Nissan announced on Thursday it would have to recall 841,000 vehicles worldwide. Japan's second-largest auto maker said among the cars affected were the Micra compact produced in Britain and Japan between 2002 and 2006.

A steering system glitch which prompted the recall also appeared in the Cube model produced in Japan around the same period, Nissan stated.

The company explained that a bolt used in the steering wheel of those cars may not have been properly tightened, meaning that at worst the wheel may not function, the firm said in a statement filed to the Japanese Transport Ministry.

Easy fix

Nissan emphasized that no accidents, injuries or deaths had been reported so far. Spokeswoman Noriko Yoneyama said the company would fix the glitch by either tightening the bolts or replacing the whole steering wheel.

She added repair work would only take about 40 minutes, but declined to say how much the recall would cost the carmaker.

Nissan announced it would pull back affected vehicles in Japan itself, Europe, Asia, Oceania, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. In April, the company already had to recall 480,000 cars worldwide over faulty airbags.

hg/jr (AFP, Reuters)