India does not have a vehicle recall policy but the automobile sector has already seen nearly seven lakh vehicles being recalled since 2012. Now, country's largest car maker Maruti Suzuki has announced recall of 33,098 units of its popular small car models Alto 800 and Alto K10 manufactured between December 8, 2014 and February 18, 2015. The recall is to rectify defective latches on right side doors.

People should check the company's website www.marutisuzuki.com to know whether their vehicle is among the defective lot. Customers need to fill in the chassis number to check this.

The company will replace the 'right hand door latch assembly' of 19,780 units of Alto 800 and 13,318 units of Alto K10, Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) said in a statement.

"From customer perspective, there is no concern if the right hand side door (front and rear) is completely latched. If however, the door is half-latched, then the door may open if pressure is applied from inside," it said.

Maruti Suzuki dealers in the domestic market will contact owners of all the defective vehicles. The dealer workshop technicians will inspect the condition and carry out the necessary replacement, free of cost.

The automobile industry body SIAM started voluntary vehicle recalls for safety related issues in India in July 2012 and since then over seven lakh vehicles have been recalled by various manufacturers in India. India still does not have a proper policy on recall of defective vehicles.

In December last year, Maruti had recalled 3,796 units of its new sedan Ciaz to fix suspected faulty clutch. Last month, Mahindra & Mahindra had recalled an unspecified number of its premium sports utility vehicle XUV500 vehicles to upgrade the side curtain airbag software.