Record auto recalls in 2009

China's quality watchdog says the number of auto recalls in the country and the number of cars involved all hit a record high last year.

The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine says China had 56 auto recall cases last year, affecting nearly 1.4 million cars. More than 30 brands were involved, including Mercedes Benz, Land Rover, BMW, Jaguar, Maserati, Volvo, Toyota and ChangAn Ford. The number of consumer complaints about the quality of auto products in the country also surged.

Sun Ning, Defective Product CTR, AQSIQ, said, "Last year, the largest recall case involved Toyota. Due to a window glitch, the car maker had to repair nearly 680,000 cars. We received more than 10,000 complaints, and launched nearly 20 defective product investigations as a result. Our investigations made many manufacturers realize there could be problems with their products, and led them to announce recalls themselves. This could also prove that the quality regulator is strengthening efforts in quality control. "