General Motors to recall 1.5m cars in China

General Motors Co. and its Chinese partner will recall more than 1.46 million Buick and Chevrolet cars because of defective fuel-pump brackets, China's quality regulator said, in one of the biggest recalls yet in the world's largest auto market. Analysts said the quality issue hasn't resulted in any known fatalities and would be relatively easy to fix. Still, the recall is an unwelcome hit to the U.S. auto maker, which has slipped behind rival Volkswagen AG as China's top-selling brand. A GM spokeswoman in China said the recall involved a bracket on the vehicle's fuel pump. The holder could crack with use over time, causing fuel leakages in extreme circumstances, she said. There have been no reports of casualties, she added. GM did not disclose cost of the recall. Shanghai General Motors Co., the 50-50 joint venture between GM and SAIC Motor, will replace the defective brackets with new ones at no cost to owners, China's regulator said. According to dealer estimates, replacing fuel-pump brackets costs between 500 yuan (about $80) and 600 yuan. Analysts such as Namrita Chow of IHS Automotive say the tempo of recalls in China has risen recently as Chinese authorities have become more vigilant. Global auto makers also are issuing recalls in a more timely manner in China because they realize ignoring problems could hurt their brands, she said. A total of 1.2 million Buick Excelle compact cars and 243,297 Chevrolet Sail subcompact cars will be recalled starting on Monday. The Buicks were produced from 2006 to 2011 and the Chevrolets between 2009 and 2011.