German auto giant Volkswagen will recall more than 207,000 sport utility vehicles (SUVs) sold in China over a possible defect in the lights, China's quality watchdog said on Wednesday.

The Chinese government had ordered the recall of 189,770 Volkswagen Tiguan SUVs produced domestically and another 18,008 imported ones, according to a statement.

A defect in the fuses of exterior lights could cause them to fail, it said, adding the recall was for safety concerns.

Volkswagen could not be immediately reached for comment.

In March this year, Volkswagen said it would recall 384,181 vehicles in China over gearbox defects, marking its biggest ever recall in the country.

That move came after Chinese state television alleged in an annual corporate malpractice programme that Volkswagen had used substandard gearboxes in some models, causing acceleration problems and accidents.

China, the world's largest auto market, has proved to be critically important for foreign car companies in the face of weak demand elsewhere, especially in Europe.

The country's auto sales grew 4.3 percent annually to 19.31 million vehicles in 2012.