FRANKFURT (AFP) - German auto giant Volkswagen said on Thursday it is recalling 2.6 million cars worldwide due to various technical problems affecting different models of its various brands.

The problems ranged from faulty lighting, leaky engine fuel lines and possible malfunction when synthetic oil is used in its gear box, a spokesman said.

The recall is one of the biggest in the company's history.

It includes 800,000 of its compact Tiguan sports-utility vehicle which could be affected by faulty fuses that can trip lighting circuits.

Volkswagen also said it is recalling its 2-litre Amarok pickup truck because of leaky engine fuel lines, which affects around 239,000 vehicles.

Volkswagen issued a separate recall in China for around 640,000 vehicles that were locally produced or imported between January 2009 and June 2013.

The recall comes after the country's quality watchdog identified a problem with the DO200 gearbox, which may suffer electronic malfunction when synthetic oil is used.