Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The VW Magotan is one of the vehicles being recalled in China

More than 1.8 million Volkswagen cars are being recalled in China because of a faulty fuel pump.

China's consumer watchdog said the recall affected vehicles made by VW and its two Chinese joint ventures with SAIC and FAW.

The defect can cause the engine to stall due to an electronics failure in the fuel pump.

The makers will replace the fuel pump control modules free of charge starting in December.

It was not immediately clear whether it was part of a previously announced global recall.

The recall applies to Magotans made between 2007 and 2014 and the CC produced domestically by FAW-Volkswagen between 2009 and 2014, as well as the 2011-2015 Passat made by SAIC Volkswagen.

About 19,000 imported models are also affected, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said.

VW apparently became aware of the latest defect after an investigation by Chinese authorities that began in April 2016.

Last week, the company told US regulators that it was recalling 281,000 vehicles due to similar problems with the fuel pump.

Image copyright Getty Images

The recall is the latest embarrassment for the world's biggest car maker.

In March VW recalled nearly 680,000 Audi cars in China over defects in coolant pumps that could lead to engine fires.

And in May FAW recalled almost 580,000 Golf and Sagitar cars because of a headlight fuse defect.

VW is still struggling to recover from the controversy after admitting that it had installed "cheat" devices in its diesel cars to evade emissions tests.

In March the company pleaded guilty to charges stemming from "dieselgate" and agreed to pay $4.3bn (£3.3bn; 3.6bn euros) in penalties, as well as $17.5bn in compensation and fixes for owners.

Volkswagen still faces legal challenges in Germany and worldwide, and has set aside more than 22bn euros ($24.4bn) to cover costs, although the final bill from the scandal could be even higher.

In June, VW said it would offer a two-year guarantee for the cars in Europe that it is modifying. A number of UK consumers have complained that the modifications have affected performance and reliability.