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UPDATE 1-Honda to recall 31,000 faulty Accords in China

(Adds details, background)

SHANGHAI, Aug 25 (Reuters) - Honda Motor Co , Japan's second-largest car maker, said on Monday it would recall about 31,000 of its popular Accord models in China due to a faulty exhaust pipe that could emit harmful unburnt fuel vapour.

The recall encompasses the new two-litre and 2.4-litre Accord sedans built at Honda's Guangzhou plant in southern China between January 15 and June 17.

Honda had announced the recall of 29,494 Accord saloon cars and wagons in Japan last week, citing a similar defect.

"This does not affect the car's performance but it causes pollution," said Zhu Linjie, a Beijing-based Honda spokesman. He declined to say how much the recall would cost.

Among the firms scrambling for a piece of China's booming car market, Honda has been one of the most successful and profitable, particularly thanks to the popularity of the flagship Accord.

Guangzhou Honda sold 47,863 new and old Accord models in the first seven months of 2003. The company is a venture between Honda and a unit of Hong Kong-listed Denway Motors .

The defect centres on a rubber connector for an exhaust pipe in the engine which can fail in cold weather and loosen when the car accelerates or is driven over a rough surface.

The fault had led to three complaints in Japan but none so far in China, Honda said.

No accident has been reported in either country.

The company has yet to decide whether to recall the cars in the United States and Europe. (Additional reporting by Chang-Ran Kim in Tokyo)