General Motors, the biggest foreign automaker in China by sales, announced a recall of about 1.46 million cars in China on Friday, one of the largest such actions to be taken in the world's No 1 automobile market.

According to GM's official statement, Shanghai General Motors Co, its passenger vehicle joint venture with China's SAIC Motor Corp, started to recall 1,218,163 Buick Excelle cars and 243,297 Chevrolet Sail compact cars, on Monday.

The Buicks to be recalled are the Excelles produced between Jan 17, 2006, and Dec 2, 2011. The recalled Chevy Sails were manufactured between April 9, 2009, and Oct 8, 2011.