More than 1 million cars around the world are being recalled over a wiring defect, a Daimler spokesperson said in Stuttgart on Monday.

The German automaker, who manufactures Mercedes-Benz cars among others, discovered a defective cable in the steering column.

The problem was first uncovered after airbags in some cars would deploy spontaneously.

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Around 400,000 Mercedes-Benz cars are being recalled in Britain as well as several hundred thousand in Germany, a spokesman told German news agency DPA.

A spokesman for Mercedes-Benz in the United States said some 495,000 cars are subject to the recall there.

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The recall notice in the UK concerns cars sold between November 2011 and July 2017, a Mercedes spokesman said.

A range of Mercedes-Benz models are affected, including the A-Class, B-Class, C-Class and E-Class cars, as well as the CLA, GLA, GLC, GLK and some V-Class models.

The product recall is due to begin in the coming weeks when the replacement parts become available.

rs/rc (AP, AFP, dpa)