NISSAN last night recalled 2.5 million vehicles - including more than 400,000 made at the award-winning Sunderland plant - to check potentially faulty wiring.

The recall is the biggest in the Japanese company's history and affects Almeras, Primeras, the small Tino people carrier and the 4x4 X-Trail.

Checks have shown that two sensors in the engine management system - the electronic "brain" - can fail, so the engine will not start or can stall.

More than 2.5 million vehicles are potentially at risk worldwide. In the UK, 108,000 vehicles are to be recalled.

Rectifying the fault involves replacing the two sensors and should take about an hour. A spokesman stressed it was a precautionary measure.

Nissan will contact owners by the end of next month, offering free checks and remedial work at their local dealer.

Although more than 400,000 of the cars affected were built at Nissan's Sunderland factory, the recall does not reflect on the plant, which is the most efficient in Europe.

"The parts we plan to replace are bought and used on a worldwide basis - it has nothing to do with the efficiency of individual factories," said the spokesman.

In Europe, the recall affects:

* 273,747 Almera cars, made in Sunderland

* 148,173 Primeras, also made in Sunderland

* 49,775 Almera Tino cars, made in Spain

* 20,225 X-Trail 4x4 vehicles, made in Japan.

A further million vehicles are to be recalled in Japan and more than 700,000 in the US.

Motorists owning the old-type Primera, which started production in Sunderland in 1996, and the new shape from 2001, are likely to be affected.

Owners of petrol-engined Almeras built in this country after January 2000 and liquid petroleum gas (LPG) 1.5 and 1.8 manual drive vehicles will also be recalled. The diesel-engined versions of the two vehicles are unaffected.

Nissan said it would work with the DVLA to track down Primera and Almera drivers in this country.