German carmakers Volkwsagen and Porsche has been forced to recall more than 800,000 SUV models worldwide after identifying a potential problem with their foot pedals.

The safety recall involves all VW Touaregs and Porsche Cayennes built between 2011 and this year.

Engineers said 'a circlip could be loose on the bearing bracket for pedals'.

Porsche announced it wishes to check a circlip holding on a bearing bracket on the foot pedals of more than 409,000 Cayennes built between 2011 and 2016 in what they are describing as a precautionary measure

VW will have to inspect 391,000 Touaregs while Porsche will call in more than 409,000 Cayennes.

The latest safety scandal is a further blow for the embattled manufacturer who was caught using illegal software to cheat US emission targets.

A US District Court judge gave Volkswagen until April 21 to come up with a plan to fix the 600,000 cars affected in America.

Judge Charles Breyer said: 'This issue of what is to be done with these cars must be done by that date.

If a concrete plan for getting the cars fixed or off the roads was not submitted by the deadline, 'the court would seriously consider whether to hold a bench trial this summer so that the polluting cars can be addressed forthwith,' Breyer said.

VW, which until recently had ambitions to become the world's biggest carmaker, is battling to resolve its deepest-ever crisis sparked by revelations that it installed emissions-cheating software into 11 million diesel engines worldwide.

VW will have to inspect 391,000 Touaregs while Porsche will call in more than 409,000 Cayennes, pictured

The software, known as a 'defeat device', limits the output of toxic nitrogen oxides to US legal limits during emissions test by regulators.

But when the vehicles are in actual use, the software allows them to spew poisonous gases at up to 40 times the permitted levels, giving the vehicle better acceleration and fuel economy.

Defeat devices are prohibited in the United States, where the VW scam was originally exposed, as well as in other countries.

On top of still unquantifiable regulatory fines in a range of countries, VW is facing a slew of legal suits, notably in the United States and Germany, from angry car owners, as well as from shareholders seeking damages for the massive loss in the value of their shares since September.

The latest safety scandal is a further blow for Volkswagen which was caught using illegal software to cheat US emission targets

Cases in the United States have been consolidated under Judge Breyer, who said attorneys representing all involved have been working relentlessly for the past month on a way to "get the cars, in their current condition, off the road."

However, he said, engineering technicalities and 'other important issues' had yet to be resolved.

The solution could be a buy-back plan or a fix to the emissions system.