Nissan Motor Co, Japan's second-biggest automaker, will start to recall 3,008 X-Trail sport utility vehicles (SUVs) in the Chinese mainland on February 28 over potential vent pipe problems.

The recall will affect X-Trail T30 SUVs made between June 26, 2001 and February 13, 2003, Nissan Motor (China) Limited said in a statement yesterday.

Nissan Motor (China), which is based in Hong Kong and is responsible for Nissan's exports to China, applied to the mainland's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine earlier this week to recall the X-Trails.

Nissan has so far sold around 4,600 X-Trails in the mainland.

The company is the third foreign automaker to recall faulty vehicles sold in the mainland this year.

Fuji Heavy Industries Co, owned by General Motors, said on Wednesday that it will recall 57 Subaru Legacy sedans in the mainland before China's Spring Festival (falling on February 9) due to possible brake system problems.

Toyota Motor Corp, Japan's top automaker, began recalling 1,717 Lexus vehicles in the mainland due to possible fuel pump defects at the end of last month.

Analysts said that there will be more vehicle recalls in China as the nation starts to implement its first auto recall regulations introduced last October.

Last year, many automakers recalled defective vehicles in China, such as Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi and Toyota, and Sino-foreign joint ventures Chang'an Suzuki, Guangzhou Honda and Dongfeng Peugeot Citroen.

Nissan runs a US$2-billion joint venture with Dongfeng Motor Corp producing passenger cars and commercial vehicles in South China's Guangdong Province and central Hubei Province.

Nissan also has an SUV and pickup joint venture in Central China's Henan Province.

(China Daily February 4, 2005)