold and Japanese and other global brands are looking to Chinese buyers for future sales growth.
Overall sales growth for Honda and other Japanese brands accelerated to 17.6 percent in July over a year earlier from June's 16.5 percent rise, according to an industry group, the China Association of Auto Manufacturers. That was ahead of overall market growth of 10.5 percent.
