Changan Ford recalls 7,362 cars on lock defect

Changan Ford Mazda Automobile Corp. has begun a recall of 7,362 of its cars, China's quality watchdog said, in the latest recall involving foreign automakers in China amid growing scrutiny on auto quality and safety.

The recall at the joint venture between Changan Automotive Group, Ford Motor Co. and Mazda Motor Corp. involves five car models, according to a statement posted on the Web site of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine Friday.

The recall of 4,600 Ford Mondeo-Zhisheng and 1,172 Ford S-Max made between October last year and February this year is because of potential defects with the child-safety lock due to errors related to their engineering process, the statement said.

Errors in the production of the right rear brake pipe, which could lead to brake problems, was cited as the reason for the recall of 118 Ford Focus and three Mazda 3 autos made between March of last year and March of this year, the statement said.

It also said 1,333 New Ford Fiesta and 136 Ford S-Max, made between December last year and January this year, were being recalled on faulty screws in the window roof that could lead to fractures.